So You Want to Carry a Gun?

If you want to carry a gun in the state of Georgia, you must get a Georgia Weapons License. To obtain a Weapons Carry License in Georgia, a Georgia resident goes to the Probate Court of their county of residence.

The Probate Judge is the issuing authority for Weapons Carry Licenses in the state of Georgia. Procedures vary slightly by county but are mostly prescribed by Georgia law.

Most Probate Courts will have a website which will detail the specific procedures used in that county. At a minimum, applicants must undergo a criminal background check, which requires fingerprinting and then processing by the GBI and the FBI.

A felony or domestic violence conviction will generally be disqualifying, as are certain other conditions. A mental health check may also be required.

Georgia does not have a training requirement to obtain a Weapons Carry License. The cost of applying for a license will be between $70 and $80, some or all of which must be paid in cash.

Georgia has a very active and effective gun rights organization, GeorgiaCarry.Org. I am an active member of GeorgiaCarry.Org.

The GeorgiaCarry website has detailed information on procedures for applying in each county. There is also a detailed chronology of Georgia carry laws and history of the past racist roots of gun control. GeorgiaCarry contributed information used in this article.

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