Concealed weapon includes any weapon that is wholly or partially covered by clothing or wearing apparel. A permit is required if you will be concealing a weapon in an incorporated town (city). A weapon is dirk, dagger, pistol, revolver, slingshot, sword cane, billy, knuckles made of any hard substance, knife having a blade 4 inches long or longer, razor, not to include a safety razor, or other deadly weapon.
Application fee is $50.00 (4-year permit) and $5.00 fingerprint fee, payable when you submit your application Must be a US citizen, Montana resident for at least 6 months prior to applying, 18 years of age or older who holds a valid Montana driver's license or a state picture ID, and must show proof of firearms safety training by at least one of the following:
- a) military discharge form DD214;
- b) hunters safety certificate;
- c) completion of a firearms safety or training course approved or conducted by the department of fish, wildlife, and parks; a similar agency of another state; a national firearms association; a law enforcement agency; an institution of higher education; or an organization that uses instructors certified by a national firearms association;
- d) completion of a law enforcement firearms safety or training course offered to or required of public or private law enforcement personnel and conducted or approved by a law enforcement agency;
- e) a concealed weapon permit from another state if c or d above was required to obtain the permit.
If you are issued a permit, you must be familiar with the MCA codes stated above. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FAMILIAR WITH ThE LAW IF YOU ARE GOING TO CARRY A CONCEALED WEAPON. You may obtain a copy of the code from the state law library. You may NOT:
- a) carry a concealed weapon while under the influence of an intoxicating substance;
- b) carry a concealed weapon in:
- 1. a building owned or leased by the federal, state or local government;
- 2. a bank, credit union, savings & loan institution, or similar institution;
- 3. a room in which alcoholic beverages are sold, dispensed and consumed.
- a. are ineligible under Montana or federal law to own, possess, or receive a firearm;
- b. have been charged and are awaiting judgrnent in any state of a state or federal crime that is punishable by incarceration for 1 year or more; ,.
- c. have been convicted in any state or federal court in any state of a crime punishable by more than 1 year of incarceration or, regardless of the sentence that may be imposed, a crime that includes as an element of the crime an act, attempted act, or threat of intentional homicide, violence, bodily, or serious bodily harm, unlawful restraint, sexual abuse, or sexual intercourse or contact without consent;
- d. have been convicted under the following, unless you have been pardoned or 5 years have elapsed since the date of the
conviction;
- 1. carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence;
- 2. carrying a concealed weapon in a prohibited place;
- e. have a warrant of any state or the federal government out for your arrest;
- f. have been adjudicated in a criminal or civil proceeding in a court of any state or in a federal court to be an unlawful user of an intoxicating substance and are under a court order of imprisonment or other incarceration, probation, suspended, or deferred imposition of sentence, treatment or education, or other conditions of release or are otherwise under state supervision;
- g. have been adjudicated in a criminal or civil proceeding in a court of any state or in a federal court to be mentally ill, mentally defective, or mentally disabled and are still subject to a disposition order of that court; or
- h. were dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
The sheriff may deny an applicant a permit to carry a concealed weapon if the sheriff has reasonable cause to believe that the applicant is mentally ill, mentally defective, or mentally disabled or otherwise may be a threat to the peace and good order of the community to the extent that the applicant should not be allowed to carry a concealed weapon.
The permit may be revoked if any circumstances arise that would require the sheriff to refuse to grant the permittee an original license. If your permit is revoked you will be required to surrender it to any peace officer after notification by the sheriff.
A person with a permit to carry a concealed weapon who changes his/her county of residence shall within 10 days of the change inform the sheriffs of both the old and new counties of residence of this change of residence and that he holds the permit. If his residence changes either from or to a city or town with a police force, he shall also inform the chief of police in each of those cities or towns.
