Concealed Handgun Permit Training in the Baton Rouge Area
- How do I get a Concealed Handgun Permit?
- To get a Concealed Handgun Permit, qualified applicants must complete the application, provide proof of training (9 hours of training is required), provide a set of fingerprints, and pay the appropriate fee. For more details and to download forms (or submit online), please visit the Louisiana State Police Concealed Handgun Permit Unit website.
- Recent guidance from the State Police encourages everyone to submit the online application. The paper applications will now result in significantly longer wait times and are now intended only for those who are not able to submit their application online. For the fingerprint requirement, it is highly recommended that you do your fingerprinting at the Louisiana State Police Headquarters, 7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, as this is the same office in which the permits are processed and there is no chance that the fingerprints will not be improperly done.
- What training is required for a Concealed Handgun Permit?
- Louisiana requires at least 9 hours of training by a certified instructor in the following areas:
- 1 hour of instruction on gun safety and nomenclature,
- 1 hour of instruction ammunition and pistol shooting fundamentals,
- 3 hours of instruction on the use of deadly force and conflict resolution,
- 1 hour of instruction on child and unauthorized person access prevention,
- 1 hour of instruction on handgun shooting positions, and
- 2 hours of live fire training and instruction on cleaning procedures.
- How much does it cost to take this course?
- The cost for the course is $125.00. This covers all range fees, but does not cover ammunition. Students are required to provide their own ammunition. The $125 fee also covers notarization of your application packet if you are completing a paper application (though this is no longer recommended, see above).
- Group Rates are also available. If you sign up for a class as a group of 4 or more, all members of the group will receive $25 off the cost of their course. For very large groups, special rates can be quoted depending on the size of the group, the facilities available, and other logistical issues.
- How much does a permit cost?
- In addition to the cost of the course, the fee to the state is $125 for 5 years ($25/year). Lifetime permits are also available for $500. These fees are halved for people 65 and older ($62.50 and $250, respectively). Fees must be paid by money order, cashier’s check, or certified check. You must also pay a small fee for your fingerprinting (about $10 if done at Louisiana State Police Headquarters). Finally, paper application packets (not recommended) require three notarized affidavits. If you bring a completed packet to your course, these will be notarized free of charge. Otherwise, other notaries typically charge $10-$20 per document.
- How well do I need to be able to shoot?
- In order to qualify for your permit, you must be able to score 100% hits on a B-27 silhouette target with 36 shots: 12 shots at 6 feet, 12 shots at 10 feet, and 12 shots at 15 feet.
- What about lunch?
- The class breaks for lunch for one hour. Lunch is on your own, but you may bring your own lunch if you wish and eat in the classroom. However, with the amount of time spent in the classroom all in one day, I recommend going out to eat, at least just to stretch your legs.
- Where are the courses held?
- For groups of 6 or fewer, courses are held at my office (see contact page) or at the shooting range if a classroom is available. Larger groups will be held at one of the classroom facilities at the range or at a facility of your choosing. The classrooms at the range require advance notice to reserve, so if you have a large group interested in training, please don’t hesitate to contact me so that a reservation can be made timely.
- Please note that all courses, whether at my office or at the range, do require live-fire shooting at the range. For courses held at my office, we will meet at the range either directly following the classroom portion of the course, or, depending on the date of the class, the availability of range time, and the desire of the students, the live-fire portion can be conducted on a separate day (for Saturday courses, Sunday morning range time can be preferable, as the class ends fairly late and the range is most crowded in the evening).
- For groups interested in taking the course together, I will also conduct the training course at your own home, office, church, or any other facility, (subject to location and group size). Please contact me if you would like to inquire about group training in a venue of your choosing. Please note that training courses require some means to use a projector, and as real firearms are used for demonstrations, it must be lawful to possess firearms in any given venue.
- Why PaciFIST Firearms? Isn’t that kind of an oxymoron?
- I decided on PaciFIST Firearms to emphasize that armed self-defense is not about seeking out violence, but only seeking to prevent violence. Opponents of lawful carry of concealed handguns would portray those making the decision to carry a gun as hot-headed, cowboy vigilantes just looking for any excuse to shoot someone. Nothing could be further from the truth. As countless concealed handgun permit holders and instructors often say, the day you being carrying a gun is the day you decide to lose every argument. It is the day you choose not to let minor conflicts get you angry, and choose to follow a path of de-escalation whenever possible. Carrying a gun is a weighty responsibility, and the vast majority of concealed handgun permit holders prove themselves to be among the most responsible, law abiding groups in society, carrying their guns in hopes of creating a more peaceful society, not a more violent one. Paraphrasing the Latin quip Si vis pacem, para bellum, the motto of PaciFIST Firearms is “Peace through Preparedness,” or as I like to say, “to be a pacifist with an emphasis on the fist.” For more information, see the “PaciFIST Principles” page.