A gun permit holder recently found an easier way to keep carrying his weapon without renewing his Minnesota permit. Instead of paying $100 and taking a class to renew the license for five years, he found out he can get a nonresident gun permit from Utah.

That state requires only a one-time training class, a $65 first-time fee and then $10 every five years to renew. Utah gun permits are recognized in 33 states, including Minnesota.

"I bring this to your attention because I feel the state of Minnesota is losing out on a bunch of revenue because their permit policies cost the end user too much," the gun permit holder wrote.

Revenue from gun permits goes to counties, not the state, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville. A Utah permit holder can't do everything a Minnesota permit holder can do either. A Minnesota permit serves as a permit to purchase a firearm, while a Utah permit does not, Neville said. To see a list of out-of-state permits that are valid in Minnesota, click here.

Lt. Doug Anderson, of the Utah State Patrol, said Utah permits are often sought by out-of-state residents because they have one of the most widely recognized permits in the country.

Utah doesn't allow just anybody to get a gun permit. Several types of criminal convictions disqualify you from getting a permit, including a felony, a crime of violence, an offense involving moral turpitude, domestic violence or the use of alcohol.

It's difficult to tell how much money Minnesota counties may be losing to Utah. Anderson said he did not know how many Minnesotans have non-resident Utah gun permits.

Should Minnesota do something about this?