My CCW dissolved in the rain!

[Sam]

You don't actually HAVE to carry it with you, although its highly recommended you do. Hence, the restriction on laminating it would be pretty dumb if you didn't have to have it with you.
Congrats, btw!

thanks! I'm pretty excited about it. I signed a piece of paper stating that I'd inform/show any leo I came into contact with my license, implying I have to carry it. My CCW instructor also told me to keep it with me.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Upon issuance of my first license to carry I was instructed by the clerk in the Sheriffs Office to fold it in half and have it laminated.

This.
The paper stock is pathetically thin and if you carry it daily (as you should) it will disintegrate in the normal two years between issue and reapplication.


And I still have no idea why the photo is optional. Seems like it would be mandatory.

[asheron2]

fold it in half and laminate

[What Just Happened?]

Go to a baseball card collector shop and use a soft plastic card protector.

+1 if lamination isn't an option.

[tenpercentfirearms]

I used to keep mine in a dime sack. Then I realized I don't care and now it is just in my wallet. It only costs $5 to replace it and I rarely jump in the pool with my wallet in my pocket.

[pepsi2451]

I just folded mine in half, then in half again and tucked it behind my id in my wallet. I agree it is super thin, but hopefully I won't have to get it out to show anyone. As long as I don't get it wet I think it should be fine.

[AndrewMendez]

Do you know what would be super cool, besides California letting me get one,... They should have it on your actual license just like they do the donor sticker now!

[Sam]

Do you know what would be super cool, besides California letting me get one,... They should have it on your actual license just like they do the donor sticker now!

I don't want every cashier at every store I shop at to know I carry

[Old Timer]

San Diego was the issuing authority for each of the (multiple) folks I've heard make this claim.

Uh, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Licensing Division, laminates the CCL prior to sending it to you.

[halifax]

Photocopies are OK (at least that's what the sheriff says here). So, the original stays in the safe and a reduced size photocopy folded in half and laminated works for me.

[JellyTheory]

You don't actually HAVE to carry it with you, although its highly recommended you do. Hence, the restriction on laminating it would be pretty dumb if you didn't have to have it with you.

Congrats, btw!

Spyder -

Where did you hear that? I thought you were supposed to keep it on your person because you need to show it to LEO if pulled over or detained for any reason.

I know they can look it up, but still thought you needed it with you. Just like you would a driver's license if driving.

-Chris

[AaronHorrocks]

Negative Ghostrider. That might be something a particular agency is doing. If you want the rice paper to survive you'll laminate it. I wish they would make them more ID card sized like Nevada's.

There's a story of a guy who laminated his ATF paperwork for his transferable machinegun. ATF confiscated it and claimed that it was fraudulent since lamination destroys the ink and paper in such a way that it can't be detected if it was original or not.

-> I would take a plastic sleeve and heat/crimp the edge so that it's sealed air tight in plastic, and can still be removed later simply by cutting open the plastic. Actually while you're at that, spray in some nitrogen to get all the 02 out!

[ZirconJohn]

Been stopped twice now, no tickets - that's a good thing!

My CCW laminated; Ukiah PD didn't care, and Sonoma Sheriff Dept didn't care... laminate, works for me.

Congrats on your new CCW, and I know how you feel... been carrying for 6 years now, and very cool at first. Now... now it's just another day, and I never think about it... like carrying a comb.

I never comb my hair in public!

[Knauga]

San Bernardino issues their folded (ID sized) and laminated. There is no legal restriction on laminating a CCW, some agencies may not want you to laminate them, but that is a local restriction.

[grammaton76]

Uh, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Licensing Division, laminates the CCL prior to sending it to you.

Very interesting. Next time I run into one of the SD guys, I'll have to find out whether theirs was issued by city or county. I don't doubt that the Sheriff's department is laminating, but I know what I've seen with my own eyes and that leaves maybe the city as an issuing authority which restricts lamination.

Either that or some random person handling the permits doesn't like it and another one is fine with it. You know, the kind of consistency we've come to know and loathe from the BOF, just from a different agency.

Now, I can personally vouch for having seen the tattered bits of paper from San Diego locals, and them complaining about this prohibition... I don't recall running across any of these folks before last year, but I hadn't seen any laminated ones either.