OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahomans with a license to carry a concealed firearm are now able to carry their handguns out in the open.
The state's much-debated open-carry law went into effect Thursday after being approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin earlier this year.
It allows the estimated 141,000 Oklahomans with a license to carry a concealed firearm to also carry their weapons openly in a holster or belt. State officials say they've seen a 40 percent increase in license applications this year.
The law only allows handguns less than 16 inches long and .45 caliber or smaller to be carried openly.
Guns still are prohibited, concealed or not, in government buildings and public meetings, bars and taverns, schools, college campuses, and professional sporting events.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.