Before getting a permit to conceal carry, you should know what to expect from a gun license background check. If you’re not prepared, you may find they are invading your privacy. It’s also good to know what the process is because if you’re denied, you’ll know why.
The first thing you will need to do when purchasing a gun is to complete Form 4473. This form has a lot of questions on it because it helps to verify you are eligible to buy a gun. After the gun store associate receives your form, he/she will contact NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) to give them the answers to the questions on the form and also give them your social security number.
The NICS pulls up information on you at this time. They gather data from the following databases:
Interstate Identification Index
National Crime Information Center
NICS Index
Some of the information that is pulled up is:
Criminal and mental health history
Dishonorable military discharges
Immigration status
Drug use
Indictments
How Long a Background Check Takes
The background check takes literally a minute or less. The Department of Justice has guidelines for background checks and it requires NICS reviewers to make an immediate decision in at least 90 percent of cases.
If the background check does not show anything that violates the eligibility requirements, the FBI approves the person to purchase the gun.
Getting a Concealed Carry License/Permit
The next stop should be training. Proper training with a firearm is required for a concealed weapons permit. The type of training that is required varies by state. Make sure that wherever you go for training, that you receive a certification or card after satisfying the training.
This card should be brought to the police department or courthouse, whichever is in charge of concealed carry weapon permits in your area. An application must be completed and turned in with a copy of the training certificate. You will pay a fee for this, which varies depending on where you are.
Some states require the application to go to the courthouse for review, and this also means the person who wants the permit must go to the courthouse. This depends on many factors and they vary per state.
Waiting Time for a Permit
It can take as many as 30 days to find out if you’ve been granted the permit to carry concealed weapons. As soon as you have the permit in hand, you can start carrying. If a law officer approaches you asking for your permit/license, be sure to have it on you. It should be with you at all times when you’re carrying. If not, you could get in a lot of legal trouble that you really don’t want to deal with – trust me.
You can get online training that allows you to carry concealed in 29 states through the website VirginiaConcealed.com.
