Dr Jaykumar,
Actually if you look carefully, my handgun is not concealed. It is just that my elbow is covering it. You can see the front loop of the holster over the belt.
There are some other states that specify "concealed" but the Minnesota Permit is called a "permit to carry a pistol". It says nothing about "concealed". Most people carry concealed but it is perfectly legal to open carry. The nice thing about it is that if you are carrying concealed, and your handgun accidentally becomes visible, it is no big deal.
Each state has its own gun laws and some states specify that your handgun must be concealed. Texas is one of them and inadvertently showing your handgun can get you in trouble.
For example:
Note: From the Texas DPS FAQ’s
Q: What does "concealed" mean?
A: "Concealed" means that the weapon cannot be visible, and that its presence cannot be discernible
through ordinary observation. It is a criminal offense for a license holder to carry a handgun in plain
view, or to intentionally fail to conceal the weapon.
Some state like Arizona and Alaska have what is called "constitutional carry". If you are over 21 years of age and not legally prohibited from carrying a weapon, you can carry concealed or openly and no permit is required.
There is no "all-US" permit. Some states honor the permits of some other states and some states honor permits from different states. Some states have non resident permits that are honored by other states. Some states only honor resident permits. It can be very confusing and it is imperative on you to find out what conditions exist in a different state. The only saving grace is a federal law that allows you to have unloaded weapons in your trunk if you are crossing through a state. This allows you to transport your firearms over state lines and as long as you are just transiting a state, you are not subject to their laws (provided that you follow the federal guidelines for storage i.e. unloaded in the trunk).
If you are interested in looking at the various state laws,
Handgunlaw.us is a good site.
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941