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Georgia issues concealed carry weapons permits at county levels and this is done by a judge in the probate court of your local residence.

The state has a shall-issue policy, meaning that once you meet all Georgia CCW permits requirements, you shall be issued the license.

In reality, unlike other states, Georgia has lenient CCW permit requirements that are easy to meet.

No training is required, no permit and background check is needed for dealing, and the minimum age to possess a firearm is eighteen.

Georgia Gun Law

Georgia has lenient laws that make the possession of firearms and other weapons easy. With Georgia’s weapon carry license (WCL), you can conceal carry in any part of the state.

As long as you are within the minimum age of twenty-one, you can apply for a Georgia concealed carry permit application.

Members of the United States Armed Forces can apply for a CCW permit if they are at least eighteen years old.

To conceal carry in your home, you do not require a Georgia CCW or any other permit whatsoever. 

Other places where you do not need a permit to conceal carry include the following:

  • Within your vehicle.
  • Your place of work.
  • For hunting purposes.
  • If the gun is in an unloaded case.

Also, unlike other states in the country, you are not required to undergo a Georgia concealed carry class before applying for the CCW.

Georgia Law Reciprocity

Georgia reciprocity honors a permit from other states that recognizes Georgia’s CCW. Other parts of its reciprocity deal include the following:

  • States that Georgia honors their CCW: These are states that Georgia reciprocates their concealed carry permits because they honor that of Georgia too. There are thirty-two of them.
  • States that will honor a CCW permit from Georgia: These are states that will specifically accept a Georgia CCW permit. There are fourteen of them.
  • States that have restricted reciprocity with Georgia: These states will only accept a Georgia CCW if it states “Residents Only”. Therefore, a non-resident permit from Georgia will not be acceptable in these states. These are five of them.
  • States with permitless carry: In these states, as long as you are within the legal age according to the stated concealed carry law, you are allowed to carry a gun without a permit. There are fourteen of them.

It is important that you pay attention to the state’s concealed carry and general gun laws before possessing a weapon in such a state.

Don’t just assume that the state will have similar gun laws to your state of residence, this is not always the case.

As a non-resident, understanding the gun laws of a state you are visiting can just be what will keep you out of trouble.

Conceal Carry Location Restriction In Georgia.

Having a Georgia CCW permit does not mean that you can conceal carry everywhere and anywhere.

For safety reasons, there are gun restrictions, and on no account should you be in possession of your gun in these places except you are a law enforcement officer.

Places Off-limit To Conceal Carry In Georgia.

  • You are not allowed to carry within the premises of any private or public school, preteen, primary or secondary school, universities and colleges, tertiary institutions, etc. An exception to this is made for school students that are at least twenty-one years old, and have a CCW permit. In this case, the gun must be concealed and locked in a safe compartment away from public view in a vehicle.
  • You cannot conceal carry in school buses or any vehicle that is used to transport school students.
  • You cannot conceal carry in any gathering, event, or function that is organized by a school management.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a school hostel or any building that is rented for school purposes.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a stadium or during a professional sporting event.
  • You cannot conceal carry in or within the premises or a courthouse.
  • You cannot conceal carry in restricted areas of an airport.
  • You cannot conceal carry in any building or property that is government-owned.
  • You cannot conceal carry in places of worship, except permitted by those in charge of the place.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a prison or any building used for criminal detention.
  • You cannot conceal carry in any mental institution.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a building that is used for the storage of nuclear power.
  • If with your gun, You must be at least one hundred and fifty feet away from a polling center.
  • You cannot conceal carry in any place that has been prohibited by federal laws.

Places Where You Can Conceal Carry In Georgia

A lot of people get confused about where they can conceal carry in Georgia, mostly because some of these places are off-limit in some other states.

In Georgia, you can conceal carry in the following places:

  • Restaurants and bars that sell alcohol.
  • Within a vehicle with or without a Georgia CCW permit.
  • Along roadsides and rest places.
  • In public transport.
  • In-state and federal parks within the country.

Conceal Carry For Law Enforcement Officers In Georgia

Federal laws of the country permit law enforcement officers from various agencies to conceal carry without restrictions or permits in any state of the country.

This law covers active officers, retired officers, and out of service officers.

In Georgia, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council is in charge of law enforcement officers training that is required before a concealed carry is allowed.

This training must be overseen by a certified instructor in the state and must have a duration of at least three hours.

Law enforcement officers that pass the training and possess the yearly firearm qualification can conceal carry in the state without restrictions.

Dealing With Gun In Georgia

Unlike other states in the United States of America, Georgia does not have strict sales and purchase laws.

You do not require any permit to sell, buy, transfer or transport a gun in the state. This makes it extremely easy to own a gun in Georgia.

In the same vein, you will not be subjected to any form of background check, and no registration is required before buying your firearm.

This may be different for federally licensed sellers, but with a Georgia CCW permit, you can be excluded from a background check.  

However, it is important that you keep your receipt in case you have to prove ownership or the gun.

There is also no waiting period to complete a gun purchase in Georgia. You get the gun once you pay for it.

Age Requirement For Dealing With Gun In Georgia

The age limit for possessing and moving around with a gun in Georgia is eighteen

Georgia CCW Permit Requirements

Before Georgia concealed carry permit application, you must meet all the requirements. So, you have to know and understand these requirements so that your application won’t be rejected.

Georgia CCW permit requirements are as follows:

  • You must be at least twenty-one before applying for a CCW permit and at least eighteen years old if you are a member of the military.
  • You must reside in the county where you are applying for Georgia CCW.
  • You must be a legal citizen of the United States.
  • You must not be convicted of any criminal charge involving the usage or manufacturing of illicit substances or any drug that is under control by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
  • You must not have been convicted of any felony crime that is yet to be pardoned.
  • You must not have a restraining order due to possessing a firearm without the required permit or possessing a firearm in an off-limit area, or a misdemeanor due to the use of drugs in a period of five years prior to your CCW application.
  • You must not be diagnosed as mentally unfit, or be a patient in any mental hospital or rehabilitation center in a period of five years prior to your CCW permit application.  
  • You must not be a fugitive or have an arrest warrant in your name.
  • You must not have your firearm permit revoked within a period of three years before filing your application.
  • You must meet other federal laws requirements needed for a CCW permit.

How To Apply For A Georgia CCW Permit

Now that you know Georgia concealed carry permit requirements, the next stage is to apply for your CCW permit.

The steps include the following:

Getting Your Application

Go online and complete the application or visit your county’s probate court.

Submit Your Documents

Other documents you will need to submit include the following:

  • A completed application form
  • A copy of your birth certificate or your US passport card
  • Your Georgia’s driver license or identification card

Your CCW permit application approval will be mailed to you.

How To Renew Your Georgia CCW Permit Application

Your Georgia CCW permit is only valid for five years, after which you will have to renew it if you intend to continue carrying.

Your renewal application process can start at ninety days prior to the expiration of your CCW permit. 

You also have a grace of thirty days to renew after the permit has expired.

If you exceed this period, you will not be able to renew. This means you will have to start the whole application process all over again.

I don’t think you want to go through that.

Active service members with an expired license but under the employment of another state will be allowed to use any other gun in accordance with that of the expired CCW permit. This will be for a period of six months.

The steps to renew Georgia CCW permit include the following

Complete Application

Complete your renewal application online or visit the probate court in your local county to pick up one.

Documents Needed

Some of the documents you need to provide for the CCW permit renewal include the following:

  • A completed CCW application form.
  • Your birth certificate or the United States passport.
  • A means of state identification, either Georgia Driver’s license or the state ID card.
  • The required fee.

After the application has been renewed, you will be sent a mail to notify you of the approval.

Renewal Law Due To COVID-19

Presently, the time limits of ninety days and thirty days prior to the expiration and after the expiration respectively, have been suspended.

This is due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

Till further notice, all Georgia CCW permits with expiry dates during the pandemic period are valid for a period of thirty days after the thirteenth of March.

But should the pandemic emergency period exceed the thirteenth of March, the concealed carry permit renewal will also extend accordingly.

Castle Doctrine In Georgia

Georgia has a castle doctrine statue that allows a person to not retreat when faced by a threat.

This means that you can stand your ground and use the required force for protection against an intruder, when you believe that it is necessary and it can help you defend yourself.

The force and threat used will be against a person that uses an unlawful force, and it is needed to keep you safe and prevent you or a third party from death.

Georgia’s Castle doctrine statue can be used to prevent yourself against felonies like kidnapping, raping, and robbery.

Hunter And Wild Life Harassment Law In Georgia

Georgia has a hunter harassment law that makes it illegal for anybody to do any of the following:

  • Disturbing or interfering with the legal activity of capturing wildlife by anyone, with the known intention of preventing the legal hunter or attempting to do so.
  • Indulging in the activity of disturbing wildlife in a bid to disturb or prevent the legal capturing of a licensed hunter.
  • Disobeying an order to stop breaking any of these laws from a law enforcement officer.

Georgia Concealed Carry FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about concealed carry in Georgia:

Do I Need A Firearm Training Certificate To Apply For Georgia CCW Permit?

No. Even though it is advised that you go through a Georgia concealed carry class online or any other training course, it is not a requirement for Georgia CCW permit.

How Much Is The Application For Georgia CCW Permit?

Application for CCW permit cost seventy-five dollars while the application for renewal costs thirty-five dollars.

How Long Will It Take Me To Get Georgia CCW Permit?

The waiting period for Georgia’s concealed carry permit is sixty days.

Can I Get A Georgia Non-resident Conceal Carry Permit?

Georgia Issues non-resident CCW permits to only members of the military that are posted permanently to the state.

What Should I Do If I Lost My Permit?

For stolen or lost permits in Georgia, report to your county’s probate court that issued you the permit. 

This must be done within a period of forty-eight hours when you discovered the loss or after it was stolen.

The judge will cancel your CCW permit and a replacement permit would be given to you. 

You will be charged a replacement fee.

Additional Resources

Georgia Gun Laws
Georgia Open Carry Laws
Georgia Gun Permit Laws

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