It seems that you think that Minnesota is the only state that Wiconsinites ever go to. IF that was true, I woulld agree with you. But the truth is, some of us travel to states all acrosss the country. And for those that do, for a Wisconsin resident, AZ. UT and WI permits is the best combination to carry in the most states and also happens to be cheaper.
I cannot say this is true for Iowa, because I have not looked into and I don't care to.
No, I don't believe that Minnesota is the only state that Wisconsinites will go to. However, looking at a map I can see that there are four states that Wisconsin shares a border, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. If someone is going to travel by land one will have to cross one of these states. When it comes to Iowa and Illinois any permit is just as good (or bad) as any other since Iowa recognizes all permits and Illinois denies all non-LEOs the ability to carry a weapon lawfully. Michigan recognizes only resident permits. That leaves Minnesota, with their spotty recognition of other state permits as the wild card in this discussion. I am merely recognizing the importance of that one state in the travel plans of Wisconsin residents.
If one is assuming domestic travel by land then the only real state of concern is Minnesota. The other states are one sentence answers.
Iowa: Pick a permit, any permit will do.
Michigan: Get the Wisconsin resident permit.
Illinois: Forget about it.
If one is traveling beyond the immediate neighbors of Wisconsin the residents of Wisconsin can enjoy traveling while lawfully armed in 20+ other states that recognize the MN permit. If we also assume that Wisconsin residents that wish to travel while armed will get the Wisconsin resident permit then one can add resident only states like Florida, Michigan, and Colorado to the discussion. Traveling TO many states from Wisconsin will likely involve travel THROUGH Minnesota.
If one adds travel by air or water then I guess we can diminish the need to get recognition in Minnesota. If that is the case then why emphasize the need for a UT permit AND the AZ permit? One or the other should do nicely. Unless we are certain of the destination of the Wisconsinite in question then we cannot say for certain which permit the person will need. If one is traveling by air to either New York or California then there is no benefit to getting an out of state permit since in that case only the nearly impossible to obtain non-resident permits of those respective states are recognized.
I also dispute your claim of the UT permit being cheaper. Minnesota does not require photos and fingerprints to get a permit while Utah does. Last I checked the price for passport style photos is around $15. The fees for fingerprinting around here is also about $15. So add that up...
UT permit fee: $65
Fingerprinting: $15
Photos: $15
Total: $95
MN permit fee: statutorily limited to no more than $100
Total: $0 - $100
If the claim is correct that some sheriffs charge as little as $50 for the state permit then the MN permit looks like a really good deal.
If one is looking to enhance their bang/buck ratio then one should consider which states they are traveling to and through before deciding. Since we are discussing travel into and out of Wisconsin then Minnesota is very likely going to be one state of concern.
Brokensprocket, it seems to me that you have already decided what is the best non-resident permits for all residents of Wisconsin. What I am saying is that people need to do their research for their own particular situation. I'm also saying that the MN permit looks like a real good deal even when compared to AZ and UT.
All three states (UT, AZ, and MN) require training before a permit is issued. I can see from my own research in those offering training for concealed weapons that just about every one is licensed to offer training for all three states. Therefore the training costs should not be of a concern, especially if one is seeking training for a Wisconsin permit as well since most every person licensed in Wisconsin will be licensed for UT and MN.
I will also repeat that the recognition of the Wisconsin permit is still up in the air, as is the recognition laws in Minnesota, and the federal government is discussing national recognition of carry permits. With all of this going on the need for an out of state permit is certainly... uncertain at this time. I suggest that all that can wait to get a permits should.