Weapons | Concealed Carry
Veterans Returning To Civilian Life
Life after military service will be different. Defending yourself or the lives of others was considered to be a no brainer in the military. In civilian life for returning veterans, you need to know the laws if you plan to carry weapons for personal protection.
Depending on where you plan to live and existing conditions, civilian laws vary with respect to carrying a concealed weapon. Being legal to carry weapons on private property for example, might differ in some states. Laws also vary by city, county and in certain public places in states like California.
Returning veterans planning to obtain concealed carry weapons permits aka CCW might be surprised to learn the difference between “Shall Issue” and “May Issue” states. California is a “May Issue” state and that means you might get a CCW permit to carry a gun and you might not. You can be (and probably will be) denied a permit even if you meet all the requirements and pay the fees. Florida for example is a “Shall Issue” state that will approve your CCW unless you fail to meet requirements.
Shall Issue: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, 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, Wyoming.
May Issue: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island.
All things considered, should veterans returning to civilian life carry concealed firearms? When you were deployed in battle zones the following factors didn’t matter. Now that you’re home, I recommend considering the kids, social life and physical factors. Having a loaded gun around, locked or unlocked will present a few challenges. Let’s saddle up, lock and load.