Getting a Concealed Weapons License in Florida, Part I.
by TheRealEdwin on 05/10/09 at 7:03 am
Every weekend, all over Florida, there are adults who go to private classrooms to learn. But they aren’t there to earn their GED, or get continuing education. They are taking a day long class to get their Concealed Weapons Permit. A day may sound like like nothing, especially considering the kind of responsibility bestowed on them, but as I soon found out, the laws are pretty black and white when it comes to concealed weapons. But first some background information.
Concealed permits are handled through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The very same people that regulate gas pumps in Florida, deal with the issuing of permits for concealed weapons. But the department deals with much more.
The mission of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to safeguard the public and support Florida’s agricultural economy by:
- Ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of food and other consumer products through inspection and testing programs;
- Protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices and providing consumer information;
- Assisting Florida’s farmers and agricultural industries with the production and promotion of agricultural products; and
- Conserving and protecting the state’s agricultural and natural resources by reducing wildfires, promoting environmentally safe agricultural practices, and managing public lands.
That means as a department they handles everything from aerial spraying to weight and measures. Those scales your see at Publix are regulated by the department to ensure that you are getting that 1 lb of Boar’s Head ham. Now, before you can even consider getting a Concealed Weapons license you have to consider thirty different things. Needless to say, you have to have a squeaky clean record, no history of mental illness, drug use, and no alcohol abuse. For very obvious and good reasons, the state is very restrictive on who does and does not get a concealed weapons license.
So are you qualified? The majority of us who do follow the law will be. So what’s next? I floss my teeth, and I’ve kept my ears clean. It’s time to get fingerprinted. Now, there’s two ways to do this. You can take the finger print card the instructor gives you and you can get ink printed the old fashion way, or you can head to a police station that has the new electronic finger print scanners. That’s right, only a few places have electronic finger print scanners. Everywhere else is good old fashioned ink and paper that law enforcement has used for god knows how many decades. If you want to speed up your paperwork, head here [PDF] for a list of stations that do have the so called LiveScan electronic finger print scanners.
Now you have a lot of reading to do. Here are the three things you absolutely must read.
- Concealed Weapon or Firearm License
- How to be licensed to Carry a Concealed Weapon or Firearm
- Questions and Answers Pertaining to the Use of Deadly Force
Next post we will cover the actual process. Till then, give us your thoughts in the comments.
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Oct 5th, 2009
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Matt Warren
Oct 6th, 2009
This is a very interesting look at the process. My brother-in-law has a concealed carry license and is going to teach my family how to use firearms (in preparation for eventual hunting). He is very much at ease with the fact that he has a concealed weapon, though for those of us who don’t even use a gun it is quite foreign.
I look forward to examining your links in greater detail.
therealedwin
Oct 6th, 2009
I was terrified about firearms before I decided to find out about them. After two years of online research, I bought the one Paleocon recommended to me on GWJ. After owning it for several months, I familiarized myself by holding it, reading the manual and practicing reloading it without using any real bullets. I got more comfortable and then I took my concealed license test for the safety course. I doubt I will ever actually carry myself.
Jewish Marksman
Oct 6th, 2009
The Department of Agriculture also posts statistics on permit issuance. The data reveals that a) a very high percentage of Floridians have a concealed permit and b) the incidence of crime committed by permit holders is extremely low. Floridians, for the most part, take their concealed carry responsibility very seriously.
Also, many states have reciprocity agreements with Florida, meaning you can travel within those states with your concealed firearm.
Getting a Concealed Weapons License, Part II. « holy crap my hair is on fire
Nov 11th, 2009
[...] the beginning of October, I wrote part one in a two part series on what it takes to get a concealed weapons license (CWL from now on) in the [...]