Louisiana Concealed Carry Permit Information

Louisiana is a Shall Issue State and issues Concealed Handgun Permit. Louisiana became a Shall Issue state in 1996. As of December 31, 2017, there are 204,625 active concealed handgun permits issued in Louisiana.

Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permits are issued by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections – Louisiana State Police. You can visit the Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit Unit website here.

In order to apply for a concealed handgun permit, a citizen should follow the steps below:

Apply for a Concealed Handgun Permit by one of the following ways:

• Complete and submit the new online Concealed Handgun Permit Application.
• Download a Concealed Handgun Permit Application and complete the instructions found on pages one and two of the application.
• Obtain an application at the State Police Headquarters (7919 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806) between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
• Provide all necessary documentation pertaining to training, arrest dispositions, medical summary dispositions, and divorce decrees (if applicable). New fingerprints must be submitted for original/first time applicants. Old fingerprints on file will not be accepted.

Contact your local police office, local sheriff’s department, or State Police Headquarters in Baton Rouge for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting at State Police Headquarters requires a $10.00 money order or can be paid using a debit/credit card. Prints must be submitted on an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card. The card should be completed as outlined in the application instructions. Example

Paper applications, fingerprint cards, and/or other documentation must be submitted to:

Louisiana State Police
Concealed Handgun Permit Unit
PO Box 66375
Baton Rouge, LA 70896

Louisiana issues two types of Concealed Handgun Permits. There is a 5 year concealed handgun permit, and the cost for an initial or renewal permit is the same.

• Louisiana 5 Year Concealed Handgun Permits Ages 21-64: $125
• Louisiana 5 Year Concealed Handgun Permits Ages 65 and Older or Active Military: $62.50

• Louisiana Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permit Ages 21-64: $500
• Louisiana Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permit Ages 21-64 or Active Military: $250

Veterans with an honorable discharge are fee exempt.

There is no set processing time for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety to issue a Concealed Handgun Permit. The law only states that they shall issue them timely and without delay to all qualified applicants.

The Department of Public Safety and Corrections will conduct a full criminal history background check on all applicants as required by law. Background checks are defined as a computer check of available online state records and fingerprints may be forwarded to the FBI for a National Criminal History Record Check.

Louisiana 5 Year Concealed Handgun Permits issued after March 9, 2015 qualify as an exemption to the NICS check when purchasing a firearm in Louisiana.

Louisiana issues two types of Concealed Handgun Permits. There is a 5 year concealed handgun permit and a lifetime concealed handgun permit. For Louisiana Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permit holders, you will need to provide the Louisiana State Police proof of completion of educational training every five years.

To qualify for a concealed handgun permit, a Louisiana resident shall:

1. Make sworn application to the deputy secretary of public safety services of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The providing of false or misleading information on the application or any documents submitted with the application shall be grounds for the
   denial or revocation of a concealed handgun permit. The application shall reflect training in pistols, revolvers, or both. Any permittee under this Section shall notify the department of any address or name change within thirty days of the change. Failure to timely notify the department of a name or address change may result in suspension of the permit for up to thirty days.
2. Agree in writing to hold harmless and indemnify the department, the state, or any peace officer for any and all liability arising out of the issuance or use of the concealed handgun permit.
3. Be a resident of the state.
4. Be twenty-one years of age or older.
5. Not suffer from a mental or physical infirmity due to disease, illness, or retardation which prevents the safe handling of a handgun.
6. Not be ineligible to possess a firearm by virtue of having been convicted of a felony.
7. Not have been committed, either voluntarily or involuntarily, for the abuse of a controlled dangerous substance, as defined by R.S. 40:961 and 964, or been found guilty of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a misdemeanor under the laws of this state or similar laws of any other state relating to a controlled dangerous substance within a five-year period immediately preceding the date on which the application is submitted, or be presently charged under indictment or a bill of information for such an offense.
8. Not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties are impaired. It shall be presumed that an applicant or permittee chronically and habitually uses alcoholic beverages to the extent that  his normal faculties are impaired if the applicant has been found guilty of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, or has been admitted, either voluntarily or involuntarily, for treatment as an alcoholic, within the five-year period immediately preceding the date on which the application is submitted, or at any time after the application has been submitted.
9. Not have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to or been found guilty of a crime of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2 at the misdemeanor level, unless five years have elapsed since completion of sentence or any other conditions set by the court have been fulfilled, or unless the conviction was set aside and the prosecution dismissed, prior to the date on which the application is submitted.
10. Not have been convicted of, have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, or not be charged under indictment or a bill of information for any crime of violence or any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of one year or greater. A conviction, plea of guilty, or plea of nolo contendere under this Paragraph shall include an expungement of such conviction or a dismissal and conviction set-aside under the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893. However, a person who has been convicted of a violation of 18 U.S.C. 491(a) shall be permitted to qualify for a concealed handgun permit if fifteen or more years has elapsed between the date of application and the successful completion or service of any sentence, deferred adjudication, or period of probation or parole.
11. Not be a fugitive from justice.
12. Not be an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, or narcotic drugs.
13. Not have been adjudicated to be mentally deficient or been committed to a mental institution.
14. Not be an illegal alien in the United States.
15. Not have been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States with a discharge characterized as “Under Other than Honorable Conditions”, a “Bad Conduct Discharge”, or a “Dishonorable Discharge”. In the case of Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers of the United States Armed Forces, the punishment of “Dismissal” rendered subject to a verdict of “guilty” at a trial by military court-martial is deemed to be disqualifying under this Paragraph. For the purposes of this Paragraph, the United States Coast Guard is considered an armed force.
16. Not have a history of engaging in violent behavior. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that an applicant has a history of engaging in violent behavior upon proof that, within a ten-year period immediately preceding the date of the application, the applicant has been arrested or charged on three or more occasions for any crime of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B), or has been arrested or charged on two or more occasions for any crime of violence that may be punished by death.
17. Not be ineligible to possess a firearm under 18 USC 922(g).
18. Not have had a permit denied within one year prior to the most recent application.
19. Not have had a permit revoked within four years prior to the most recent application.

First time applicants must demonstrate competence with a handgun by completion of an approved firearms safety or training course taught by an NRA or P.O.S.T. certified instructor that is registered with State Police, or completion of small arms training while serving in the military (as evidenced by a DD-214), [active service members, reservist and national guard members must include a clear photocopy of their military ID (front & back) with a copy of their last qualification record from their 201 file], or possession of a current valid license to carry a concealed weapon issued by a parish law enforcement officer.

Renewal applicants shall complete additional educational training within one year prior to submitting a renewal application. To obtain renewal training, please contact one of the LSP registered instructors.

For initial applicants, completion of small arms training while serving in the military (as evidenced by a DD-214), [active service members, reservist and national guard members must include a clear photocopy of their military ID (front & back) with a copy of their last qualification record from their 201 file] qualifies as approved training.

Renewal applicants shall complete additional educational training within one year prior to submitting a renewal application. To obtain renewal training, please contact one of the LSP registered instructors.

Permit holders will be notified in writing at their address of record, approximately 120 days prior to the expiration of their permit to begin the renewal process. You can then complete the application online, download an application or obtain one from the State Police Headquarters.

Renewal applicants shall complete additional educational training within one year prior to submitting a renewal application. To obtain renewal training, please contact one of the LSP registered instructors.

Submit the renewal application with a new training certificate, a photocopy of your driver’s license, and the appropriate fees. NOTE: Passport photos are no longer needed to process your applications. Submission of a fingerprint card is not needed for renewal applications.

The completed application should be returned to the Department no less than 90 days prior to the expiration of the permit to allow sufficient time for processing.

You must submit your application within 60 days after the expiration date, or you will be required to submit a new original application including fingerprints.

Paper applications and/or other documentation must be submitted to:

Louisiana State Police
Concealed Handgun Permit Unit
PO Box 66375
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
ATTENTION: RENEWAL DEPT.

Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit renewals cost the same as the initial permits.

• Louisiana 5 Year Concealed Handgun Permits Ages 21-64: $125
• Louisiana 5 Year Concealed Handgun Permits Ages 65 and Older or Active Military: $62.50

Veterans with an honorable discharge are fee exempt.

To change your address on your Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit, use their online application. This should be done within 30 days of the effective date of the address change.

We have put in a request to the Louisiana State Police to find out how to change your name on a Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit. Once we receive that information back from them, we will update this website. For now, we would suggest contacting them directly.

Louisiana State Police
Concealed Handgun Permit Unit
PO Box 66375
Baton Rouge, LA 70896

Concealed Handgun Permit Unit Phone Numbers:

• (225) 925-4867
• (225) 925-4868
• (225) 922-0225 (Fax Number)

Office Personnel:

1. Sergeant William Bosworth
2. Wyndie Chifici (Office Manager)

Concealed Handgun Permit Unit E-Mail Address:
[email protected]

If your permit is lost or stolen, you need to notify the Concealed Handgun Permit Unit in a notarized written statement completely describing the loss or theft. Please include a copy of any police reports made pertaining to this matter. A new permit will be mailed to your address of record.

Louisiana State Police
Concealed Handgun Permit Unit
PO Box 66375
Baton Rouge, LA 70896

Louisiana does not allow you to transfer another state’s concealed carry permit or license to Louisiana. You must apply for a new Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit.

Yes, in Louisiana, you must notify law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed weapon.

R.S. 40:1379.3 I(2) A permittee armed with a handgun in accordance with this Section shall notify any police officer who approaches the permittee in an official manner or with an identified official purpose that he has a weapon on his person, submit to a pat down, and allow the officer to temporarily disarm him. Whenever a law enforcement officer is made aware that an individual is carrying a concealed handgun and the law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the individual is under the influence of either alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance, the law enforcement officer may take temporary possession of the handgun and request submission of the individual to a department certified chemical test for determination of the chemical status of the individual. Whenever a law enforcement officer is made aware that an individual is behaving in a criminally negligent manner as defined under the provisions of this Section, or is negligent in the carrying of a concealed handgun as provided for in R.S. 40:1382, the law enforcement officer may seize the handgun, until adjudication by a judge, if the individual is issued a summons or arrested under the provisions of R.S. 40:1382. Failure by the permittee to comply with the provisions of this Paragraph shall result in a six-month automatic suspension of the permit.

Yes, Louisiana does issue Concealed Handgun Permits to resident aliens.

R.S. 40:1379.3 C(1b) In the case of an applicant who is not a United States citizen, the applicant shall provide any alien or admission number issued by the United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and any basis, if applicable, for an exception to the prohibitions of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5)(B).

In Louisiana, you are allowed to carry a loaded firearm openly in an automobile or concealed in a glove compartment, console box or the trunk without needed a Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit. This extends to anyone on a college campus. But to carry a firearm in your automobile while on a K-12 school campus, you must have a Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit.

The following places are off-limits when carrying a concealed weapon in Louisiana:

• A law enforcement office, station, or building;
• A detention facility, prison, or jail;
• A courthouse or courtroom, provided that a judge may carry such a weapon in his own courtroom;
• A polling place;
• A meeting place of the governing authority of a political subdivision;
• The state capitol building;
• Any portion of an airport facility where the carrying of firearms is prohibited under federal law, except that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, if the firearm is encased for shipment, for the purpose of checking such firearm as lawful baggage;
• Any church, synagogue, mosque or similar place of worship; See RS 40:1379.3 (U)
• A parade or demonstration for which a permit is issued by a governmental entity;
• Any portion of the permitted area of an establishment that has been granted a Class A-General retail permit, as defined in Part II of Chapter 1 or Part II of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
• Any school “firearm free zone” as defined in R.S. 14:95.6.

Louisiana is a Castle Doctrine state and does have a stand-your-ground law.

LA RS 14:20 (4)(a) When committed by a person lawfully inside a dwelling, a place of business, or a motor vehicle as defined in R.S. 32:1(40), against a person who is attempting to make an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, or who has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, and the person committing the homicide reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the entry or to compel the intruder to leave the premises or motor vehicle.

Since we could not find any specific law that states “No Gun” signs have the force of law, we contacted the Louisiana State Police about this issue.

Our question specifically was, “If you have a valid concealed carry permit, are you allowed to carry concealed in private businesses that have “No Firearms Allowed” signs such as Whole Foods?”

Their response was, “No, you would not be allowed to carry in those establishments.”

There had been some debate on whether or not these signs are valid or not. We recommend not to take your chances and do not carry in businesses that have “No Gun” signs.

USA Carry always recommends not to carry a firearm while drinking alcohol.

In Louisiana, you are prohibited from possessing a firearm if your blood alcohol reading is .05% or higher.

You are not allowed to carry in an establishment or section of an establishment that has a Class A General Retail Permit. A good rule of thumb would be that you are not allowed to carry a firearm in a bar or the bar section of a restaurant, but you are allowed to carry in the dining area of a restaurant that serves alcohol.

State Parks: Yes – Rules
State Forests Yes – Rules
National Forests Yes – Rules
WMA’s and Wildlife Refuges: Yes – Rules
Road Side Rest Areas: Yes Unless Posted