Getting a CCW in Georgia (2026)

Data verified 2026-10-13 · general legal information, not individualized advice · facts cite official sources (see verification dataset)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a Georgia concealed carry permit · Updated October 13, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your county probate court before applying. Last reviewed 2026-10-13.

Quick facts

Pulled from the live reciprocity dataset (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json) and verified against official sources as of 2026-10-13:

• Permit type: Shall Issue — Georgia Weapons Carry License (WCL), issued by the probate court of your county (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129).
• Constitutional carry: Yes. Since April 2022 (Georgia Constitutional Carry Act, SB 319 — the "Chairman John Meadows Act" — signed April 12, 2022, effective upon signature), eligible adults 21+ may carry without a license; the dataset notes "Constitutional carry (permitless) effective April 2022." The WCL is still issued and remains valuable for reciprocity and NICS-exempt purchases.
• Minimum age: 21 (dataset). By statute, 18–20-year-olds may qualify only with proof of basic military training plus active service or an honorable discharge (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(b)(2)(A)).
• Duty to inform: No — dataset: "No duty to inform." Georgia has no statute requiring you to announce that you are carrying.
• Open carry: Allowed (dataset: openCarryAllowed = true).
• Restricted locations (dataset): schools, courthouses, jails, mental health facilities, nuclear plants, houses of worship (unless permitted), government buildings.

Who can apply

Under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(b), the probate judge may not issue a license if any of the following apply (as of 2026-10-13):

• Pending proceedings against you for any felony, or you are a fugitive from justice (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(C)–(D)).
• A felony conviction that has not been pardoned (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(B)).
• You are prohibited from possessing or shipping a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n) (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(E)).
• A conviction for an offense arising out of the unlawful manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance or other dangerous drug (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(F)).
• A misdemeanor conviction involving the use or possession of a controlled substance, unless you have been free of all restraint or supervision — and free of any subsequent qualifying conviction — for at least 5 years before applying (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(I)).
• Your WCL was revoked within the last 3 years (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(G)).
• A conviction for carrying a weapon or long gun in an unauthorized location (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127), until you have been free of restraint or supervision — and free of any other conviction — for at least 5 years (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(H)).
• You were hospitalized as an inpatient in a mental hospital or alcohol/drug treatment center within the past 5 years, adjudicated mentally incompetent to stand trial, or found not guilty by reason of insanity — unless relief is granted by petition under § 16-11-129(b.1) (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(J)–(L)).
• Eligible if: age 21+ (or 18–20 military provision), domiciled in the county where you apply (active-duty military stationed on a base in the county may apply there), and not disqualified above.

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: the judge of the probate court of the county where you are domiciled (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(a)).

1. Obtain the state-prescribed application from your county probate court (free of charge; many courts require an appointment) and complete it under oath.
2. Pay the $30.00 application fee.
3. Get fingerprinted by the sheriff or county law enforcement agency (or a GBI-approved electronic vendor); a $5.00 fingerprint fee may be charged. Not required for renewals.
4. Within 5 business days, the judge directs the county agency to request fingerprint-based criminal-history checks from the Georgia Crime Information Center and the FBI, plus a national background check (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(d)).
5. The law enforcement agency reports its findings to the judge within 20 days (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(d)(4)).
6. If nothing disqualifying is found, the judge must issue the license not later than 10 days after receiving the report (§ 16-11-129(d)(4)).
7. If you are denied or the license does not arrive within the statutory window, the judge must inform you of your right to file a mandamus action in superior court (§ 16-11-129(j)).

Costs

Fees per the statute text published by the Council of Probate Court Judges (gaprobate.gov), as of 2026-10-13:

• Application/license fee: $30.00 (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(a)) — same fee for a renewal license.
• Fingerprinting: $5.00 (§ 16-11-129(c)) — first-time applicants only.
• Records checks: the GBI may charge a fee "necessary to cover the cost of the records search" (§ 16-11-129(d)(1)(A)), so the total you pay is set by each probate court. UNVERIFIED: no statewide all-in total is published — the $30 + $5 statutory minimums understate the total once records-check costs are added (commonly cited around $75–$85), so call your county probate court for the exact amount.
• Temporary renewal license: $1.00 if issued while a renewal is pending (§ 16-11-129(i)).
• Mental-health report fee: $3.00 if the judge requires a waiver authorizing a facility to report on a past inpatient stay (§ 16-11-129(b)(2)(J)).
• Training: none required — no Georgia training cost.

Training requirement

None. Georgia imposes no firearms-training or course-hour requirement for a WCL — no training provision appears anywhere in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129 (checked 2026-10-13).

Timeline & renewal

• Statutory sequence: records checks ordered within 5 business days of application; agency report within 20 days; license issued within 10 days after a clean report (§ 16-11-129(d)).
• Validity: 5 years (§ 16-11-129(a)).
• Renewal: apply within 90 days before or 30 days after expiration to be treated as a renewal — same $30 fee, no new fingerprinting, and you may renew in any Georgia probate court regardless of the issuing county (§ 16-11-129(a)(1)(C)(i)).
• The judge issues a temporary renewal license at the time of application (valid 90 days, $1.00 fee) unless known ineligibility exists (§ 16-11-129).

Where to apply

• Your county probate court — locate it via the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia: https://gaprobate.gov/weapons-carry-licenses/

Sources

• Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia — Weapons Carry Licenses (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129 text): https://gaprobate.gov/weapons-carry-licenses/ — accessed 2026-10-13
• O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129 (2025 Georgia Code): https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-16/chapter-11/article-4/part-3/section-16-11-129/ — accessed 2026-10-13
• CCW Workman Firearms reciprocity dataset (Georgia): https://ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json — accessed 2026-10-13