How to Get Your Florida CWL

Before spending any money, make sure nothing in your history disqualifies you. In broad terms, applicants must meet the state's age requirement, be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and not be prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.

Disqualifiers include certain felony convictions, certain domestic violence convictions, some drug-related offenses, certain mental health adjudications, and active injunctions. Some are permanent, some are time-limited.

If you are unsure about anything in your record, resolve that first — with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) or a Florida attorney. Do not guess, and do not rely on what a friend told you.

Florida requires you to demonstrate competency with a firearm. The standard route is a course from a certified instructor.

360 Tactical's Concealed Carry Class is recognized by the State of Florida as satisfying this requirement.

You leave with a certificate of completion and a package containing the forms and instructions for your application. Check upcoming dates.

Your application requires fingerprints for the background check.

We offer fingerprinting on-site at every class for $30, which is the single biggest time-saver in this process — you complete your training and your prints in the same two-hour visit rather than making a separate appointment elsewhere.

You are not required to use us for this. You can have prints taken by an approved provider separately if you prefer.

Submit your application to FDACS. You will generally need:

Applications can typically be submitted by mail or in person at a designated FDACS regional office. Submitting in person is often faster.

Fees change. We deliberately do not publish the state fee here, because an outdated number would cost you a trip. Check the current amount with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) before you send anything.

FDACS processes the application, runs your background check, and issues the license if you qualify. Processing times vary — check current estimates with FDACS.

When it arrives, two things are true at once: you are legally cleared to carry in Florida and in roughly three dozen other states, and you are not yet trained.

A two-hour classroom course teaches the law. It does not teach you to draw from concealment, shoot accurately with your pulse elevated, or make a decision in the second and a half you might get. Those come from range time:

• Introductory Course — $175, no experience required
• Intermediate Course — $200, drawing and movement
• Force-on-force — from $60, against a live opponent

• Incomplete applications. A missing photo or signature restarts your wait.
• Applying with an unresolved record issue. Sort it out first; a denial is worse than a delay.
• Assuming the license means you're trained. It does not, and this is the mistake with actual consequences.
• Forgetting to renew. Put the expiration date in your calendar the day the license arrives.
• Not learning the prohibited locations. The list applies to licensed and unlicensed carriers alike. See where you cannot carry.