Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Concealed Carry in Nebraska.’ Guns in Public. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 25 April
Relevant contents
Concealed Weapons Permitting in Nebraska
Nebraska does not prohibit a person from carrying a concealed handgun if the person has a concealed handgun permit.
Nebraska is a "shall issue" state, meaning that the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) must issue a concealed handgun permit if the applicant meets certain qualifications. An applicant for a permit to carry a concealed handgun must:
- Be at least 21 years of age;
- Not be prohibited from purchasing or possessing a handgun by federal law;
- Possess sufficient powers of eyesight, as demonstrated by a current Nebraska motor vehicle operator's license or a current optometrist's or ophthalmologist's statement;
- Not have pled guilty or no contest to, or not have been convicted of a felony;
- Not have pled guilty or no contest to, or not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence within the immediately preceding ten years;
- Not have been found in the previous ten years to be a mentally ill and dangerous person and not be currently adjudged mentally incompetent;
- Have been a Nebraska resident for at least 180 days (except that a 2011 Nebraska law allows a new resident of the state who possesses a valid concealed weapons permit from another state to immediately apply for a Nebraska permit);
- Have not violated any law relating to firearms, unlawful use of a weapon, or controlled substances in the preceding ten years;
- Not be on parole, probation, house arrest, or work release;
- Be a citizen of the United States; and
- Provide "proof of training."
"Proof of training" means an original or certified copy of a document certifying that the applicant successfully completed an approved handgun training and safety course within the previous three years, or is a member of the armed forces and has had similar handgun training within the previous three years.
Firearm Safety Training
Nebraska requires that a concealed handgun permit applicant complete a handgun training and safety course within the three years prior to issuance of a permit.
Minimum requirements for an approved handgun training and safety course are:
- Knowledge and safe handling of a handgun;
- Knowledge and safe handling of handgun ammunition;
- Safe handgun shooting fundamentals;
- A demonstration of competency with a handgun with respect to the minimum safety and training requirements;
- Knowledge of federal, state and local laws pertaining to the use of a handgun, including but not limited to use of a handgun for self-defense and laws relating to justifiable homicide and the various degrees of assault;
- Knowledge of ways to avoid a criminal attack and to defuse or control a violent confrontation; and
- Knowledge of proper storage practices for handguns and ammunition, including storage practices which would reduce the possibility of accidental injury to a child.
Duration & Renewal
A permit to carry a concealed handgun is valid for five years. The NSP must renew a permit for five years, subject to continuing compliance with the qualifications for the permit. Renewal may be applied for up to four months before expiration of the permit. A permit holder is subject to having his or her permit revoked if he or she does not continue to meet the qualifications for the permit.
Disclosure or Use of Information
Nebraska does not allow personal application or permit information of concealed handgun permit holders to be made public. The NSP maintains a listing of all applicants and permit holders and any pertinent information regarding such applicants and permit holders. The information is available upon request to all law enforcement agencies, but is confidential and is not considered a public record.
Any time the discharge of a handgun carried by a permit holder results in injury to a person or damage to property, the permit holder must make a report of such incident to the NSP. This information is maintained as part of a listing.
Information about the status of a permit to carry a concealed handgun and the dates of issuance and expiration of such permit are also included within records of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.
Reciprocity
A valid concealed carry handgun permit or license issued by any other state or the District of Columbia is valid in Nebraska if:
- The holder is not a resident of Nebraska; and
- The Nebraska Attorney General has determined that the standards for issuance of the out-of-state license or permit are equal to or greater than the standards imposed by Nebraska…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]