Your concealed carry permit

[jaywade]

anyone here laminate their's? can we laminate it?

I 'd like to protect it a bit more than just being in my wallet. I've seen carriers for CCW permits but was thinking that getting it laminated would be better, how do you guys carry your permit in your wallet or in one of those carrier's that kinda of look like a badge carrier?

[allingeneral]

Yep - lamimate it and keep it in your wallet. Congrats!

[KaosDad]

Yep - laminated, made a copy before hand for the safe along with the recipt of payment. It has to be with your picture ID, so tucked in your wallet is fine, right next to your PA carry permit!

[OakRidgeStars]

...and don't forget to sign it BEFORE it's laminated, or you'll have a laminated invalid permit.

[ProShooter]

Yes you can laminate it.

We usually bring our laminating machine to the shows and do it there for $2 each.

[t33j]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

[gunderwood]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

This raises an interesting question. Is a copy good enough?

For NFA items a copy of the tax stamp is sufficient, but CC is much closer to an ID rather than a tax receipt. A copy of my DL can't be used as a legal ID. It is a technicality, but if a copy was legal for carrying, that could be beneficial if you lost your wallet or something. Keep the original in a fire safe at home (like the NFA tax stamp), but carry a copy.

Proshooter, thoughts?

[wally626]

Laminate and next to DL in wallet. High resolution color copy on computer, if ever need to reprint it.

[baz]

yes, laminate it.
wish I would have done the copy just in case...
make sure you carry it with your state ID

[Jericho01]

First time and renewal were both laminated by the clerk. Good service by Fairfax County on this one.

[allingeneral]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

This raises an interesting question. Is a copy good enough?

For NFA items a copy of the tax stamp is sufficient, but CC is much closer to an ID rather than a tax receipt. A copy of my DL can't be used as a legal ID. It is a technicality, but if a copy was legal for carrying, that could be beneficial if you lost your wallet or something. Keep the original in a fire safe at home (like the NFA tax stamp), but carry a copy.

Proshooter, thoughts?

My original has a raised seal stamped into it. Not sure how that would play into the whole "copy" issue. Does yours have a raised seal?

[smltooner]

First time and renewal were both laminated by the clerk. Good service by Fairfax County on this one.

Our County Clerk in Franklin Co. will laminate your CHP for a $1 charge,
Very convenient.

[gunderwood]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

This raises an interesting question. Is a copy good enough?

For NFA items a copy of the tax stamp is sufficient, but CC is much closer to an ID rather than a tax receipt. A copy of my DL can't be used as a legal ID. It is a technicality, but if a copy was legal for carrying, that could be beneficial if you lost your wallet or something. Keep the original in a fire safe at home (like the NFA tax stamp), but carry a copy.

Proshooter, thoughts?

My original has a raised seal stamped into it. Not sure how that would play into the whole "copy" issue. Does yours have a raised seal?

No, but it is the idea of copying I was curious about. It has another signature on it and a copy may not be considered official? I.e. a copy doesn't cut it for some things.

[allingeneral]

My original has a raised seal stamped into it. Not sure how that would play into the whole "copy" issue. Does yours have a raised seal?

No, but it is the idea of copying I was curious about. It has another signature on it and a copy may not be considered official? I.e. a copy doesn't cut it for some things.

Well, that's what I'm implying with the raised seal that mine has on it - that a copy would clearly not have this raised seal and would not, therefore, be official. However, I wasn't sure if the raised seal was standard practice in all jurisdictions, and apparently, it's not. I don't see where it is mandated in the law that a CHP have a raised seal on it, so I would have to say that a copy is perfectly legal.

Here is the only reference I can find to any specifics regarding format of the permit and information included thereon.

H. The permit to carry a concealed handgun shall specify only the following information: name, address, date of birth, gender, height, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, and signature of the permittee; the signature of the judge issuing the permit, of the clerk of court who has been authorized to sign such permits by the issuing judge, or of the clerk of court who has been authorized to issue such permits pursuant to subsection D; the date of issuance; and the expiration date. The permit to carry a concealed handgun shall be no larger than two inches wide by three and one-fourth inches long and shall be of a uniform style prescribed by the Department of State Police. The person issued the permit shall have such permit on his person at all times during which he is carrying a concealed handgun and shall display the permit and a photo-identification issued by a government agency of the Commonwealth or by the United States Department of Defense or United States State Department (passport) upon demand by a law-enforcement officer.

[gregj]

You can get the self lamination sheets from office supply stores, like Staples. I made a couple copies of mine, keep the laminated original in my wallet, and a laminated copy in my range bag - just in case.

[Unkn0wN]

We got a laminating machine at work and I did it there.

Although Hampton doesn't laminate them, mine came with a little note that said "We recommend that you laminate your permit to help protect it."

[ProShooter]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

This raises an interesting question. Is a copy good enough?


Proshooter, thoughts?

I've seen this question posed on other boards for other state's permits as well as Virginia. I have never seen a clear answer for or against the idea of copying your permit.

The raised seal issue brings some validity to the idea of not copying it. Since it is such a cheap looking piece of paper to begin with, LE will probably be looking for a raised seal. It would also be very easy to fake a copy without the raised seal.

I generally like to take the law at face value and in 18.2-308 H it says:

"The person issued the permit shall have such permit on his person at all times during which he is carrying a concealed handgun and shall display the permit and a photo-identification issued by a government agency of the Commonwealth or by the United States Department of Defense or United States State Department (passport) upon demand by a law-enforcement officer."

It specifically says "the permit". A copy of the permit, IMHO, is not "the permit". I would think that since photocopiers have been around for a long, long time, the legislature would have specifically said that a copy is as good as the original, if that was their intention. Copies do not have the raised seal, or the original ink signatures.

In my opinion, a copy is not good enough and does not rise to the standard indicated by the statute. Obviously, I am not an attorney and my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[gregj]

Just looked at mine, and there is no raised seal. The only thing that would differentiate it from a copy is both signatures are in blue ink, and the left over perforations around the edge.

[gunderwood]

Laminated mine, and 2 copies. You can't tell them apart.

'course I've yet to use it.

This raises an interesting question. Is a copy good enough?


Proshooter, thoughts?

I've seen this question posed on other boards for other state's permits as well as Virginia. I have never seen a clear answer for or against the idea of copying your permit.

The raised seal issue brings some validity to the idea of not copying it. Since it is such a cheap looking piece of paper to begin with, LE will probably be looking for a raised seal. It would also be very easy to fake a copy without the raised seal.

I generally like to take the law at face value and in 18.2-308 H it says:

"The person issued the permit shall have such permit on his person at all times during which he is carrying a concealed handgun and shall display the permit and a photo-identification issued by a government agency of the Commonwealth or by the United States Department of Defense or United States State Department (passport) upon demand by a law-enforcement officer."

It specifically says "the permit". A copy of the permit, IMHO, is not "the permit". I would think that since photocopiers have been around for a long, long time, the legislature would have specifically said that a copy is as good as the original, if that was their intention. Copies do not have the raised seal, or the original ink signatures.

In my opinion, a copy is not good enough and does not rise to the standard indicated by the statute. Obviously, I am not an attorney and my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

That is generally what I was thinking.

If you submit a copy upon demand, it could be considered providing false documentation or ID. At the very least, it is a grey area.

[KaosDad]

What raised seal? The LoCo permit has the GSOV, but it's not raised.