HB78 Weapons Revisions

This bill, sponsored by Stephen E. Sandstrom, clarifies Utah's laws on carrying weapons openly and specifically on exhibiting those weapons when necessary in self-defense.

This bill allows any individual who is not prohibited by State or Federal law to:

Openly carry a firearm, and Exhibit the firearm when they reasonably believe that they or someone else are being threatened with bodily harm.

This bill also instructs peace officers to include evidence that might support justifiable use of force in investigations that pertain to this law.

Individuals will still not be allowed to exhibit or use dangerous weapons in an angry or threatening manner when unnecessary for self-defense.

Ideally, this law should be unnecessary, since common sense would tell you that a person should have the right to protect themselves in the manner described. However, since the use of firearms is such a highly debated issue and has been clouded by many attempts to disarm citizens, it is good to have these laws spelled out for law enforcement agencies, courts, and individuals.