Concealed Weapon Application Information
The Bay County Tax Collector’s Office became a Concealed Weapon License Application Intake site for the Florida Department of Agriculture in May of 2017. The service is available by appointment only in our Panama City and Lynn Haven Offices.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
Appointments can be scheduled for first-time applicants as well as renewals.
What You Need to Bring
- Certificate of Completion from a firearms training class or other document that evidences your competence with a firearm. Your training must include live fire using a firearm and ammunition. (Florida Hunter’s Safety Course Certificate, DD-214, current military orders qualify as proof of training.) If your name has changed since you took the course, you will need to provide the documents (marriage license, court order, etc.) to show the name change.
- Identification
- $119.00- check, cash, credit/debit accepted for payment. Convenience fees apply to debit and credit transactions.
To be Eligible for a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License:
You must be 21 years of age or older. (Age requirement waived for military members.)
- You must be able to demonstrate competency with a firearm.
- Unless you are serving overseas in the United States Armed Forces, you must currently reside in the United States and be a U.S. citizen or deemed a lawful permanent resident alien by Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. If you are serving overseas in the U.S. Armed Forces, submit a copy of your deployment documentation with your application. Those who are Resident Aliens must provide a valid Permanent Resident Alien card.
DETERMINE YOUR ELIGIBILLITY
How the Process Works
For first-time applicants, upon arrival for your appointment you will complete an online application, firearms course documentation will be scanned in, photo taken and be fingerprinted. All information is submitted to Tallahassee electronically and the applicant is provided a copy of everything submitted. The in office process takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The Department of Agriculture will review the application, complete the background check and upon approval the concealed weapon license will be mailed to the applicant. In most cases the cost is $119.00. Veterans and active duty service members are fast-tracked during the review process. Most receive their license within one to two weeks.
Florida residents renewing a permit will have address information verified, photo taken and the updated card printed and provided to them before they leave the office. The cost for a Florida resident to renew is $57.00. Individuals who do not reside in Florida will be fingerprinted during renewal. The cost for an out of state resident to renew is $104. The license is good for 7 years.
Active Florida law enforcement officers and retired Florida law enforcement officers are eligible for a discount. To receive the discounted rate of $77 for first time applicant an individual must provide a letter from their employer on agency letterhead stating they are currently employed as a Florida law enforcement officer. Retired officers can provide a letter from their agency of retirement stating they are retired from the agency and served in a law enforcement capacity and the date of retirement. Florida law enforcement officers retired within the preceding year pay $22 and Florida law enforcement officers retired more than one year pay $94 for first time applications. The renewal fee for both is $42. The renewal fee for an active Florida law enforcement officer is $57.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is touting improved wait times for those seeking concealed carry permits, despite the pandemic and record applications. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is touting improved wait times for those seeking concealed carry permits, despite the pandemic and record applications. Even with the additional challenges 2020 has brought compared to years past, the department is processing applications faster than the previous administration.Florida
In January 2019, a person applying for a concealed carry permit could count on waiting as long as 88 days for their application to process.
“The wait times were inordinately long,” said Charlie Strickland, owner of Talon Tactical Outfitters. “People obviously want them to go faster, but it’s faster than it was a few years ago.”
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said applicants can now expect to wait between 42 and 43 days, depending on whether they have a criminal history.
“I made a promise to the citizens of this state that one, I’d come in and make sure that we were streamlining it and we were being efficient and on top of it that we are going to have background checks,” Fried said.
The faster wait times come despite the ongoing pandemic and a record 305,000 applications in 2020.
“In comparison to 2018, that is a 62-percent increase,” Fried said. “We’ve modernized the department, we’ve uploaded different forms right onto our website, we’ve modernized the website for the entirety of the department. And this was a huge part of making sure that we were doing this right, we’re making sure that we’re accountable to the citizens of our state and that we’re doing it efficiently.”
The state and country saw record gun sales amid the pandemic and presidential election. And those in the gun business don’t expect sales to slow any time soon.
“I can’t predict what’s going to happen with the Biden administration, but any time they mention gun control the numbers are going to go through the roof,” Strickland said.
And while Strickland said gun sales are up significantly this year, he did highlight that more people have also been taking training courses to learn how to properly use firearms in line with state law.
Fried is optimistic the demand for concealed carry permits will return to pre-2020 levels in the near future.
“We are excited for 2021 to come and everybody to start calming down. So we do anticipate that those numbers will drop back down,” she said.
Wait times aren’t back to their pre-pandemic average of between one and 25 days, but the department is hopeful it can get back to a similar speed within three to six months.
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