Around one in six people in northern lower Michigan has a concealed pistol license — or CPL. That’s the highest concentration in the state.
But that license may not be required much longer.
A bill introduced by Michigan House Republicans would allow eligible gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a separate license or training.
On a sunny winter day, behind the Marine Corps League building in Interlochen, eight adult students took aim at a snowbank lined with targets.
Concealed pistol license instructor Tony Romanowski walked along the line, offering advice and encouragement. The group was attentive and having a good time, often joking with each other between firing rounds.
The class lasts eight hours and covers firearm safety, Michigan gun laws and proper storage. When the course is completed, applicants submit to a background check through Michigan State Police. If they pass, they will receive a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
At one point, Romanowski taught students how to give a verbal warning to an intruder before firing — something that can carry serious legal consequences if skipped.
"Go! Go! Go," Romanowski yelled as students approached their benched firearms and shouted an ad-libbed warning before firing.
In March, Michigan lawmakers introduced House Bill 5653, which would allow what advocates call "constitutional carry." It would let gun owners carry concealed weapons without a permit — making classes like Romanowski’s unnecessary.
The move toward constitutional carry is a part of a broader trend in US gun laws. Before 2015, only four states allowed constitutional carry. Today, 29 do.
Other Michigan gun laws would remain in place, including gun-free zones in schools and churches, and required disclosure to police. But the CPL itself, along with required training and background checks, would no longer be mandatory.
Even after teaching CPL classes for 32 years, Romanowski said, he supports removing the requirement.
“It's going to make it a lot easier for people that want to protect themselves," he said. "The thing is, bad people are going to carry and do bad things. They're going to do it with or without constitutional carry."
In a region where the nearest sheriff’s deputy can be far away, he said, many residents see carrying a firearm as a matter of self-reliance.
Romanowski also said more women are enrolling in his classes, which is consistent with a national trend that ranks women as the fastest-growing demographic of gun owners.
Concerns over public safety
Opponents of Bill 5653 argue that removing permit requirements would put more guns in public spaces — and make communities less safe.
“The good news is that those laws are actually working. In the last year, we saw unintentional shootings of children go down 60% and that's the result of our safe storage law."RYAN BATES | Executive director at End Gun Violence Michigan
“The question is, how do you know who's a bad guy with a gun? You don't know until they start shooting,” said Ryan Bates, executive director of End Gun Violence Michigan.
Permitless carry would make gun-free zones harder to enforce, Bates said.
“If you have permitless concealed carry, or as we call it, 'the guns everywhere bill,' it's basically impossible to enforce a gun-free zone," Bates said. "In fact, you can't even guarantee that the people who have the firearms even know what gun-free zones are."
In a systematic review of 27 studies, the nonpartisan think-tank RAND Corporation found most of the stronger studies identified unclear effects between permitless carry laws and homicides. However, five studies did link permitless carry laws to higher homicide rates.
In 2023, Michigan passed its first gun control legislation in over 40 years. That measure has improved safety, Bates said.
“The good news is that those laws are actually working," he said. "In the last year, we saw unintentional shootings of children go down 60%, and that's the result of our safe storage law."
He also pointed to the state’s Red Flag Law, which allows courts to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger — with more than 400 firearms removed from dangerous situations in 2025.
“That's dozens and dozens of people who are alive today because our new gun laws are working,” Bates said.
Bill 5653 has been referred to the Judiciary Committee for review. One of its co-sponsors is Republican State Representative Parker Fairbairn, whose district includes the counties of Charlevoix and Emmet. Fairbairn said the bill could pass the House but is unlikely to move through the Democratic-controlled Senate this session.
In a future legislative session, he said, the outcome could be different.
