Committee hears bill to cut concealed pistol license renewal fee to $30

Representative Ryan Paquette told the House Judiciary Committee that House Bill 4284 would lower Michigan's concealed pistol license (CPL) renewal fee to $30, saying current renewal fees "are too dang high" and that a review found per-renewal administrative costs in some counties as low as about $8 and as high as about $28.

Witnesses from several gun-rights and CPL-holder organizations testified in favor of the bill. Nick Bougie argued that "CPL fees function as a financial barrier to constitutional rights," and Brady Schickinger of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners said the fee disproportionately affects certain groups, including women and residents of lower-income counties. Tom Lambert and Casey Armitage of Michigan Open Carry urged a fee more closely aligned with administrative costs and warned of legal risk following the U.S. Supreme Court Bruen decision if fees are not demonstrably tied to administrative burden. Marcy Jankovich of Women for Gun Rights said the current fee posed a challenge to seniors and called the bill "a step in the right direction."

Sponsor Paquette said the committee could consider electronic processing costs separately and noted the committee would consult with the state police and county clerks on implementation details. The transcript records support testimony but no committee vote on the bill during this session.