Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004
PL 108-277 (H.R.218), enacted 07/22/2004

118 STAT. 865
PUBLIC LAW 108–277—JULY 22, 2004
Public Law 108–277
108th Congress
An Act
To amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and former
law enforcement officers from State laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed
handguns.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Law Enforcement Officers Safety
Act of 2004’’.
SEC. 2. EXEMPTION OF QUALIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
FROM STATE LAWS PROHIBITING THE CARRYING OF
CONCEALED FIREARMS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code,
is amended by inserting after section 926A the following:
‘‘§ 926B. Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified law
enforcement officers
‘‘(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law of any
State or any political subdivision thereof, an individual who is
a qualified law enforcement officer and who is carrying the identi-
fication required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed firearm
that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign com-
merce, subject to subsection (b).
‘‘(b) This section shall not be construed to supersede or limit
the laws of any State that—
‘‘(1) permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict
the possession of concealed firearms on their property; or
‘‘(2) prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any
State or local government property, installation, building, base,
or park.
‘‘(c) As used in this section, the term ‘qualified law enforcement
officer’ means an employee of a governmental agency who—
‘‘(1) is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the
prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the
incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and has
statutory powers of arrest;
‘‘(2) is authorized by the agency to carry a firearm;
‘‘(3) is not the subject of any disciplinary action by the
agency;
‘‘(4) meets standards, if any, established by the agency
which require the employee to regularly qualify in the use
of a firearm;
Law Enforcement
Officers Safety
Act of 2004.
18 USC 921 note.
July 22, 2004
[H.R. 218]
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118 STAT. 866
PUBLIC LAW 108–277—JULY 22, 2004
‘‘(5) is not under the influence of alcohol or another intoxi-
cating or hallucinatory drug or substance; and
‘‘(6) is not prohibited by Federal law from receiving a
firearm.
‘‘(d) The identification required by this subsection is the photo-
graphic identification issued by the governmental agency for which
the individual is employed as a law enforcement officer.
‘‘(e) As used in this section, the term ‘firearm’ does not include—
‘‘(1) any machinegun (as defined in section 5845 of the
National Firearms Act);
‘‘(2) any firearm silencer (as defined in section 921 of this
title); and
‘‘(3) any destructive device (as defined in section 921 of
this title).’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for such
chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
926A the following:
‘‘926B. Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified law enforcement officers.’’.
SEC. 3. EXEMPTION OF QUALIFIED RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI-
CERS FROM STATE LAWS PROHIBITING THE CARRYING
OF CONCEALED FIREARMS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code,
is further amended by inserting after section 926B the following:
‘‘§ 926C. Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified retired
law enforcement officers
‘‘(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law of any
State or any political subdivision thereof, an individual who is
a qualified retired law enforcement officer and who is carrying
the identification required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed
firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign
commerce, subject to subsection (b).
‘‘(b) This section shall not be construed to supersede or limit
the laws of any State that—
‘‘(1) permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict
the possession of concealed firearms on their property; or
‘‘(2) prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any
State or local government property, installation, building, base,
or park.
‘‘(c) As used in this section, the term ‘qualified retired law
enforcement officer’ means an individual who—
‘‘(1) retired in good standing from service with a public
agency as a law enforcement officer, other than for reasons
of mental instability;
‘‘(2) before such retirement, was authorized by law to
engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation,
or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any
violation of law, and had statutory powers of arrest;
‘‘(3)(A) before such retirement, was regularly employed as
a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of 15 years or more;
or
‘‘(B) retired from service with such agency, after completing
any applicable probationary period of such service, due to a
service-connected disability, as determined by such agency;
‘‘(4) has a nonforfeitable right to benefits under the retire-
ment plan of the agency;
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118 STAT. 867
PUBLIC LAW 108–277—JULY 22, 2004
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 218 (S. 253):
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108–560 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 108–29 accompanying S. 253 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 150 (2004):
June 23, considered and passed House.
July 7, considered and passed Senate.
‘‘(5) during the most recent 12-month period, has met,
at the expense of the individual, the State’s standards for
training and qualification for active law enforcement officers
to carry firearms;
‘‘(6) is not under the influence of alcohol or another intoxi-
cating or hallucinatory drug or substance; and
‘‘(7) is not prohibited by Federal law from receiving a
firearm.
‘‘(d) The identification required by this subsection is—
‘‘(1) a photographic identification issued by the agency from
which the individual retired from service as a law enforcement
officer that indicates that the individual has, not less recently
than one year before the date the individual is carrying the
concealed firearm, been tested or otherwise found by the agency
to meet the standards established by the agency for training
and qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry
a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm; or
‘‘(2)(A) a photographic identification issued by the agency
from which the individual retired from service as a law enforce-
ment officer; and
‘‘(B) a certification issued by the State in which the indi-
vidual resides that indicates that the individual has, not less
recently than one year before the date the individual is carrying
the concealed firearm, been tested or otherwise found by the
State to meet the standards established by the State for
training and qualification for active law enforcement officers
to carry a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm.
‘‘(e) As used in this section, the term ‘firearm’ does not include—
‘‘(1) any machinegun (as defined in section 5845 of the
National Firearms Act);
‘‘(2) any firearm silencer (as defined in section 921 of this
title); and
‘‘(3) a destructive device (as defined in section 921 of this
title).’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for such
chapter is further amended by inserting after the item relating
to section 926B the following:
‘‘926C. Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified retired law enforcement offi-
cers.’’.
Approved July 22, 2004.
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