Utah, Florida or Arizona: Which Non-Resident CCW Permit Should I Get?

Still popular now for gun owners who travel out of state, before Illinois started issuing Licenses to Carry in 2013, the two most popular options for Illinoisans were the Utah and Florida non-resident CCW permits. These permits are relatively easy to obtain and provided an Illinois residents  with the ability to carry concealed in up to 30 other states.  But the Arizona permit is just as easy to get and for some may be a better option.

Now that we can get an Illinois License which is honored in over 20 other states, is there still a need for Illinoisans to get a Utah, Arizona or Florida permit?  Let’s take a look at the benefits of each permit and what it takes to get one.

Costs:

There is a big difference in the ‘price’ of permit application fees, but not necessarily in the overall ‘cost.’  The Utah application fee is only $49, which is valid for 5 years, the Arizona is $60 and is also valid for 5 years, while the Florida permit costs $112 for seven years. But the ‘price’ is not always the true cost.

The training requirement for the Florida and Arizona permits is a bit easier for most people; veterans and anyone taking the Illinois License to Carry training from an NRA Instructor (or any other NRA Instructor-led program) automatically qualify.

However, the Utah permit requires that you take a Utah-specific course that must be taught by a Utah Certified Instructor (though there are MANY certified here in Illinois, such as myself).  The cost of this class is usually $75 -$100, depending on the instructor, and covers Utah laws and basics of firearms safety, shooting and concealment.  

Where you are traveling and wish to carry is also a big factor, so let’s compare and contrast the differences in the states that honor the permit with the above information:

Utah

Florida

Arizona

Application Fee

$49

$112

$60

Valid for:

5 years

7 years

5 years

Tng Required

Utah-Specific Class

Any NRA Class

Any NRA Class

Tng Exemption

N/A

Military Service

Military Service

Number of States

31

30

30

Valid in Fla

NO

YES

NO

Valid in Minn

YES

NO

NO

Valid in New Mex

NO

YES

YES

Valid in Wash

YES

NO

NO

Valid in Wis

YES

NO

YES

States that Honor Each Permit: (Some states will honor a resident permit but NOT a non-resident permit.  This chart is for non-resident permits)

 

Utah

Florida

Arizona

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alaska

Alaska

Alaska

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas

Delaware

Delaware

Delaware

Georgia

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Georgia

Idaho

Indiana

Idaho

Indiana

Iowa

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Minnesota

Louisiana

Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi

Missouri

Missouri

Missouri

Montana

Montana

Montana

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

New Mexico

North Carolina

New Mexico

North Carolina

North Dakota

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Ohio

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Wyoming

Wyoming

   

 Here is the link to get a Florida Non Resident Permit Application:

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Licensing/Concealed-Weapon-License

 


Ohio To Recognize Illinois’ License to Carry in March, 2015

With Ohio now recognizing the Illinois License to Carry (effective in March, 2015), Illinois residents can now carry in 23 other states!  

The graphic below shows all the states that will allow you to carry with your Illinois license, except that Ohio is not yet indicated, as the effective date is still a month off.  

Remember that you must abide by the laws of the state in which you are carrying, NOT the state that you come from. Go to www.HandgunLaw.us and click on each state you travel to in order to download a complete pdf with all the pertinent laws.

 

(Click on Map to Enlarge)

 

States Honoring Illinois License to Carry except Ohio