On July 1, 2001, Michigan became what is known in concealed carry parlance as a “shall issue” state. This simply means that as long as an applicant meets all of the legal requirements, the state is obligated to issue a Concealed Pistol License or “CPL” (some states refer to them as permits). Previously, Michigan was known as a “may issue” state, meaning that if a person could convince the authorities that he needed to carry a gun, they just may bestow upon him privilege to do so. Those were, not surprisingly, relatively few and far between. In the rare instances that they were granted, they usually carried severe restrictions, such narrowly defining when, where, or why the grantee could carry a gun. As a Michigan resident, I wasted no time in acquiring a CPL, receiving mine in October of that year.
Requirements for obtaining a Michigan CPL have changed little since 2001, and I will list them here:
An applicant for a Michigan CPL must:
- Be at least 21 years of age.
- Be a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted into the United States.
- Be a legal resident of Michigan and reside in Michigan for at least six months immediately prior to application. An applicant is a resident of Michigan if one of the following applies:
- The applicant possesses a valid, lawfully obtained Michigan driver’s license or official Michigan personal identification card.
- The applicant is lawfully registered to vote in Michigan.
- The applicant is on active duty status with the United States Armed Forces and is stationed outside of Michigan, but Michigan is the applicant’s home of record.
- The applicant is on active duty status with the United States Armed Forces and is permanently stationed in Michigan, but the applicant’s home of record is another state.