Brady Schickinger of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Ownership, Nicholas Buggia of the National Rifle Association and state Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Nov. 12, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance

Members of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday took comment on a series of bills centered on the application process for concealed pistol licenses, including a proposal to lower the age requirement. 

Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell), whose House Bill 4586 would lower the age to apply for a concealed carry permits from 21 to 18, argued that at 18 years old, Michigan residents are able to vote, pay taxes, and enlist in the military, and should thus be trusted with the same right to self defense granted to other law-abiding citizens. 

“Right now, Michigan tells us that an 18-year-old soldier or Marine that are mature enough to deploy overseas and carry a service weapon for our country, but somehow, is not responsible enough to carry a sidearm to protect themselves in their own neighborhood.” Woolford said. “This doesn’t make sense to me.”

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When presenting the bill to the committee, Woolford stressed that the policy would not touch any of the safeguards in the law around concealed pistol licensing – including background checks, training requirements, and disqualifying offenses – it merely lowers the age limit. 

He also noted that under the existing law, 18-year-olds can purchase a handgun from a private individual, though they must be 21 to purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer. 

Brady Schickinger, the executive director for the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, further argued that Woolford’s bill would make the state law more uniform, as 18-year-olds are already legally permitted to purchase and own a firearm and to open carry a pistol. The committee’s chair, Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), noted that her sons are able to take the safety training class for a concealed pistol license, they can’t actually get their license until they’re 21. 

However, the bill was not without criticism, with both Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety taking a position against the bill. 

Gail Duncan of Charlotte told the committee that she’d joined Moms Demand Action after her daughter was killed at work, with the gunman later taking his own life.

She noted that firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens and warned that individuals 18 to 20 commit homicide with guns at three times the rate of adults 21 and older. 

“The area of the brain responsible for judgment and impulse control is not fully developed in 18, 19 and 20 year olds, meaning that they can be more prone to aggressive behavior,” Duncan noted, calling on committee members to oppose the policy. 

The committee also heard testimony on bills focused on how these licenses are issued. 

Rep. Pat Outman’s (R-Six Lakes) House Bill 5113 creates a grace period to correct errors on their application for a concealed pistol license if their initial application is disqualified due to either an applicant or administrative error, while Rep. Matt Maddock’s (R-Milford) House Bill 4980 reintroduced a policy first brought by former state Rep. Gary Eisen (R-St. Clair Township) during his tenure in the House.

The policy would allow individuals to apply for a concealed pistol license in any county, whereas currently they are currently required to submit their application to the county clerk in their county of residence, or directly to Michigan State Police, who forward it to the appropriate clerk. 

The bill had received bipartisan support when it was first introduced, with Eisen explaining that the legislation came from his work as a concealed pistol license instructor, with some students reporting monthslong waiting periods, while others were able to receive their license on the next day, if not the same day.

While Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) raised concerns about how the bill would be implemented, asking whether county clerks used the same system in processing these applications, Maddock noted that every county has a mechanism and procedure in place to review these applications, and that the counties whose delays could stem from a large number of applications also receive more revenue from the fees in order to process them. 

“In my opinion, there’s no excuse for Wayne County or Washtenaw County to have a long waiting period, because they’re getting that additional revenue,” Maddock said. 

While the committee did not vote on any of the bills up for testimony, they did approve House Bill 4284, which would reduce the fee for renewing a concealed pistol license from $115 to $30. While $36 of the current renewal fee is forwarded to county treasurers for deposit into their concealed pistol licensing fund, all $30 of the new fee would go toward the fund.

The panel voted 7-2 along party lines to refer the policy to the House floor for further action, after shooting down a proposed amendment from Rep. Tyron Carter (D-Detroit). Carter and Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit) voted in opposition to the policy.

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