How To Renew A Michigan Concealed Pistol License

Renewing a Michigan Concealed Pistol License is a fairly straight forward process. As before, the person must submit a completed CPL Application at the County Clerk's Office in the county in which they currently reside - even if the county is different from the county which issued the original permit.

Be advised that at least one major metro-Detroit county web site has an outdated application on its web site which may not be accepted when you show up to turn it in for processing. You should always download the application from the Michigan State Police web site for principally this reason. The application should be submitted with enough lead time to allow "normal" processing. For most Michigan counties, you want to re-apply at least three months before your current permit expires.

As an aside, I spoke with one of my students today, from perhaps the slowest county in the state, who informed me that it took her nine months to get her permit in the mail. If she had talked to me months ago, I would have advised her of certain rights she had under the statute.

Furthermore, the application fee for renewals is exactly the same amount for first-time licenses: $105. Obviously, the state of Michigan is making a few bucks in generated revenue with this process; the state of Indiana only charges $75 for its CPL and it's good for a life-time unlike the relatively short time period of five years in this state.

After you pay your application fee, fold and staple your receipt to your current CPL. Depending on which county you reside, you may one day need to prove that your "expired" CPL is still being evaluated for a renewal.

Moreover, you will be required to sign a statement that you have reviewed your original Basic Pistol Safety Training Class educational materials for at least three hours AND that you have visited a target range and practiced firing a firearm for at least one hour within the last six months immediately preceding the date you submit your CPL renewal application. With respect to the shooting requirement, I know of at least one county that wants to see an applicant's receipts from the target range.

On the positive side of the renewal process, you will not have to be re-fingerprinted if the last time your prints were taken occurred after January 1, 2006; this was the date that the Michigan State Police started storing CPL applicant fingerprints with their "automated fingerprint comparison system."

Good Luck!

If you have a desire to assume more responsibility for your own personal safety, you should visit Rick Ector's Detroit Michigan CCW Class Web Site to sign up for a "Violent Crime Prevention" e-Newsletter. In every issue, there will be a personal protection article, crime prevention tips, and information on how to obtain a Michigan Concealed Pistol License (CCW/CPL).