Once you purchase a weapon, you can carry it openly (open carry) or concealed in your vehicle, purse, pocket, or on your person in a holster (concealed carry). To concealed carry legally, you must have a concealed carry license.

You must be at least 21 years of age to apply for a concealed carry license.

When you want to get your concealed carry license, you need to go to your county Sheriff’s office to apply. You must go to the one in the county in which you live. You will need one of these licenses if you wish to carry your firearm concealed or unconcealed in your vehicle, or carry it concealed on your person. Similarly to purchase application denials, denials of concealed carry licenses are dealt with via a Pennsylvania Instant Check System challenge. Keep in mind that the reasons a concealed carry license is denied or revoked are much broader than those needed to deny someone the right to own a firearm.

Pennsylvania’s Instant Check System, also referred to as PICS, is a system that is managed by the Pennsylvania State Police. It is designed to give gun suppliers instant background checks relevant to gun purchases, so they can decide if a person is eligible to buy a firearm. An additional use for PICS is to find out if an applicant is legally allowed to obtain a concealed carry license. There are challenge forms online at this link. The form is SP4-197; it can be found at the bottom of the page. The form must be filed at the Pennsylvania State Police PICS Firearms Unit on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg.

Since you apply at the Sheriff’s office for a concealed carry license, it is he who makes the decision, based on your Pennsylvania Instant Check System data, to grant or deny the license. If he denies it, you have 30 days to appeal the decision. You file your appeal at the Court of Common Pleas in the county in which you live. There are certain specific steps and provisions that you are required to follow for this. Failure to do so can result in you being charged with a Summary Offense.

Sometimes, mistakes are made, and a person who is legally allowed to obtain a concealed carry license is denied.

If your concealed carry license is denied or revoked, call Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Sean Logue and his associates immediately. They can examine the facts of your case and advise you if you have grounds to appeal the revocation or denial of your license.

Have you had a concealed carry permit application denied, or a license revoked? Do you want to appeal this denial or revocation? If you have, you will require a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney with experience in and knowledge about firearms law and PICS challenges to help you. Sean Logue’s team of criminal defense attorneys has represented many people who have had their permits denied or revoked. Logue Law Group serves Pittsburgh, PA, West Virginia, and Ohio. Call today for a consultation: 412.387.6901 or 412.387.6901. Or, you may contact us online.

Don’t wait to call! The challenge process for revocation or denial of a concealed carry license has very specific protocols that must be followed to the letter. If you don’t do it right, you could be charged with a Summary Offense, adding another black mark to your criminal record. Avoid making mistakes in the process by hiring a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney who understands what must be done. Call Sean Logue today. Don’t try to go it alone. Call now!

If you are thinking about either buying a firearm or getting your concealed carry license, Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Sean Logue and his team of experienced attorneys can help you get ready to fill out the application and evaluate your circumstances to identify anything that might be a problem for you.

The applications you must complete to purchase a firearm are the PA Form SP4-113 and the ATF Form 4473. The form you complete when you apply for a concealed carry license is PA Form SP4-127. These forms are all confusing and very complex. Even attorneys sometimes have trouble understanding the questions. However, a mistake on any of the three applications can lead you to be charged with a felony.

Sean Logue and his team have defended many people who thought they could outsmart PICS or who either didn’t understand their criminal record or the questions on the forms. If you give false information on one of those forms, you can be charged with a specific charge: a Misdemeanor 18 Pa.C.S Section 4904 Unsworn Falsification to Authorities, or a Felony 18 Pa.C.S. Section 6111 Unsworn Falsification to Authorities. You could also be charged with both.

Any prior mental health issue, involvement in domestic violence of any form (including Protection From Abuse actions), drug abuse, or any kind of criminal record, you need to contact Logue Law Group before you try to fill out a firearm purchase application or concealed carry license application. Sean and his team can keep you from being their next criminal defense client.

Don’t try to go completing these forms without assistance. Your freedom from additional criminal charges is too important to leave to chance. Let Sean Logue and his team of experienced Pittsburgh criminal defense attorneys assist you as you prepare to complete the complex and confusing state and federal gun ownership and carry applications. Sean and his team will do their best to get you prepared to purchase the firearm you desire.

If you are deemed by PICS to be ineligible to purchase a gun or concealed carry license, you will be given a challenge form by the dealer. You have 30 days to complete the form and appeal the decision. You will need to give PICS additional details to help them in their review. If you were denied because a conviction was expunged or otherwise disposed of, include that information. Also, you need to make sure you complete all the sections of the form. Failure to do so will cause your challenge to be automatically denied. There are four pages to complete. On the first page, parts one through three have to be filled in completely, and on page four, you have to sign and date the form. A Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney can help you with this.

Do you plan on purchasing a firearm? Do you know someone who is? If so, you need a criminal defense attorney who knows and understands the laws around the possession of firearms to assist you. The Logue Criminal Defense team has helped hundreds of people prepare to complete firearms purchase applications and concealed carry paperwork. Logue Law Group serves Pittsburgh, PA, as well as West Virginia and Ohio. Call today for a consultation: 412.387.6901 or 412.387.6901. Or, you may contact us online.

Oh, did I mention that she was a concealed weapon permit holder in Pennsylvania? That, upon being stopped, she told the arresting officer that indeed, she was a permit holder and that the gun was in her vehicle?

It didn’t matter: the woman, Shalene Allen, was charged and faced as many as three years in prison for the gun violation.

This is why: There is no reciprocity agreement between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which means that just because you’re good to go with your permit in the Commonwealth, means very little when you drive over the state border. If you get caught speeding, or blowing through a red light, and you have a gun in your car or on your person, you’re gonna get charged, regardless of your permit status in Pennsylvania.

Actually, there are only 30 states that do honor Pennsylvania’s concealed carry permits, and 19 that don’t. Ohio and New York don’t reciprocate, either. Neither do Maryland and Delaware. The only state bordering Pennsylvania that does is West Virginia.

All I’m trying to say is, as a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney, I see situations like Ms. Allen’s all the time – where the client truly believes they are being law abiding.

Take some free advice from a Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer who has represented plenty of lawful gun owners: You have got to be careful – because confusion over the law is not an excuse when you get charged and have to go into a courtroom to defend yourself (or have someone like me do it for you).

Here’s an example: In Pennsylvania, gun owners need what is known as a concealed carry permit to be able to carry a firearm in a bag, in a car, or hidden on their person. But, in Pennsylvania, it is also legal to open carry.

I’ve had clients who have gotten the two a bit confused – thinking that they can keep their guns on their passenger seat or on the floor while their cruising on 79.

In a word: Wrong! If you were stopped for some minor reason (brake light might be out, or maybe you passed illegally), the police discover the gun, and you might be arrested and wondering who you need to call for bail. You must have a License to Carry Firearms to legally keep your gun in your car with you.

Gun charges are serious – and the issue of Second Amendment rights is so politically volatile – that I just wanted to share this to ensure that all of my law-abiding gun enthusiasts won’t need to rely on me or any other Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney to help get them out of a jam.

Source: Chris Christie Pardons Single Mom Shaneen Allen for Gun Violation

Update: May 21, 2019

Last year, in an effort to make it easier for citizens to identify which states reciprocate Pennsylvania’s concealed carry permits, the state launched a website that allows gun owners to check the information before they travel. The site also lists which states Pennsylvania accepts concealed carry permits from.

There are 29 other states whose permits are recognized by Pennsylvania. Each of those has licensing restrictions that are at least as strict as those here in the Commonwealth, if not more so.

Two states – Alabama and Idaho were added to the list, and one – Virginia –was dropped.

In 12 states, Pennsylvania residents can concealed carry their guns if they have a permit in that state. They must apply for it separately.

In 32 states, a Pennsylvania resident’s concealed carry permit is accepted. Nine of those states don’t require a permit.