Do You Remember Getting Your First Concealed Carry Permit?

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Growing up in Southern California I was taught never to transport my gun and ammo together, so going to the range meant my gun was locked inside the trunk and the ammo in a locked box on the floor in the back seat. The same was done when taking my .22 rifle out to the desert to shoot.

I retired to Arizona in 2003 and was soon amazed to learn I could legally carry a loaded pistol inside my car! It was like I had died and gone to heaven....free at last!. It was soon after we found a retired Marine who taught a concealed carry class. Both my wife and I soon "Graduated" and received our Arizona CCW permits. Back then you had to pass both take a written test as well as a shooting test. Now you don't even need a permit, or if you want a permit renewal you just send them the money.

Since we travel to Las Vegas frequently we both obtained our Nevada CCW permits as well. They still require the written and shooting test. It was a good experience because Arizona laws and Nevada laws have a lot of differences. One is Arizona issues a Concealed Weapon permit, but Nevada issues a Concealed Firearms permit that only covers guns.

 

[sousana]

Have had mine since the early 80's. Back then, here in Virginia you had to go before a judge and "splain" yourself and your reasons for needing a permit, after which, you were denied. Ended up having to appeal the ruling and got my permit, but it did cost a pretty penny.

 

[wood714]

I was looking at the map I post above, and thought to myself..."self" you have absolutely zero desire to ever visit any of the RED states.

That's a shame too, because back in the day my dream trip was to travel to Seattle, and drive all the way down the west coast to Huntington Beach, then take 10 back to FL.

Sorry for the thread/jack

 

[Truckman]

I was in the first rush of applicants, and although the promised time frame was six weeks or less, it turned into several months before the state of Texas mailed mine to me...That was about 25 years ago...They even added a letter stating that they had made an error in printing my card, and a new one would be mailed to me promptly...They added that my existing one was good until then...In a close examination I couldn't figure out what the error was...But when I got the new one a few weeks later, I saw they had left the "Jr." off my name, something which I seldom used since my Dad passed away anyhow......Ben

 

[CH4]

Yep
Mine was a badge and ID card

 

[hittman77]

I remember it well because IL only began allowing it in 2015.

 

[TX-Dennis]

In Texas we could have a loaded handgun in the car without a permit. I figured that was good enough for years. Finally in 2015 I decided to get my carry permit. It wasn't cheap back then. $75 for a class and shooting test. I think a blind man could pass the shooting test if you pointed him in the general direction of the target. $140 for the license and $20 (I think) for fingerprints. Took about two months to get the card in the mail.

Texas has since made it less expensive. Renewal cost $35 - I had just turned 60, so I got the discount. The wife's renewal cost her $40. Good for 5 years.

 

[K-22]

First CCW

I was 18 and worked for a friend that delt in rare coins, stamps, gold, and currency . I carried a 4" Colt Python that I paid $75 for. That $75 included 500 rounds of ammo.
I bought it from a local cop that was selling it because he had found a 6" nickeled Python. He was an *** with a huge ego, and liked attention.
Unfortunately, that was early in my firearms life, and I wound up swapping it for something else. Do not recall what I swapped for.
Best,
Gary

 

[DGNY]

NY State early 1958. FL later...

 

[rubiranch]

When I first got mine I didn't even own a gun.

YEARS ago Utah dropped the requirement that you "NEEDED" to carry, ie carried large sums of money, diamond broker, body guard etc.

My brother was in law enforcement and called me and told me to get my CWP before they changed their mind.

I had never considered carrying but went and got my permit.

I had my permit for several years before I bought my first EDC, a 640-1 back in 2008.

 

[31FordA]

I went in to the Sheriffs office and applied for my PA License to Carry on my 21st birthday, got it in the mail a week later.

 

[Spats McGee]

I got my first one in ~2007. I had gone into business for myself and found myself working many very early mornings and very late nights in downtown Little Rock. The walk to my car in a parking garage was about 3 blocks. That's not really very far, but there were several moderately aggressive homeless people in the area, who routinely approached me to ask for money.

 

[pharmer]

I got mine in May of 1988. At that time 4 hours classroom and 4 hours on the range. 12 folks, all with revolvers, instructor says "insert one cartridge and close the cylinder. Proceeds to walk down the line, click-click bang with 12 different guns. At 50 feet every target had a hole neatly in the center of the head. "Now we know misses ain't the gun's fault." I'll never forget that. Joe

 

[Eagle 477]

Applied for my LTC in 1972 in Putnam county NY. I was in the military at the time and just returned from overseas and a tour in Vietnam. Filled out the paperwork did the fingerprints had letters from 3 people that didn't think I was nuts and submitted the package to the local County Clerk. About 9 months later everything was approved and the Honorable Richard Rapp granted my unrestricted pistol permit. issued for life unless revoked. Several years ago I finally had to turn in my paper license for one of them fancy plastic ones. with a clear picture and all information clearly printed.. The paper one had my 2x2 picture taped on and all my guns were hand written on the back. I also have an unrestricted non resident Connecticut license that must e renewed every 5 years..

Rob

 

[SteveA]

Such an animal didn't exist in KS when I started practicing law. Got in a couple of touchy situations while serving eviction paperwork and the local Magistrate, a retired sheriff told me to "take care of myself". We finally got concealed carry in March of '06. Immediately got mine. Now we have constitutional carry but I still maintain my license for when I travel out of state.

 

[Chubbo]

Yes I remember getting it, and the several hours spent in acquiring the qualifications needed, to get it. I got it in Florida, our declared place of residence at the time. Ohio was our summer residence, and had no Concealed Carry Permit available at the time.

I renewed that permit several times, but unfortunately, that's no longer possible, as for some strange, unknown reason, I no longer have fingerprints.

From this point forward in time, I'll just have to use my original Concealed Carry Permit, The Constitution of the USA.

 

[opoefc]

I just renewed my CCW permit for another two yrs, here in California. I was told i have the oldest continuous permit in CA, and maybe in the USA, as my 1st permit was in 1958 and it has been reissued every year since. That's going on 63 yrs. now. The permit is issued at the descretion of the local Sheriff and is good throughout CA., and several other states . Currently the permit is good for two yrs, in 1958 it was for 5 yrs. in all that time, I only had one confrontation with two muggers who made the error of bringing a knife to a gun fight. Ed.

 

[Onomea]

I say Ed/opoefc wins!

 

[xtrtsqrt11]

1989, Oregon was a may issue state but was surprisingly easy. You had to have a reason. Mine was to go target shooting in the hills. State law allowed to and from an actual range only unless you open carried. Never been a fan of open carry.
Went to the local Sheriff's office, applied, fingerprinted and paid the fee. Can't remember how much the fee was, I think about $20. Got it in the mail a few weeks later, with the limitation that it was for only one handgun identified on the back. I had an old Remington Rand 1911 at the time.
Fortunately no drama since then with it.

 

[Miami_JBT]

I was carrying before I was legally old enough to apply apply for a permit in FL. Worked as a teenager in a bad part of Miami and I carried a S&W Model 36. Didn't care if the State said it was a no go. My life was worth more than that. Rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

When I was in the Army, I had my application submitted to the State prior to my 21st Birthday so it would be 90 days to the letter when I would turn 21.