[Knight]

I thought I'd post my experiences on what I went through to get my CCW in Humboldt County.

It's relatively straightforward, actually. First I went to the Sheriff's office in Eureka, where I picked up a packet that contained several pages of questions, plus a list of locations that offered the mandatory CCW course. The questions include the usual stuff, mostly asking you if you have ever committed a crime or are subject to a restraining order. They also ask you at the end to write down the reasons why you feel the need to get a CCW. I filled out most of this form before I took the class. I did this around the beginning of August.

The class itself took place at my local indoor shooting range around the end of August. Signing up for it was pretty simple, and it cost me around $65. Basically it was a four hour lecture/video/discussion session. No actual shooting took place. Mostly we went over the laws regarding concealed carry, particularly when self-defense using lethal force is justified. We had to sit and watch a 1½ hour video based solely on this subject. The instructor also went over the interview process (I'll get to that later) and some good examples of what to put for the "reasons why" portion of the forms. There was no written test.

The following day, I went back to the indoor range early to qualify. I had put two handguns down on the form (out of a maximum of three), so therefore I had to qualify with them separately. The two handguns were an HK P2000 V3 .40 and a Kimber Custom II TLE .45. The qualification consisted of firing 50 rounds at a human silhouette paper target at 15 yards. In order to qualify, 80% (or 40 out of 50) of the rounds fired had to land in the "scored zone" of the target. There was no time limit. I scored an 88% with the P2000 and 100% with the Kimber.

I went in to get interviewed on the 26th. Actually, I was kind of disappointed. The lieutenant who "interviewed" me didn't do anything other than asked me for my driver's license, double-checked my forms, had me clarify a couple of questions and took down the serial #'s of the two guns I had put down to carry. Then we both signed the form in a couple of places, and I was done. He didn't even read my reasoning statement!

After that, I got fingerprinted and payed my $165 extortion fee. The fingerprinting technician (he really was a technician, they took my fingerprints with this giant computer/machine thing) told me it would take 2-6 weeks to process everything, and then I'd get my permit in the mail.

Now all that's left is the wait, assuming my NCIC comes back clear (it will). So I suppose technically I haven't "got" it yet. Feel free to substitute "Got" with "Applied For" in the title if it makes you feel better.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

[Guns R Tools]

Congratulations.

The town you live in is as liberal as it can get.
Nice small town with hippies. That was some experience for me.
Overall nice people but with very different views on almost everything.

[Grouch]

What was your reason?

Any restrictions?

[Knight]

My reasoning was that I walked to and from work, and I left work after dark. I also mentioned an incident where I used a Taser to defend my friend from being assaulted. Long story short, the Tased guy's friend came looking for me with a 2x4, and after the cops came, told me "Next time we meet, you better have a gun." But I didn't even go into that much detail in the statement, and like I said, the lieutenant who interviewed me didn't even read it. Pretty much, as long as your record's clean and you aren't taking medication that would affect your mental state, they'll probably approve you.

Yeah, Arcata's petty liberal. I've lived here since I was 3, and I go to college at Humbolt State. Needless to say I don't exactly fit in ideologically. At least people here aren't overly anti-gun. If anything, they try to deny the fact that guns even exist.

[JimAmentler]

Good stuff! Humboldt is very good on CCW. Did you do your training with Brad? I taught a Utah CCW class up there earlier this year and really enjoyed the people and the area.

[cc56]

An off the wall question, but if you get a CCW in say San Diego, then move to Sacramento can you renew in Sac? Is there a whole new process or is this ALL totally County by County?

[Knight]

Originally Posted by JimAmentler

Good stuff! Humboldt is very good on CCW. Did you do your training with Brad? I taught a Utah CCW class up there earlier this year and really enjoyed the people and the area.

I went to Old West Shootery and took the class with Kevin. He runs the only indoor range in the area that I know of. He hasn't been up here too long, but he's a good guy.

I've been considering taking the Utah CCW class. You teach it at Pro Sport? I'll probably do it if I'm finding myself using my CCW often locally.





. . . by "using my CCW" I mean carrying, not shooting, BTW

[hitman13]

i believe you have 30 days to get one in the new county, but i could be wrong...

[Knight]

As I understand it, if you move to another County and you need to renew, you have to renew in the County you are residing in. Therefore, you would have to abide by that County's CCW policies, even if it is a renewal.

Lucky for me, because my parents live in Humboldt County and I am going to college, I can claim my residency in Humboldt even if I go to college or graduate school somewhere else in CA. Though again, that's just how I understand it.

[billyjoblack]

Did the OlD WEST SHOOTERY youst to be marcelis or somthing like that?

[Knight]

Originally Posted by billyjoblack

Did the OlD WEST SHOOTERY youst to be marcelis or somthing like that?

Yup, that's the one. Kevin bought it a few years back. It's pretty much the same as it was before, despite Kevin's efforts to focus on the Cowboy/Old West weapons/accessories. Apparently all the local SASS guys get their equipment from a fellow member with his own FFL, so in order to stay in business he had to keep the modern stuff around to sell. Too bad really, I wish he'd bring in some 7" Schofield replicas in.

You feeling okay, by the way? Your post makes me worry that you are having a stroke.

[Pulsar]

Good to hear, I've always heard good things about my home town, and that's why I've kept it as my county of residence even though I'm stuck in suckramento for now.

And Kevin is a great guy, really goes out of the way to help the customer. I've only had a chance to buy one gun from him, but he went really out of the way to help me, and I will definitely be buying from him again once I move back to the area.


And heck, the only excuse you need for a CCW in Arcata is that your afraid of the crazed bicyclists. I've actually had one of those idiots attack my truck because I drove around him near the post office.

[want_ar]

Originally Posted by Pulsar

And heck, the only excuse you need for a CCW in Arcata is that your afraid of the crazed bicyclists. I've actually had one of those idiots attack my truck because I drove around him near the post office.

I am a bicyclist. They have the right to ride on the street too you know. Please show them common courtesy. A friend was killed by a guy in a pickup who tried to drive around him and ran over him instead. You want to shoot bicyclists ? I understand that attacking your truck is a stupid thing to do, but what did he do ? Charge at your truck with his bike ? Rip it apart with his bare hands ? You don't need a gun to kill a bicyclist. You already have a lethal weapon: it's your truck. They are people too with as much a right to use public streets as you do. Most motorists underestimate the speed of road bikes and run over them. Happens all the time.

[thedrickel]

Originally Posted by want_ar

I am a bicyclist. They have the right to ride on the street too you know. Please show them common courtesy. A friend was killed by a guy in a pickup who tried to drive around him and ran over him instead. You want to shoot them too ?

Dude relax before BWiese shows up and goes on his usual bike rant. Not only do cyclists have the right to ride in the street but most cities require it by law. Riding on the sidewalk is illegal and extremely dangerous. What I tell people is, just imagine I was a car. If you pretend I'm a car, I'll pretend I'm a car (obey traffic rules).

[Knight]

Actually, if you are an Acrata local you'll know what Pulsar's talking about. There are bicyclists that go out of their way to slow down vehicle traffic by purposefully going slow in front of motor vehicles. There's actually a name for this group; I believe it's called Critical Mass, and it originated in San Francisco. Wikipedia the name, and read up on them a bit; you'll get the idea.

My father was confronted by one of these whackos on wheels not too long ago, for pretty much the same reason as Pulsar. Unfortunately for the whacko, my father happens to carry a can of bear spray in his car door.

[ccwguy]

Originally Posted by Knight

As I understand it, if you move to another County and you need to renew, you have to renew in the County you are residing in. Therefore, you would have to abide by that County's CCW policies, even if it is a renewal.

Lucky for me, because my parents live in Humboldt County and I am going to college, I can claim my residency in Humboldt even if I go to college or graduate school somewhere else in CA. Though again, that's just how I understand it.

You renew in the County you reside in. If your reason and circumstance of having a CCW is still the same; they must renew it. Initial issuance is the hard part.

[Knight]

Originally Posted by ccwguy

You renew in the County you reside in. If your reason and circumstance of having a CCW is still the same; they must renew it. Initial issuance is the hard part.

Good to know. Thanks for the clarification!

[Pulsar]

Originally Posted by want_ar

I am a bicyclist. They have the right to ride on the street too you know. Please show them common courtesy. A friend was killed by a guy in a pickup who tried to drive around him and ran over him instead. You want to shoot bicyclists ? I understand that attacking your truck is a stupid thing to do, but what did he do ? Charge at your truck with his bike ? Rip it apart with his bare hands ? You don't need a gun to kill a bicyclist. You already have a lethal weapon: it's your truck. They are people too with as much a right to use public streets as you do. Most motorists underestimate the speed of road bikes and run over them. Happens all the time.

I understand that, and I'm very courteous to bicyclists, I never pass them when it seems even remotely dangerous, but this guy was only doing about 5mph in a 25mph, was as far to the right as he could be, and I simply went around him as soon as the road was clear. He then followed me to my destination just around the corner and started attacking pickup. Luckily it was just my old nissan beater pickup and I really didn't give a rats *** about the truck.

And this wasn't the first incident with bicyclists in arcata. One day while riding with my dad in the company van we were attacked by a bicyclists who ran a stop sign. We were at a 4 way stop, and we waited our turn to go, well we started crossing the street and just about got across when a bicyclist ran into the side of the van. He promptly got off the bicycle and started kicking our vehicle. Luckily an off duty police officer saw the whole thing and explained to the guy that it was entirely his fault and threatened to arrest him if he kept attacking our vehicle.

[MedSpec65]

Humboldt sounds like it's about as "shall issue" a county as we get in this State. Even if I had residency there I'd still get my non-resident Utah permit FIRST before risking a denial in CA and possibly getting disqualified in any other States. Asking for "A Reason" to protect yourself seems like a risky requirement. What if you catch the issuing officer on a bad day? Some counties even require "references". What if they don't approve of your "references"? Too many "if's" in CA.

[ccwguy]

Originally Posted by MedSpec65

Humboldt sounds like it's about as "shall issue" a county as we get in this State. Even if I had residency there I'd still get my non-resident Utah permit FIRST before risking a denial in CA and possibly getting disqualified in any other States. Asking for "A Reason" to protect yourself seems like a risky requirement. What if you catch the issuing officer on a bad day? Some counties even require "references". What if they don't approve of your "references"? Too many "if's" in CA.

That's FUDD. Stop talking now.