Do You Need Concealed Carry Insurance? | Concealed Carry Society

Whether you call it concealed carry insurance, self defense insurance, or gun owner’s insurance…millions of people are turning to legal coverage as a way to provide financial security, physical freedom, and peace of mind. Do you need it? Let’s find out.

Do you need concealed carry insurance? Having concealed carry insurance is not required for any gun owner; however, it is highly recommended that you purchase this insurance when you become a gun owner for your own protection.

Andrew Branca, a skilled self-defense lawyer of 25 years and author of The Law of Self Defense, has explained that even in clearly justifiable cases of self-defense, you can often accumulate massive legal bills. He says that every gun owner should consider concealed carry insurance as a necessary part of owning a gun.

For more information on our choices for self defense insurance, check out our article where we compare the Best Concealed Carry Insurance Companies.

What is Concealed Carry Insurance?

Many gun owners are not even aware that concealed carry insurance, sometimes called gun owner’s insurance or personal firearm protection insurance, even exists. This is because it is a fairly recent type of insurance that was developed as a result of the rising number of Americans starting to carry concealed guns.

Concealed carry insurance is not like the insurance you are used to. It was created as a way to help cover the legal debt that can result from firing your gun, or in some cases, even accusations of you brandishing your firearm.

Some Instances Concealed Carry Insurance Offers Protection For Are:

Firing Your Concealed Gun in Self-defense in a Place That is Not your Home: This insurance covers your legal costs if you fire your gun in self-defense in any place that is not your home if you are found to have acted in self-defense by a judge or jury.
Firing Your Legally-Owned Gun in Self-Defense While Inside Your Home: This insurance covers your legal costs if you fire your gun in self-defense inside your home. Some homeowner’s insurances provide this protection, as well. Read over your policies to see how protected you are.
Negligent Discharge of Your Firearm: This insurance will cover your legal costs in a case of negligent discharge of your firearm. Negligent discharge happens when a gun is fired because of operator error or a disregard for basic gun safety rules.
Use of Deadly Force: This insurance can cover your legal costs in cases of using deadly force. The use of deadly force is simply defined as the use of force that is likely to cause serious injury or death. This use of your firearm is only able to be justified if deemed a last resort in conditions of extreme necessity.
Unlawful Personal Firearm Use: This insurance can cover your legal costs in cases of unlawful personal firearm use. Unlawful personal firearm use is characterized by being careless with your weapon. Some examples are:

Shooting your gun into an empty building.
Showing your gun to others in a threatening manner.
Shooting your gun across a highway.
Having a gun on you while intoxicated.
Shooting your gun from a moving vehicle.

These are only a few examples of unlawful personal firearm use. Some types of concealed carry insurance will cover the legal fees associated with these unlawful behaviors, but it is worth noting that you’re still doing something that is illegal.

Most people believe that firing your gun in self-defense is an open-and-shut case that is over quickly. However, this is rarely ever the case. In fact, it is actually very common for a self-defense case to develop into a full criminal investigation to determine guilt and innocence beyond any reasonable doubt.

Court costs and legal fees are not cheap. They can include any and all of the following:

An official police investigation
The confiscation of your firearm
Missed work and/or school
Lawyer costs
Bail bonds
Court appearances and costs
Conviction and/or sentencing
Civil liability for pain and suffering or other damages to person or property

Firing a personal, licensed gun can result in legal costs that can climb into the $100,000+ range, depending on the offense. In America’s judicial system, you still have to prove that you acted in self-defense, and this can require private defense attorneys, independent forensic pathologists, and other expensive experts. The costs of defending yourself can really add up and quickly, which is why many choose to get concealed carry insurance.

Before You Get Concealed Carry Insurance

Insurance is something that you purchase for many things of great value to you…like your vehicles and your homes. Purchasing concealed carry insurance offers you something that is invaluable – peace of mind. It allows you to feel comfortable in the fact that, if you are attacked and act in self-defense or are accused of a gun crime, your life will not fall into financial ruin.

Before getting into what concealed carry insurance can offer you, it is important to look into the factors that influence your decision on concealed carry insurance.

Location – Consider where you live. If you live in a large, busy city, you will encounter more people which can increase your chances of firing your gun. If you live in a low-populated, rural area, you may not be as likely to have to act in self-defense. Another factor with location is knowing the price of legal coverage in your area. This can help determine the level of coverage you need.
Look into your current policies – It is worth it to look over your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you are protected if you fire your weapon in self-defense while inside your home. Concealed carry insurance also protects homeowners when they discharge their gun inside their homes and not all homeowner’s insurance policies offer this protection. If you fire your gun outside of your home, however, your homeowner’s insurance will not cover anything.
Concealed Carry vs Home Defense – Some people only have a firearm for home defense. Whether or not you need coverage, and how much, may be determined on how you choose to protect yourself. If you carry concealed (or open carry) coverage is highly recommended.

What is the Cost of Concealed Carry Insurance?

The costs of your insurance will vary with the policy you choose; higher policy coverage along with added benefits will cost more to maintain. Compared to the alternative – crippling legal debt – concealed carry insurance is very affordable.

Cost of Concealed Carry Insurance

Cheapest

The most basic concealed carry insurance policies start at around $11 a month with U.S. Law Shield, and you can even get yearly coverage from ACLDN for only $135 for the first year. These policies are some of the least expensive on the market and suitable for some people.

Mid Range

Many of the top concealed carry insurance companies offer a mid range package for roughly $34 per month, or around $399 per year. Most of the memberships I see selling from USCCA and other top companies are in this range. These typically come with many other benefits beyond basic coverage.

Top Line

The current highest-level insurance policies cost approximately $50 monthly, or about $550 yearly. These higher end policies offer high end legal protection as well as many benefit perks. While these are on the higher end, many find the cost-benefit analysis worth it in the end.

There are a number of concealed carry insurance providers that you can research, and they all offer protection from some or all of the instances outlined in this article.

Some policies even cover costs for personal hardships and any psychological treatment you must go through as a result of the incident. Others offer gun use and safety training as part of their member perks. In certain policies, your spouse or partner can be included with a small extra cost.

Conclusion

Concealed carry insurance is truly a must-have for every gun owner. You never know when you will discharge your weapon. It is vital to be proactive about your gun use and protect your finances and mental well-being. There really is no downside to purchasing this insurance.

Find out why we chose USCCA for our coverage by reading our USCCA Review. We go over everything they offer and what made us choose them. There are many great companies out there who offer coverage, make sure you choose one that suits your needs and has your back!