Concealed carry or CCW is the term for carrying a concealed weapon, defensive or otherwise. Technically speaking, Mace, pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, kubatons, and even pen knives can fit into this category.
Each weapon has its own set of restrictions and they vary from state to state. For instance, it may be legal to own a gun in one state but not a stun gun. Alternatively, it may legal to own a gun in some states, but not to carry it within certain city limits withing the state. 48 of the 50 states have passed laws to allow citizens to carry certain concealed firearms, in some cases without a permit.
When a permit is required it is usually in reference to a concealed hand gun. The ccw permit may be known by myriad terms such as:
- Concealed Handgun License/Permit (CHL/CHP),
- Concealed (Defensive/Deadly) Weapon Permit/License (CDWL/CWP/CWL),
- Concealed Carry Permit/License (CCP/CCL),
- License To Carry (Firearms) (LTC/LTCF),
- Carry of Concealed Deadly Weapon license (CCDW),
- Concealed Pistol License (CPL),
- Another wording of the above terminology
CCW permitting policies fall into four categories:
- No Issue
- May Issue
- Shall Issue
- Unrestricted
No issue means exactly what it says. The state does not issue or recognize concealed carry permits. Illinois and Wisconsin are both No-Issue jurisdictions. This is important to know if you are traveling between states in the U.S.
May Issue means a permit is required to carry a concealed handgun. In some states like Alabama it may be very easy for a civillian to get a ccw permit, while in other may-issue states like New York and New Jersey is may be next to impossible.
May-Issue CCW states include:
- Alabama
- California
- Delaware
- Hawaii (Stun guns are illegal in Hawaii)
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Massachusetts ( Stun guns are illegal in Massachusetts)
- New Jersey (Stun guns are illegal in New Jersey)
- New York ( Stun guns are illegal in New York)
Shall Issue means the granting authority has no discretion in the awarding of the permits once the ccw permit criteria is met. CCW permit requirements may include residency, minimum age, background checks, training requirements, and paying a fee. The shall issue ccw requirements vary greatly from state to state.
Shall-Issue States include:
- Alaska,
- Arizona,
- Arkansas,
- Colorado,
- Florida,
- Georgia,
- Idaho,
- Indiana,
- Kansas,
- Kentucky,
- Louisiana,
- Maine,
- Michigan (Stun guns and Tasers are illegal in Michigan),
- Minnesota,
- Mississippi,
- Missouri,
- Montana,
- Nebraska,
- Nevada,
- New Hampshire,
- New Mexico,
- North Carolina,
- North Dakota,
- Ohio,
- Oklahoma,
- Oregon,
- Pennsylvania,
- South Carolina,
- South Dakota,
- Tennessee,
- Texas,
- Utah,
- Virginia,
- Washington,
- West Virginia, and
- Wyoming.
- Iowa will also be included January 2011.
- In Connecticut firearms owners must first apply for a “weapons carry” permit through the local police department
Unrestricted is a jurisdiction in which no CCW permit is required. Only Alaska, Vermont, and Arizona fall under the unrestricted concealed carry category.