(Newswire.net — September 25, 2017) — A CCW permit allows gun owners to conceal their firearms while carrying them in public. For many, this is a logical extension of their second amendment right to bear arms. Mounting fears across the United States over terrorist attacks and other mass casualty events have meant that many Americans feel safer relying on their firearm for security rather than waiting for the police.
Obtaining a CCW
The process for obtaining a CCW varies between states and the laws and regulations surrounding gun ownership are regularly changing across the United States with battles being fought at all levels of the American court system. Not all states allow concealed carry but most do. How stringent the requirements to obtain the necessary permit are will depend on state laws.
Doing Your Research
Before you do anything else, you need to find out what the requirements for obtaining a concealed carry permit are in your state. Regardless of which state you are in you will have to be at least 21 years old and will have to be able to show that you are of ‘good character’ (what this means exactly will vary between states), and you will have to have a criminal record free of any felony convictions.
You will have to be able to prove your identity, of course, including your address. Most states will require you to have been a resident in the state for a minimum length of time, on average 30-45 days. Local gun clubs are a good place to check if you need specific advice about your state’s laws.
Get a Background Check
Getting a background check as soon as you can will help to speed up the process once it begins. The simplest way of doing this is to contact your local law enforcement unit and ask them to collect your fingerprints for you. This is a quick and painless process and is usually done within 15 minutes. For a reasonably small fee, they will send your prints off for you to be checked by the Bureau of Criminal Identification.
Take Classes
Most states will require you to take some gun safety classes before they will issue a permit, but even if this isn’t a requirement in your state it is still worth doing. Most training courses can be completed in a single day, and as long as you use a qualified CCW instructor you will receive a certification at the end.
An online concealed carry course is a cost effective way of doing this, in fact some sites offer such courses for free! There are of course numerous other training materials available online if you search for them. Video sites like YouTube often contain a number of instructional videos.
A concealed carry permit offers gun owners the logical extension of their second amendment rights and helps many gun owners to feel safer and more secure when they are outside.