Concealed Permit:
Shall Issue to Residents only.
Issuing Authority:
Montana Department of Justice – Applications are available from the local county sheriff’s office.
NICS/Background Check:
The sheriff shall conduct a background check of an applicant to determine whether the applicant is eligible for a permit under 45-8-321, may require an applicant to submit the applicant’s fingerprints, and may charge the applicant $5 for fingerprinting.
Permit Valid For:
The permit is valid for 4 years from the date of issuance.
Permit Issued Timeline:
A county sheriff shall, within 60 days after the filing of an application, issue a permit to carry a concealed weapon to the applicant.
Cost:
The fee for issuance of a permit is $50. Renewals are $25.
$5 fee may be charged for fingerprinting.
Requirements:
1. United States citizen
2. 18 years of age or older
3. Hold a valid Montana driver’s license or other form of identification issued by the state that has a picture of the person identified. An applicant must have been a resident of the state for at least 6 months.
4. An applicant for a permit under this section must, as a condition to issuance of the permit, be required by the sheriff to demonstrate familiarity with a firearm by:
a. Completion of a hunter education or safety course approved or conducted by the department of fish, wildlife, and parks or a similar agency of another state;
b. 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;
c. 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;
d. Possession of a license from another state to carry a firearm, concealed or otherwise, that is granted by that state upon completion of a course described in subsections (3)(a) through (3)(c); or
e. Evidence that the applicant, during military service, was found to be qualified to operate firearms, including handguns.
Required Documents:
1. A photocopy of a certificate of completion of a course described in subsection (3), an affidavit from the entity or instructor that conducted the course attesting to completion of the course, or a copy of any other document that attests to completion of the course and can be verified through contact with the entity or instructor that conducted the course creates a presumption that the applicant has completed a course described above.
Renewal Information:
The permit must be renewed for additional 4-year periods upon payment of a $25 fee for each renewal and upon request for renewal made within 90 days before expiration of the permit. The permit and each renewal must be in triplicate, in a form prescribed by the department of justice, and must, at a minimum, include the name, address, physical description, signature, driver’s license number, state identification card number, or tribal identification card number, and a picture of the permittee.
Change of Name or Address:
A person with a permit to carry a concealed weapon who changes his county of residence shall within 10 days of the change inform the sheriffs of both the old and new counties of residence of his 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 that has a police force.
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Permits:
Replacement of a lost permit must be treated as a renewal.
Informing Law Enforcement of Carry:
Automobile carry:
Without a permit, loaded firearms may be carried in plain view, console box, glove compartment or commercial gun case; firearms may not be concealed on one’s person in a vehicle.
Places off-limits when carrying:
1. Portions of a building used for state or local government offices and related areas in the building that have been restricted
2. A bank, credit union, savings and loan institution, or similar institution during the institution’s normal business hours. It is not an offense under this section to carry a concealed weapon while:
a. using an institution’s drive-up window, automatic teller machine, or unstaffed night depository; or
b. at or near a branch office of an institution in a mall, grocery store, or other place unless the person is inside the enclosure used for the institution’s financial services or is using the institution’s financial services.
3. A room in which alcoholic beverages are sold, dispensed, and consumed under a license issued under Title 16 for the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
4. All buildings owned or leased by a local school district that are used for instruction or for student activities
Alcohol and Drugs:
A person commits the offense of carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence if he purposely or knowingly carries a concealed weapon while under the influence of an intoxicating substance. It is not a defense that the person had a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon. A person convicted of the offense shall be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 6 months or fined an amount not to exceed $500, or both.
Deadly Force / Castle Doctrine:
Montana is a Castle Doctrine state and has a stand-your-ground law.
Open Carry:
Unrestricted in most public areas and generally accepted.
Go To Another State’s Concealed Carry Page
To view a state’s concealed carry permit information click on the state. The state’s color represents whether a state is Shall Issue, May Issue, Constitutional Carry, or Right Denied.
Shall Issue to Residents Only:
California, Colorado, Georgia, Guam, Michigan, New Mexico
Shall Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
May Issue to Residents Only:
Delaware, Virgin Islands
May Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York
Constitutional Carry and Shall Issue to Residents Only:
Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming
Constitutional Carry and Shall Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia
Constitutional Carry and Does Not Issue Permits:
Vermont
Right Denied:
American Samoa, N. Mariana Islands
Disclaimer
We try to keep the information on this page as up-to-date as possible, but it is your responsibility to verify all information due to changing laws. The information on this page is for informational purposes only and not to provide legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice concerning any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this Website, emails, or any links within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between USA Carry LLC and the user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the views of USA Carry LLC.
