Do You Remember Getting Your First Concealed Carry Permit?

[Retired W4]

I do. In 1979 I move from Ohio back to Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Along the road between Daleville and Enterprise there was a borrow pit where people had obviously been target shooting (old plywood w/targets, etc.). While doing some shooting, a fellow stopped to join me. During our conversation he asked me if I had my permit and recommended I go into town to apply. I went to the Sherriff's office (Coffee Co.) to tell them what I wanted and a Deputy handed me a one page form. At the bottom of the page was a question. "Have you ever been convicted of a crime involving Moral Turpitude?" He said they would run a check on me and to come back in a few days. That was the beginning of legal carry for me, other than Army stuff.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Had to wait till we retired to SC. CC class was one of the first things I did after we established residence here. Got hubby a CC class gift certificate for Christmas that same year.

 

[grover99]

Had been waiting until Missouri passed the conceal carry law. Took an over ride of the governor's veto but we got it done. Went to sheriff's office and they told me what I needed to do. Took the class got finger printed and checked to see if I was a bad boy. Forked over $100 bucks and a few days later got a call to come pick it up. then to license bureau to get it put on my drivers license for which I had to pay to get a new license. Had it renewed once then missed the next renew date. By the time I noticed the late fees were so high I just said heck with it because by then Missouri had constitutional carry and only went to AZ now and then and they are also a free state.

 

[wood714]

When I left Ohio in 2001 there were no carry permits there, unless you had a very good reason for it.

My ex came to St. Augustine and found me a nice house to rent, and a storage place to keep my bike. Soon as I had an address, I had the conceal carry package sent to it. I arrived in Florida on Nov 19, 2001 and my carry package was waiting for me in my mailbox.

Not sure how it is now, but back then St. Johns county only had the classes once a month. I found a private investigator that was licensed to do the class. I mailed everything off on Dec 14, 2001.

I moved here, and my ex was flying back and forth till out house in OH sold. Only guns I brought with me was my Winchester 1200, and a AMT 380 Back Up with about a 15 pound trigger pull. I was sweating the shooting part with the 380, but passed.

Think it took about 50 days to actually get the permit.

 

[snowman]

Ohio passed their shall issue law in April(may have passed earlier, but implemented in April) of 2004, and I was among the first recipients.

Regards,
Andy

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

yep. Buit I was more than a little pissed that the badge didnt come with the card-you have to buy them yourself
Universal Badge and ID Holder with Concealed Weapons Badge | CWP Neck badge and ID holder

 

[pawngal]

1st time was about 25 years ago, had to sit thru a 6 hour class and take a written test. Then convince the Sherriff that you needed a permit. At some point I let the permit expire and didn't get it again for a few years. Iowa was "may issue" until 2011 and in some countries it was hard to get a permit.
Iowa goes to Permitless Carry July 1 this year but I will keep mine current.

 

[Onomea]

Yep. 2006. In those years I was mostly in Japan but spent much of the summers in Hawaii where I owned a house and kept my US residency. I took a course there for a Utah non-resident permit as part of a three-day handgun self-defense course. The permit was/is not valid in Hawaii, but I liked having it.

I have an Oregon permit now but keep the non-resident Utah permit active as there are contiguous and nearby states which recognize it but not my Oregon permit: Washington, Wyoming and Nevada.

I've thought about adding a non-resident Florida permit, for my occasional Florida visits. It would also add New Mexico.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

I remember doing the class, going to the Sheriff's office, filling out the forms, and waiting, and waiting...

In the county I lived in it took almost 6 months to get the card. Then you find out that the Oregon card is good in one state. No reciprocity with any of the 49 other states. So I got my Utah card, good in most western states, so I could actually drive across the border with a gun, without becoming a criminal.

 

[Retired W4]

yep. Buit I was more than a little pissed that the badge didnt come with the card-you have to buy them yourself
Universal Badge and ID Holder with Concealed Weapons Badge | CWP Neck badge and ID holder

Now what about this moral turpitude business? I had a pretty good idea of what it meant in 79, but I was thinking I had never been convicted of womanizing, and you can't prove it.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Now what about this moral turpitude business? I had a pretty good idea of what it meant in 79, but I was thinking I had never been convicted of womanizing, and you can't prove it.

I think they mean this
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEUX9k0npgA[/ame]

 

[Absalom]

.... Then you find out that the Oregon card is good in one state. No reciprocity with any of the 49 other states. ...

That's not quite correct. About 20 or so states recognize the Oregon CHL.

Unfortunately, of our neighboring states only Idaho is among those. I think this is mostly because Oregon has decided NOT to grant any other state reciprocity, which some (understandably) reciprocate.

If you plan your route right, you CAN actually legally drive from Oregon to the East Coast with an Oregon CHL and a loaded gun. Follow the green!

 

[HKSmith]

Interesting question. In 1964 I started graduate school at Yale and applied for a Connecticut concealed carry permit. In those days you first had to get a permit from your local police chief that was only valid in his jurisdiction. You then sent that to the Connecticut State Police and they would issue a permit that was valid state-wide. I believe each of these permits was $1.00 and was good for 1 year. Since I lived in New Haven, I applied through the New Haven PD and underwent fingerprinting and a background check. About 3 weeks later I got a call telling me that I passed the background check, but since I was a Yale student, I had to go through the Chief of the Yale PD (an 8 man force at that time) to get my permit, which would require a personal interview. When I showed up, I was shown into his office and asked to take a seat. He was sitting behind a desk wearing a blue button-down shirt and a striped tie and was smoking a pipe. He looked more like a professor than a police chief. He made some very polite small-talk about my education and background and then said, "Do you like guns?". I said "Yes". He then pressed the intercom button on his desk and told his secretary to type up a pistol permit for me. She brought it in and he signed it and impressed a seal on it and handed it to me. I then sent it to the State Police and received my state permit about a week later.

A long answer to a very straightforward question, but the experience was so unusual and made a strong impression on me, so I thought others might be interested.

 

[Rustyt1953]

7+ years ago. It was a family affair.

Ruthie and I are on the far left:

 

[ASA335]

Yes.

First one in 1976 in Washington State, second one in 1977 in the Republic of Panama, the third one in 1980 in Massachusetts, and then very often since then in several other states.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

That's not quite correct. About 20 or so states recognize the Oregon CHL.

Unfortunately, of our neighboring states only Idaho is among those. I think this is mostly because Oregon has decided NOT to grant any other state reciprocity, which some (understandably) reciprocate.

If you plan your route right, you CAN actually legally drive from Oregon to the East Coast with an Oregon CHL and a loaded gun. Follow the green!

Thanks for posting that. I see that Oregon recognizes no other state's CCL license. I was told that because of that no other states would recognize ours. Nice to know that's not the case.

We do plan on getting a trailer in the near future. When I actually retire, we would like to drive to other states including down to Texas to visit grandkids. Part of the reason for getting the Utah permit was to allow us to make that trip legally with our guns. I see now that with the Utah permit we don't have to go up over Wyoming to get there, and will be legal in Texas. New Mexico and Colorado are still no go territories even with both.

It's pretty messed up having all of these differing laws in each state. As citizens of this nation, we shouldn't have to deal with all this nonsense. We need a nation wide constitutional carry amendment. Never happen in the current climate, but hopefully some day we can get things cleaned up.

 

[Retired W4]

I think they mean this

Well, guilty on two counts.

 

[Hair Trigger]

yep. Buit I was more than a little pissed that the badge didnt come with the card-you have to buy them yourself
Universal Badge and ID Holder with Concealed Weapons Badge | CWP Neck badge and ID holder

Those badges are hilarious. I suppose, if you have one around your neck, it gives you the right to carry concealed, just like carrying a shotgun along with your fishin' pole gives you the privilege to fish wherever you want, right?


I'm on my 4th CC renewal (every 5 years in NC, so I've carried for 20 years now). My initial class was held at the hospital where I worked and taught by two of the company police there. They had to meet us at the door and make sure we didn't bring a gun in, since weapons are banned on hospital property. We did our qualification shooting at a local indoor range.

They taught a good class, and when we did our qualification, I used my 4" M66 that I sold a few years later. I was using magnum loads, and made sure I went last. Everyone else was shooting some sort of 9mm semiauto. Most of the shooters were in body mass at 7 yards and one guy had a nice group about the size of a dinner plate; I had them all in the 10 ring and could cover the group with a coffee saucer. Everybody jumped when I fired my first shot, and the instructor came over to watch me shoot; after the last round, he looked at me, grinned and said, "show off."

I took the NC instructor's course 7 years ago, and taught CC for 3 years, but decided there was too much liability involved and quit doing it.

 

[Erich]

Indiana in early 1986. Had to walk from the college dorm to the police station; it came in the mail to the dorm in about a week. $20.

 

[steelslaver]

Got my first one in 1991. Before that I open carried a lot. But, in Montana that wasn't all that uncommon especial back then. Most trucks had gun racks with guns in them.

 

[kraynky]

Kentucky passed the "Shall Issue" law in 1998 I think. My then wife and I signed up for the required classes as soon as possible. It required passing a written test after and 8 hour course, and then you had to fire something like 36-40 rounds into a B27 target from 7 yards and have something like 80% of your rounds in the black. (I could do it blindfolded after being placed in front of the target) Then you were supposed to show that you could disassemble your weapon and clean it.

I was working a lot of weekends, but took off a Sat. to go to the class, but I couldn't make it to the shooting portion. My instructor was a locale Deputy Sheriff, and was kind enough to come to my house the following weekend, to allow us to qualify at my own range.

I had the targets all ready and the distance marked off. We both shot the required rounds as instructed. He then looked at the targets and said "I can't count all of those holes grouped so closely, so I'm sure you both know how to clean your weapons. You pass."

I've carried everyday since, and in 2019 Kentucky dropped the permit requirements to carry concealed. I've since divorced and remarried, but still pay my permit fees every 5 years, so I don't have to wait when purchasing a firearm, plus it's honored in states that reciprocate.

Our overall crime rate has dropped, but I'll continue to carry one as long as I own one too carry. It's part of getting dressed each day to me.

 

[RobertJ.]

Bonneville County, Idaho, 1992.

My EDC was a Ruger SP101.

 

[Onomea]

Well, guilty on two counts.

Yeah, I prefer jazz, too!

 

[NYlakesider]

Necessary long--sorry

I lived in Albany and tried to get my pistol permit in the late 60s. City of Albany realy did not want to issue them unless you were connected. They would do anything to not issue. Some of their little tricks were, they had no pistol permit applications. Check back later we should have some soon.(Yeah right) Finely get the paper work turn it in and wait. Then find out they have no record of it, start over. Then have a talk with a officer and he implies you will not get one because they do not like armed civilians.

Got married and moved out to a large suburban town. Of course you have to wait 6 months to get residency. Get your paper work fill it out and make arrangements to get finger printed. Get a appointment show up at station, get told the Detective is out working a case. Make another appointment, same thing busy Detective. Finely get your prints taken and wait &wait call the station and find out they are not moving too fast.

Finely all is done including a background check of your 4 character witnesses. Chief of police signs off. Only 1 step left is to have your paperwork sent to the courthouse for a judges signature. Now it gets considered and considered and considered. (Its basically dead in the water)

Talked to a friends father who has some good pull and finely it goes to the judge. A month later you get your permit. At that time basically all upstate permits were issued unrestricted, which meant you could carry concealed. So after about 3 years of BS in 72 I got my permit

By that time I was a NRA instructor and RO at my club. Then a couple years later the Judge said he would sign no more permits unless a safety course was held. He wanted the police to do it.

We went to the judge knowing full well if they did it it would be one more hindrance to a issue. We talked to the judge and a curriculum was set up that pleased the judge and he allowed our certified instructors to do the course.

Now today things move much better but it still takes a lot of time, and most permits issued now say hunting or fishing which means in plain English not to be carried concealed. In my state you have to have a pistol permit to own, possess, have a handgun even in your own home

Now some of the more lenient judges will allow a none restricted permit after a waiting period and a bunch more classes.

I well remember getting my pistol permit!

 

[Sevens]

Interesting that this discussion opens with a couple posts from folks who got the early Ohio License to Carry a Concealed Handgun. Indeed it went live in 2004 and I was beyond disgusted with it. It was very poorly written and executed but it gave us a "starting point" and it has been a work in progress ever since. Amongst other problems, the worst facet of it (IMO and the opinion of many) was the purely moronic wording of how to legally carry in a motor vehicle.

Short version is that with the license you could carry concealed out in the world BUT ONLY IN THE OPEN if you were in a vehicle. It quickly got dubbed "the Buckeye tuck" and it sucked out loud. And it bothered me specifically because I did most of my travel via motorcycle and there were no specifics written to make any allowances for that, so I would have had to had my gun visible for the entire time I was on the bike, only being allowed to concealed after stepping off.

Over time and NUMEROUS changes, our laws got updated and improved. No carry in a restaurant that served alcohol was particularly horrendous.

Short story long, I waited until the fall of 2008 before getting my license.

 

[Retired W4]

Yeah, I prefer jazz, too!

Very funny. You're killin me.

 

[MRB1]

Got mine in the mail three days after it became legal - 1996. Felt strange to legally carry after a few years of carrying outside the law. Now, I rarely carry, but that bugger is always in my truck, and close by.

 

[tlawler]

Not long after i got home to Florida from my last duty station, the state went shall issue. I picked up the packet from my LGS within a week or two of when the law took effect. Filled it out, got fingerprinted at the city PD station and sent it all in with a copy of my DD-214. I got my permit just before the 90 days that was being quoted as the turn around time. Just after that, the system got clogged up from the influx of new applications and it went to 6-8 month wait! First one was good for three years and the intervals have gradually increased. Now Florida permits are good for seven years. The process for renewal has gotten progressively quicker and less painful over the years as well(pre-covid anyway). I last renewed in 2018 in a small town tax collector office. I was in and out in 15 minutes and got my renewed permit with new picture in the mail within two weeks.

 

[djohns6]

yep. Buit I was more than a little pissed that the badge didnt come with the card-you have to buy them yourself
Universal Badge and ID Holder with Concealed Weapons Badge | CWP Neck badge and ID holder

I hope you're kidding about the badge .

 

[Fishinfool]

My first carry permit was in 1977, in CT. Carry permits were a lot more limited back then, and a lot of states did not offer that option.

Funny thing for me, was that in 1977 I was 18 years old. I could legally carry a handgun with my new permit, but could not purchase one until I was 21. The local gunshops got to know my mother on a first name basis during those years, and were impressed with "her" growing collection...

Fast forward to 1995, and I work for the DOJ, and have transferred to PA. Local Sheriff is the issuing authority. Even though I don't need a carry permit, take the wife with me, and go visit the county Sheriff. One page form, ID check, and 10 minutes later, I have my permit. Wife asks me, "maybe I should get one?". Sheriff overhears her, and says "why not", and hands her a form. She fills it in, hands it to him. He turns to me and asks "Is she OK?" I say "Sure", and he gives her a permit.

Larry