Archives for February 2015

Utah, Florida or Arizona: Which Non-Resident CCW Permit Should I Get?

February 18, 2015 by

Still popular now for gun owners who travel out of state, before Illinois started issuing Licenses to Carry in 2013, the two most popular options for Illinoisans were the Utah and Florida non-resident CCW permits. These permits are relatively easy to obtain and provided an Illinois residents  with the ability to carry concealed in up to 30 other states.  But the Arizona permit is just as easy to get and for some may be a better option.

Now that we can get an Illinois License which is honored in over 20 other states, is there still a need for Illinoisans to get a Utah, Arizona or Florida permit?  Let’s take a look at the benefits of each permit and what it takes to get one.

Costs:

There is a big difference in the ‘price’ of permit application fees, but not necessarily in the overall ‘cost.’  The Utah application fee is only $49, which is valid for 5 years, the Arizona is $60 and is also valid for 5 years, while the Florida permit costs $112 for seven years. But the ‘price’ is not always the true cost.

The training requirement for the Florida and Arizona permits is a bit easier for most people; veterans and anyone taking the Illinois License to Carry training from an NRA Instructor (or any other NRA Instructor-led program) automatically qualify.

However, the Utah permit requires that you take a Utah-specific course that must be taught by a Utah Certified Instructor (though there are MANY certified here in Illinois, such as myself).  The cost of this class is usually $75 -$100, depending on the instructor, and covers Utah laws and basics of firearms safety, shooting and concealment.  

Where you are traveling and wish to carry is also a big factor, so let’s compare and contrast the differences in the states that honor the permit with the above information:

Utah

Florida

Arizona
Application Fee

$49

$112

$60
Valid for:

5 years

7 years

5 years
Tng Required

Utah-Specific Class

Any NRA Class

Any NRA Class
Tng Exemption

N/A

Military Service

Military Service
Number of States

31

30

30
Valid in Fla

NO

YES

NO
Valid in Minn

YES

NO

NO
Valid in New Mex

NO

YES

YES
Valid in Wash

YES

NO

NO
Valid in Wis

YES

NO

YES

States that Honor Each Permit: (Some states will honor a resident permit but NOT a non-resident permit.  This chart is for non-resident permits)

 

Utah

Florida

Arizona

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alaska

Alaska

Alaska

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas

Delaware

Delaware

Delaware

Georgia

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Georgia

Idaho

Indiana

Idaho

Indiana

Iowa

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Minnesota

Louisiana

Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi

Missouri

Missouri

Missouri

Montana

Montana

Montana

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

New Mexico

North Carolina

New Mexico

North Carolina

North Dakota

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Ohio

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Wyoming

Wyoming

   

 Here is the link to get a Florida Non Resident Permit Application:

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Licensing/Concealed-Weapon-License

 


Filed Under: Non Resident Permits

Illinois Concealed Carry – Is it Really Worth It?

February 15, 2015 by

I hear a lot of people complaining about the “Prohibited Areas” where you are not allowed to Carry in Illinois and some people will even say “It’s not worth it.”  However, these people are looking at the hole instead of the donut, as a quick look at the law will easily prove.  It is DEFINITELY worth it to get your License to Carry!

Now don’t get me wrong; I would change the list of Prohibited Areas in a heartbeat if I could. But realistically, how many of the “22 Areas” are even relevant to most of us in our daily life? Let’s look.

First, it must be noted that the vehicle “Safe Harbor” provision allows us to carry (or keep our gun) in our car anywhere except Federal Facilities (and no state law can trump Federal Law).

So, which of the following Prohibited Areas is really unreasonable or will ‘cramp your style’ on a daily basis? I will venture a guess and say that few of us can complain too much about the first six:

  • Prisons
  • Courtrooms
  • State or Local Government Buildings,
  • Nuclear Facilities 
  • Airports

The next six Prohibited Areas is more likely to be objectionable to those of us who want to carry, but on a daily basis it is probably no big deal (make no mistake about it, I would change it if I could… But does it REALLY affect most of us on a daily basis?):

  • Bars (venues that make most of their money from serving alcohol)
  • Libraries
  • Zoos / Museums
  • Riverboat Casinos and Horse Racing tracks or betting parlors
  • Stadiums / Arenas

That leaves the following areas where I would think we would prioritize changing the law:

  • Parks and Playgrounds
  • Public Transportation
  • Public Permitted Events, like carnivals or festivals
  • Colleges and Schools
  • Childcare Facilities
  • Amusement Parks
  • Hospitals
  • Cook County Forest Preserves (sorry for those of you who live in Cook County)

All in all, the Illinois Law is a great leap forward and, while we need to continue to work to refine it, we want and need as many Illinoisans as possible to exercise their rights! The more that do, the louder our voice becomes and the better the laws will get.

Guns Prohibited

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Understanding the Law

Women, Guns and Self Defense

February 13, 2015 by

Should wives, daughters and sisters be armed? YES!

Ask any NRA instructor and you will learn that women are typically better shots than men, when both start off in a beginner’s class together. So if you are looking at an NRA Basic Pistol course with 5 men and 5 women who have never shot before, bet on the women to do better at the range at the end of the class!

This is chiefly because women don’t come into the class with the “macho” attitude that we men have: that we ‘should’ know how to handle a gun because we are men.  Women generally have fewer pre-conceived notions and listen more and develop their skills more quickly.

The worst thing that we men do to our sisters, wives and daughters is disempower them with the stereotypes of women as victims.  In the movies, it doesn’t matter how slowly the monster walks, he always overtakes the weeping, terrified woman who keeps falling down as she tries to run to safety!

A woman who can confidently carry a firearm can stop running, turn around and shoot the monster! But even if there are no monsters, the woman who can handle a gun carries with her more confidence in her ability to protect herself.

About the most dangerous situation I can imagine a woman being in is walking out to her car in a dark parking lot where a van with a sliding door is parked next to her driver’s side door.  Now in this particular situation, you wouldn’t want to walk out alone, lest you be grabbed and pulled into the van and kidnapped.  However, the woman who has trained with a gun has likely also developed her situational awareness so that she would know what to do.

The best thing we can do to empower the women in our lives is to give them the gift of safety that comes with firearms training.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Ohio To Recognize Illinois’ License to Carry in March, 2015

February 9, 2015 by

With Ohio now recognizing the Illinois License to Carry (effective in March, 2015), Illinois residents can now carry in 23 other states!  

The graphic below shows all the states that will allow you to carry with your Illinois license, except that Ohio is not yet indicated, as the effective date is still a month off.  

Remember that you must abide by the laws of the state in which you are carrying, NOT the state that you come from. Go to www.HandgunLaw.us and click on each state you travel to in order to download a complete pdf with all the pertinent laws.

 

(Click on Map to Enlarge)

 

States Honoring Illinois License to Carry except Ohio

 

 

 

Filed Under: Non Resident Permits