 |
Getting the right Concealed Weapons License:
Idaho CWL or Enhanced CWL By SSgt.
Doug Sugden Getting your
concealed weapons license (CWL) has become important to a lot of people as of
late. The problem is many people are
misinformed about which CWL to get and what state to get. I hope by the end of this article you will be
more informed and have a better understanding of what your CWL needs are. The first thing I will address is the reciprocity of the current Idaho CWL. Idaho currently has a “written” reciprocity agreement with eleven states. However, more states honor us than just the eleven. Many states are like Idaho; we honor any states CWL as long as it is valid and on your person while carrying concealed. Many people are under the impression the Utah CWL is honored in many more states than Idaho’s CWL. Below are two maps from www.usacarry.com ; Idaho on the left, Utah on the right.  
You will
note from the pictures Idaho and Utah are pretty close. Utah does have Washington in the local area
and a couple states back east. Neither
Idaho nor Utah is honored in Nevada, Oregon, or California. People used to get Arizona’s CWL because it
was honored in Nevada. As of March 4,
2013, Nevada no longer honors the Arizona permit. Now that you know what our current reciprocity situation is, let’s talk about the Enhanced Idaho Concealed Weapons License (ECWL). The ECWL law has been passed and goes into effect July 1, 2013. To get the ECWL you will have to take a class. The class consists of two parts: a legal portion which tells you about the CWL laws use of deadly force, and a shooting portion where you must shoot at least 98 rounds. The class will have to been taken within one year prior of applying for your ECWL. The ECWL is supposed to boost our reciprocity to potentially 40 states, including Nevada and Washington. California and Oregon typically do not honor any CWL but their own. Classes for the ECWL are currently being offered by a couple establishments in the Magic Valley area. ECWL’s will have to be obtained in your county of residence. The cost and procedure for obtaining your Idaho CWL or ECWL are the same. So which CWL should you get? You need to look at your travel and recreation activities. If your travel and recreational activities are restricted to Idaho and the states that already recognize Idaho’s CWL, the regular CWL may be your best option. If your travel and recreational activities take you into the other states that will be opened up with the enhanced, wait until July 1st, 2013, and apply for the ECWL.
The process for obtaining either permit will be the same: Call and set an appointment to complete your prints and paperwork. I set appointments to make it convenient, hopefully for all. No waiting in lines, etc. Once the paperwork is completed, it will be sent too the state/FBI for background check. Once the background is completed by the state/FBI it is returned to me, the local background is completed, and you are called for the issuing appointment. Another impression people have, it is faster in any one county compared to another. All counties go through the same process. The key is deciding what your needs are so you don’t have to waste your valuable time and money taking the wrong course, and getting multiple permits. If you have any question, feel free to contact me at (208)735-4866.
________________________________________________________________ The Twin Falls DMV is open at its new location! The Twin Falls County Department of Motor Vehicles is open at it's new location. We are on the first floor, northeast side. The address is 630 Addison Avenue West, Twin Falls. We now have the new numbers for the DMV. They are posted on the appropriate pages and are in effect. The number for Driver's License is (208)735-4850. The number for Motor Vehicle Registration is (208)735-4870. |
