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Part I Class Instruction

During this block of instruction we will discuss the pertinent Websites you need to know to obtain your Florida Concealed Carry Permit. We will discuss who is eligible to obtain their license. There are rules outlined by the state in order to carry a concealed weapon in Florida. Remember, Florida is NOT an "Open Carry" state so you must conceal your weapon at all times. We will discuss the fees and tell you the various ways to obtain your license as a resident and non-resident. And finally, we will discuss reciprocity. First off, what is reciprocity? In the simplest terms, reciprocity, as it pertains to carrying a concealed weapon, is an agreement between states that allows a license holder to carry their concealed weapon in a state with reciprocity. There are different rules for Florida residents and non-Florida residents, so know the difference if you are from out of state. The best website link to determine which states have reciprocity is located HERE.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs: Division of Licensing has authority over the Florida Concealed Carry Weapons Permit (CCWP) program. Their website listed above provides all the information needed to obtain your CCWP. Per the Department Website all individuals applying for their CCWP must, "When submitting your application (at either a regional office or tax collector's office), you will be asked to swear and affirm that you have been furnished a copy of Chapter 790, Florida Statutes, and that you are knowledgeable of the provisions contained in that section of law. Please read and review Chapter 790 prior to your appointment." Because Chapter 790 is your main document to learning the rules and regulations of the CCWP in the State of Florida, the information contained within this training was taken from Chapter 790 among other critical resources. With that said, this training does not cover the entire chapter. It is up to you to read and understand chapter 790 in it's entirety. Click HERE to open Chapter 790.

Next, we will cover the states in which Florida currently has a reciprocity agreement. Reciprocity is an agreement between the states Governors to accept and honor CCWP holders from the states in which a reciprocity agreement was created. Lastly, we will be covering Florida State Statute 776 (Justifiable use of Force). This statute will cover when you are justified in using deadly force or the threat of deadly force when protecting yourself or another from death or great bodily harm.

You must be 21 years or older to obtain a CCWP in the state of Florida. The only exception is if you are currently in the military. Active duty military members in the U.S. can obtain a CCWP at age 18. You must be a citizen of the United States or resident alien and show proof. You do not have to be a resident of Florida so anyone can obtain a CCWP from the state of Florida as long as you meet all of the eligibility requirements. See the slide to the left for some of those qualifications. For full details click here. You must also demonstrate competency with a firearm and that's why you are taking this class. Following the classroom portion of this class, you must go to a gun range and fire your weapon before you can be issued a final certificate of completion. This can be accomplished in various ways which will be explained later.

Beginning July 1st, 2023, Florida residents can carry a firearm without a permit, but there are a long list of exceptions and rules that go along with that new law. Details on the law, House Bill (HB) 543 can be reviewed here. Inasmuch as the state no longer requires a license, with that also comes a negative impact on non license carriers. That is, they are not familiar with the rules and regulations and laws on when and where you can carry and when, why and how you can legally discharge your firearm. That is why, in my opinion, you should take the time to get your license. This way, not only will you be more confident carrying a concealed firearm becasue you are familiar with the rules and laws, but you will also be able to carry your firearm in 36 other states and be able to purchase a gun and walk out of the gun shop that day. Currently, unlike approximately 44 other states, Florida does not allow the open carry of a firearm. The State of Florida license is valid for 7 years. Once you have your license you will not have to take a refresher course or show competency with

a firearm. All you will be required to do is to send in your renewal application and your check. In the State of Florida, when you are carrying your firearm concealed on your person, you must carry two forms of ID. One must be your permit and the other must be a government ID with a photograph, i.e. state driver's license. It is a Florida State requirement/law that if asked by a Law Enforcement Official if you are carrying your firearm, you must be truthful and tell them you are. However, it is not a law that you must volunteer this information when having interaction with Law Enforcement. With that said, it is this instructor's opinion, that anytimeyou have interaction with a Law Enforcement Official, you volunteer that you are carrying a concealed firearm. This way there are no misunderstandings and by doing so you are showing respect to that official. You are a law abiding citizen and have a permit; therefore you have nothing to fear. In a traffic stop the worst that might happen is that law enforcement will ask for your weapon, unload it and take it back to his patrol car until he is finished. This would be for his safety. You can't blame him, he does not want someone with a loaded weapon in the car in front of him. And lastly, if you fail to conceal your firearm as a CCWP holder, you have committed a Misdemeanor in the 2nd degree. There is a stipulation in the law that also states that an inadvertent showing is not a violation. What would be an inadvertent showing. Let's say you are in a grocery store and you reach for something on the top shelf and the butt of your gun is exposed for a brief second as you have your arm up, but is concealed again when you bring your arm down. That would be an inadvertent showing. With that said, someone who sees this might call police and you might have to explain yourself, but you should not be arrested.

There are several ways to apply for your CCWP. The application can be downloaded by clicking here (It would be a good idea to download and save to your computer now) and the directions and instructions for completing the application here. If you are from out of state or you want to mail in your application you must do the following. Download and complete the application and get it notarized. Any state notary will do, it does not have the be a Florida notary. You must then get your passport photograph taken. Then get your fingerprints taken at a local Police Department, Sheriff's office or other Law Enforcement Officials. Upon completion of this class and obtaining proof of handgun proficiency, you will get a certificate of completion/training required by the State of Florida. You take all of that information/documents and mail them to the address provided on your application. The address is in Tallahassee. The second option is to either go to one of the Florida Department of Agriculture division offices located throughout Florida, or a qualified Tax Collector Office to apply. This is the recommended method for a few reasons. (1) They do everything for you right there. They will complete and notarize your

application, take your photograph and fingerprints, make a copy of your training certificate then mail it to Tallahassee for you. In addition, the process time is usually cut in half. I've known people to get their license in two weeks. By law, they have 90 days to issue you your license. To find the closest location in the State of Florida to apply in person for your license click here. The cost of the license if you do it yourself and mail in your package totals $97.00. As fees change from time to time check with the Florida Department of Agriculture Division of Licensing before writing that check. If you go to one of the tax collector offices you will pay approximately $119.00.

PART I

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME:

20 MINUTES

Chapter 790.0655 provides details of purchasing a handgun in Florida and can be found by clicking here. In most instances there is a 3-day waiting period better known as a cooling off period. When you purchase your weapon the gun shop will have you fill out paperwork for a background check. After 3 days you can go back and pick up your firearm. There are two ways in the State of Florida to get your weapon on the same day you purchase it, (1) if you have your CCWP and (2) if you are trading in a firearm. In addition, by law, Florida does not allow non residents to buy handguns (rifles and shotguns are different and not applicable in this category).

For a complete list of the current 35 states that have reciprocity with Florida please click here. There are various nuances/differences that you must know and understand before carrying your concealed weapon in other states. For example, each state has a list of places that ban the carrying of a concealed weapon. In Florida you can carry a concealed weapon in a church. In Georgia for example, you cannot. Therefore, just because there is a reciprocity agreement, don't automatically think the rules between all states are the same. There are differences between states. It is advised that before you carry into another state you find out what their laws are prior to going there. Reciprocity is very fluid between the state's; therefore you should always check the state's website before carrying your firearm in another state. Know the laws of that state as well before carrying in the state. I recommend prior to visiting a state with reciprocity that you visit that states website to find out what their rules and regulations are. In addition, the list is ever changing. For example, on March 1, 2016, we lost reciprocity with Virginia. However, a short

time later the VA Governor came out and said they will pass a bill that states starting in July 2016, they will again have reciprocity with FL and many other states. That is just another reason to continually check to ensure the rules and regulation that were in place when you took the class are still relevant. If you are not made aware of changes then you run the risk of illegally carrying a concealed firearm even in a state for which we have a reciprocity agreement in place. This might set you up for arrest in that state. Remember, it's your responsibility to find out what states we currently have reciprocity and their rules, regulations and laws.

Another issue to keep in mind is some states have restrictions and are identified on the website as numbers next to each state. Go back up to the previous remarks and click on the "HERE" word to be taken back to the reciprocity page. There you will see the list of states Florida has reciprocity with. Some have one and others have multiple numbers next to them. The one that will affect out-of-state permit holders the most is the number (4). This reports that six states, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and South Carolina will only accept FL CCWP's from Florida residents. If you are a non Florida resident with a FL CCWP you cannot legally carry in those six states, but you can carry in the 29 others. So, please make sure you read all of the requirements and exceptions before carrying in any state.

This concludes PART I. If you have any questions pertaining to the training material and you are unable to find your answers in the reference material provided, please write to me at contactus@loadandfire.com.

PRESS THE RIGHT ARROW BUTTON TO CONTINUE TO PART II INSTRUCTION