This page continues from the home page. If you have not read the first few paragraphs there, please do so now before continuing with this article.

CCW Permits

This article will help you to understand the different kinds of permits that may be available to you along with their respective training requirements.

Let's step back for a moment to review some definitions before we continue. Most people refer to the permits as "CCW" permits. If you are charged with a "CCW" criminal offense, it usually means that you were found "carrying a concealed weapon" without a permit or other legal reason. Over time, it became somewhat synonymous with "concealed carry permit" in that you often hear someone ask about getting "their CCW" - the permit not the charge!

Different states call their permits by different acronyms, which include: CCW, CWP (concealed weapon permit) and CHP (concealed handgun permit). For those states where the individual counties issue the state-wide permit, there can be additional variations and some confusion. For example, in Colorado the law reads "Concealed Handgun Permit" but many of the counties issue a permit that reads "Concealed Weapon Permit" even though only handguns are authorized.

Please note that some states issue "concealed weapon" permits that do authorize the carry of weapons other than handguns (i.e. concealed knives, saps, etc.) while others issue only "concealed handgun" permits or "concealed weapon" permits that authorize the concealed cary of handguns only. Do not be confused by the title of the permit - consult the law.

We will focus only on the concealed carry of a handgun. In most cases, reciprocity between states applies only to handguns even if one of the states issues a permit that covers other types of weapons.

Resident vs. Non-Resident Permits

If you are a resident of Colorado, Utah or another state that issues concealed handgun permits, you can get a "resident" concealed handgun permit from your home state. In some states, such as Colorado and New Mexico, only residents of the state and those on active military duty in the state can apply for that state's CCW permit. Utah, Florida and many other states actively issue CCW permits to both residents and non-residents.

You may have the option to get a non-resident permit from a state other than your home state and carry in your home state without getting a resident permit from your home state. Some states like Michigan do honor permits issued by other states unless you are a resident of the issuing state while other states specifically prohibit their own residents from carrying if they only have an out of state permit that might otherwise be valid in that state when carried by an out of state resident.

There may be several reasons for getting a non-resident permit from another state:

1. Your home state may issue permits at the county level but your county may not yet be issuing permits as is the case in parts of Missouri. For example, Jackson County (KC) only recently began issuing CCW permits to its residents despite the fact that the Missouri CCW law was on the books for some time. St. Louis County is believed to still be dragging its political feet thereby denying its residents the opportunity to obtain a Missouri CCW permit. We offer Utah CCW classes in St. Louis so that residents there can obtain the Utah CCW permit which is valid throughout the state of Missouri.
   
   
2. The non-resident permit may cost less and/or offer more states through reciprocity than the resident permit issued by your home state and be valid in your home state.
   
   
3. Your home state, and/or county, may consider the names of permit holders to be public information while states like Utah keep their list of permit holders confidential.
   
   
4. You may want to increase the number of states in which you can carry by getting more than one permit.
   
   
5. The training requirements for the non-resident permit may be less involved and more of a fit for you depending upon your firearms experience. For example, the class for the Utah permit is 3 hours long compared to the official NRA Basic Pistol course which is scheduled for 10 hours. If you are brand new to handguns, the longer course is a better choice.

Reciprocity vs. Acceptance

Some states enter into true reciprocal agreements with each other such that the permit from one state become valid in the other state and vice-versus. A few states will not allow you to carry using a permit from another state unless you are a resident of the issuing state even though there may be a reciprocity agreement in place between the states.

In some cases, a given state will allow you to carry using a permit issued by another state even though there is no reciprocity agreement between the states. Finally, there are a couple of states that will accept a permit from any other state and/or allow you to carry without a permit.

Which permit(s)?

Since Safearms Academy is based in Colorado, we will include the Colorado CCW permit in the following comparison which presents the two most popular out-of-state CCW permits: Florida & Utah. Unless you must carry in Florida, the Utah CCW permit is a better value.

Select a CCW permit below to display covered states plus a summary of fees!

NOTE! Minnesota now accepts the Utah CCW Permit as of June 2005!

CCW Permit Colorado Florida Utah

National CCW

There is no such thing as a national CCW permit for citizens. H.R. 990 is a bill that has been stuck for over a year in committee that would authorize nationwide reciprocity for the holder of a CCW permit from any state. Due to the anti-gun and anti-CCW lobby, and many other groups opposed to this bill, it is not expected to make it out of the committee for a floor vote for many years if ever.

Florida vs. Utah CCW Permit

The Florida CCW permit adds only TWO states (FL & PA) to those already covered by the Utah CCW permit when carried by a non-resident of both states.

If you are a resident of Utah, the Utah CCW permit gives you coverage in 29 states including Florida. Getting the Florida permit then would only give you one more state, Pennsylvania which you can get directly for $20 if you have a permit from your home state.

If you need carry coverage in Pennsylvania, and you do not have a permit from your home state, you can obtain the non-resident New Hampshire permit (valid in PA) for $20 provided you have any CCW permit.

For more detailed information, select either COLORADO or UTAH.

To see a list of scheduled classes, proceed to our REGISTRATION page.

See also:

How long should/must a CCW class be in hours?

Let's first approach this issue from a statutory requirements perspective. Some states do not require their CCW permit applications to take any firearms training at all. Some states will accept almost any evidence of prior firearms training including a hunter safety card/class which usually does not involve handguns at all. CONTINUE

*Important Note!
Reciprocity between states may change as states are added or removed from each state list when individual state carry laws change and/or there are other developments. Therefore, it is critical that you keep yourself informed whether a given state will accept your permit(s) before you enter that state! There are websites that can help you with this task but to be safe, you should contact the state(s) directly. Safearms Academy and Packing.org are not responsible for changes in reciprocity/acceptance and/or for any consequences to you!