How do I know if am eligible for a Permit to Carry Weapons?

When a person applies for a Permit to Carry Weapons, the issuing officer will run a NICS check to determine if the applicant is eligible for a Permit to Carry Weapons. The applicant must also complete an application that asks questions pertaining to eligibility. Falsification of an application is a criminal offense that could result in prosecution, so an applicant should take great care in completing the application. This FAQ does NOT attempt to describe in all necessary detail each and every type of firearm and weapons permit prohibitor, but a simplified description of circumstances that result in ineligibility for a Permit to Carry Weapons is as follows:

• Federal firearm prohibitors:

•  Felony conviction (a conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year, excluding a crime classified as a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years)

• Fugitive from justice (active warrant)

• Unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance

• Adjudicated incompetent or committed to mental institution by a lawful authority, such as a District Court (includes committal for substance abuse)

• Certain aliens (unlawful aliens and nonimmigrant aliens admitted under a visa)

• Dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces

• Person who has renounced US Citizenship

• Subject to a qualifying domestic protection order/restraining order

• Conviction for a “Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence” (MCDV)

• Under indictment or information for a felony

• State firearm prohibitors:

• Felony conviction (includes aggravated misdemeanor involving a firearm or explosive)

• Juvenile adjudication for a felony

• Conviction for a “Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence” (MCDV)

• Subject to a qualifying domestic protection order/restraining order

Additional prohibitors for the Permit to Carry Weapons:

• Alcohol addiction

• Any serious or aggravated misdemeanor conviction under Iowa Code Chapter 708 (assault, harassment, stalking, etc…) not involving a firearm or explosive within the last three years

• Probable cause exists to believe, based upon documented specific actions of the person, where at least one of the actions occurred within two years immediately preceding the date of the permit application, that the person is likely to use a weapon unlawfully or in such other manner as would endanger the person’s self or others.

A person must be 21 years of age or older to obtain a Nonprofessional Permit to Carry Weapons, and 18 years of age or older to obtain a Professional Permit to Carry Weapons

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Category: Gun Permit

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