Nebraska Concealed Carry

Don't mistakenly break Nebraska Concealed Carry Laws

Nebraska concealed carry laws were established in 2007, being the 48th in the U.S. to extend the right to its citizens with the passage of LB454 in 2006, which created the Concealed Handgun Permit Act.

However, it's still illegal to carry a concealed firearm in Nebraska without applying for the appropriate permit, but with the state being classified as "shall issue," the applicant will receive a permit provided they fulfill all the eligibility requirements.

How to Get a Nebraska Concealed Carry Permit

State residents may submit a Nebraska concealed carry permit application to the Nebraska State Patrol at the Criminal Identification Division in Lincoln or at any Troop Area Headquarters outside Lincoln (current locations being in Omaha, Norfolk, Grand Island, North Platte and Scottsbluff).

The application must be submitted in person with the $100 initial fee. Renewal fees are $50, and the permit may be renewed within four months prior to expiration.

When submitting the initial application, which can be found online or at any Troop Area Headquarters, include documentation of the following:

• Certified proof of a and gun safety course approved by the Nebraska State Patrol or a qualifying military training course (the fee for this course is separate from the application fee and charged independently by the course instructor)
• Proof of compliance with vision requirements by presenting a current Nebraska motor vehicle license or a statement from an ophthalmologist or optometrist certifying satisfactory testing that meets the requirements for a Class "O" operator's license
• Proof of identification
• Proof of citizenship
• Proof of address

A photograph and fingerprints will be taken by the Nebraska State Patrol. A will comb through multiple state and federal databases for qualifying information on the applicant.

Applicants will receive word within 45 days regarding whether or not they qualify for the permit, which is valid for five years. Renewal permits -- which require the same application materials with the exception of the training course and the lowered fee -- will be renewed and reissued within five working days.

Non-residents may not apply. However, those moving to Nebraska with a valid out of state permit recognized under Nebraska reciprocity agreements may apply immediately, with the 180 residency period wait time being waived. Those in the armed forces stationed within Nebraska have their residency period requirement similarly waived.

Those denied a permit will be notified by mail with the reasoning, but the denied applicant may appeal and file a request for an administrative due process hearing within ten days of receipt of the letter of denial.

The filed hearing request must be sent in mail, addressed to Nebraska State Patrol, Concealed Handgun Permits, P.O. Box 94907, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. This must be done within 14 working days of the mailing of the letter by the Nebraska State Patrol.

A permit may be denied if the following criteria are not met:

• Be
• Do not be prohibited to purchase or possess a handgun under 18 U.S.C. 922
• Do not have convictions in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for over a year, and do not have any felony convictions
• Do not be a fugitive from justice
• Do not unlawfully use or be addicted to a controlled substance as per 21 U.S.C. 802 Section 102
• Do not be adjudicated as mentally defective or be committed to a mental institution
• Do not be dishonorably discharged from the armed forces
• Do not renounce U.S. citizenship
• Do not be subject to a court ordered prohibition of contact with an intimate partner or the child of a partner
• Do not have convictions of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, this extends to the prior ten years before submitting the application
• Have qualifying vision for a Class "O" operator's license
• Do not be judged mentally incompetent or found to be mentally ill within the prior 10 years
• Have Nebraska residency or be stationed in Nebraska under the armed forces
• Do not have convictions related to firearms, unlawfully used weapons or controlled substances within the prior ten years
• Do not be on parole, probation, house arrest or work release
• Have U.S. citizenship or be a lawful permanent resident

Once the permit has been issued, the concealed carrier must carry it whenever they carry a weapon. They must also display the permit promptly when requested and make the law enforcement personnel aware of the concealed handgun in a timely, safe manner.

A Nebraska concealed carry permit exempts the owner from needing a handgun purchase permit, as per Nebraska Revised Statutes SS69-2403, when buying handguns in Nebraska, but a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) will still be conducted at the point-of-purchase.

Despite the liberties it offers, the permit does not allow a firearm to be carried throughout the state.

Nebraska Concealed Carry Restricted Locations

Nebraska concealed carry laws allow a handgun to be carried anywhere in Nebraska, with a few exceptions, of course.

Do not carry in any police, sheriff or Nebraska State Patrol station or office. Additionally, according to Nebraska Revised Statutes SS69-2441, do not carry at any of the locations in this bulky list:

• Detention facilities, prisons and jails
• Courtrooms and buildings with courtrooms
• Polling booths during election times
• Any meetings conducted by governing bodies, public school districts, municipalities or other political subdivisions
• Legislature meetings
• Financial institutions
• Professional or semi-pro athletic events
• Within the building, grounds, vehicles or sponsored activities and athletic events of any public, private, denominational or parochial elementary, vocational or secondary school, a private postsecondary career school, a community college or a public or private college, junior college or university
• A place of worship
• Hospitals, emergency rooms or trauma centers
• Political rallies and fundraisers
• A location with a liquor license from the Nebraska Liquor Control Act with more than half of its total income from alcohol sales
• Any location prohibited by federal and state law
• Any private property where owners have restricted firearms on the premises

When open to the public, the private property or business owner must post conspicuous signage prohibiting firearms on the premises if they wish to enforce this area of the law.

As this is not an exhaustive guide meant to serve as formal legal advice, business owners and concealed carriers should contact the appropriate authorities to validate any personal questions or research.

Firearms may be left within the glove box, trunk or locked containers secured in motor vehicles parked in any of the parking areas of that previous list.

In a similar topic, those traveling to, through or from Nebraska should be aware of reciprocity standards.

Nebraska Concealed Carry Reciprocity

In 2009, the Nebraska Attorney General established Nebraska concealed carry reciprocity standards, recognizing only those out of state permits that have requirements equal to or greater than Nebraska.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol, these states' permits are approved and recognized by Nebraska: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (class one permit), Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota (enhanced permit), Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

These states are additionally approved: California, Iowa, Maine, Montana, West Virginia and Texas.

According to the same document updated in June 2016 by Wendy Wussow of the Nebraska State Patrol, these states do not have standards similar to or greater than those in Nebraska: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota (class 2 permit), Pennsylvania, South Dakota (regular permit) and Washington. Their permits are not recognized.

Those states can change within a moment's notice (or as long as new reciprocity agreements normally take), so stay up to date with a , which will also show where Nebraskan concealed carry permit holders may carry their weapon.

Click On Another State To Learn About Their Concealed Carry!

About The Author Jake Smith (@notjakesmith) is a copywriter and photographer based in the pacific northwest. He graduated from the University of Idaho with degrees in public relations and apparel.