Do's & Don'ts of Carrying a Concealed Handgun

  • Your permit to carry a concealed handgun must be carried along with valid identification whenever the handgun is being carried concealed.
  • When approached or addressed by any officer, you must disclose the fact that you have a valid concealed handgun permit and inform the officer that you are in possession of a concealed handgun. You should not attempt to draw or display either your weapon or your permit to the officer unless and until he directs you to do so. Your hands are to be kept in plain view and you are not to make any sudden movements.
  • At the request of any law enforcement officer, you must display both the permit and valid identification.
  • You may not, with or without a permit, carry a concealed weapon while consuming alcohol or while alcohol or any controlled substances are in your blood unless the controlled substance was obtained legally and taken in therapeutically appropriate amounts.
  •  You must notify the Sheriff who issued the permit of any address change within thirty (30) days of the change of address and request a duplicate permit and pay the required fee.
  • If a permit is lost or destroyed, you must notify the Sheriff who issued the permit and you may receive a duplicate permit by submitting a notarized statement to that effect along with the required fee.
  • Even with a permit, you may not carry a concealed handgun in the following areas:
    • Any law enforcement or correctional facility;
    • Any space occupied by state or federal employees;
    • Any premises where the carrying of a concealed handgun is prohibited by the posting of a statement by the controller of the premises;
    • Public educational property, however a permittee may secure a handgun in a locked vehicle;
    • Areas of assemblies or demonstrations;
    • State occupied property;
    • Any state or federal courthouse;
    • In any area prohibited by federal law;
    • Any local government building if the local government has adopted an ordinance and posted signs prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons.
  • If you are in a vehicle and stopped by a law enforcement officer, you should put both hands on the steering wheel, announce you are in possession of a concealed handgun and state where you have it concealed, and that you are in possession of a permit. Do not remove your hands from the wheel until instructed to do so by the officer.