FAQ

Your comprehensive CCW Safe coverage will start at the moment your payment is successfully processed.

Immediately. If your claim is approved, you will have no out-of-pocket expenses from your initial emergency call to our 24-hour Emergency Hotline.

We pay for attorneys immediately to get ahead of any charges that may result from a self-defense incident. If you’ve been involved in a self-defense incident with violence, you absolutely need a highly experienced attorney to represent you during the official interview with investigators.

No. CCW Safe covers 100% of your criminal trial costs – even if you are found guilty.

CCW Safe covers members who defend their own life (or the life of another human being) against vicious animal attacks. Protection for the animal itself is outside the scope of CCW Safe coverage.

No. CCW Safe does not have a limit for your criminal and civil defense costs. Each case is independent and unique. The costs associated with criminal and civil defense trials vary. However, investigators, expert witnesses, court fees and preparation costs are all included in your CCW Safe coverage. All of our package plans come with unlimited coverage for defense funds.

The exact definition of the term “brandishing” varies from state to state and depends on the different penal codes implemented within each state. Make sure you understand the definition in your state. CCW Safe only covers members who brandish their firearms if the act is performed to dissuade (or to stop) a life-threatening attack on your person or a third party.

Yes. All of our plans cover the use of ANY legal weapon (including improvised weapons) to defend yourself or a third party from a life-threatening attack.

CCW Safe will authorize reimbursement to you for the purchase of a comparable firearm (up to MSRP) if you are a member in good standing and the following criteria are met:

1. You were involved in a recognized use-of-force incident; the firearm used in that incident legally belonged to you; the firearm used in the incident was taken into evidence following the incident; and, the weapon is currently being held by law enforcement, pending further action.
2. You were not arrested and are not under any type of court condition, bond or administratively imposed restriction that prohibits the possession, purchase or ownership of a similar firearm. Your concealed carry permit has not been suspended or revoked.
3. You must also certify that your concealed carry permit is in good standing and is in full force and effect. Your concealed carry permit is not currently pending administrative action.
4. Your attorney must certify in writing to CCW Safe that (notwithstanding the ongoing police investigation of the self-defense incident) you may legally own, purchase and possess a firearm under state and federal law; your firearm seized by law enforcement is not subject to return within a reasonable time.

More information is available in our Terms of Service.

You will be covered in both the civil and criminal case; however, if the law precludes the assertion of self-defense as a viable defense in a civil case, then the extent of liability damages protection in the civil case is $100,000 per incident and $100,000 in the aggregate.

Beyond the cost of attorneys, we also cover many other costs one might incur during a trial. These include, but are not limited to, court reporters, videographers, jury consultants, social media management consultants, evidence and demonstrative exhibit creation and display (in trial prep and throughout trial), medical research, consultant experts who work behind the scenes but won’t testify, personal security (in the event of crowd management at a member’s residence or place of business), temporary housing and relocation services in a high-impact public case and mock cross-examination prep services for the member (in the event they testify).

No. As a CCW Safe member, 100% of upfront costs will be provided. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for our members – regardless of the final trial outcome. These expenses include attorney fees, consultants, evidence, housing and relocation costs and more. CCW Safe plans are not reimbursement packages. No repayment to our company is owed by a member, despite how any legal action is settled.

CCW Safe is not insurance. Instead, we provide “Legal Service Subscription” plans. CCW Safe is a Legal Service Plan and is not an insurance company. CCW Safe is the Insured and its members are Beneficiaries. We believe in the right of all citizens to practice their legal right to self-defense, which is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment, and we do our best to serve and protect the best interests of our members before, during and after any recognized self-defense use of force incident.

CCW Safe has three membership plans that cover incidents involving individuals who are part of a house of worship (temple, church, mosque, gurdwara, synagogue, etc.) Volunteer Security Team (VST). These three memberships include the “Ultimate Plan” and the “Freedom Plan.” The Ultimate Plan and Freedom Plan contain a “Special Benefit,” which is excluded from other permit and non-permit plans. We also have the House of Worship Volunteer Security Plan if buyers are seeking a single-payer option that provides coverage for multiple members within a Volunteer Security Team.

Since the coverage of “on-duty” incidents is listed as an exclusion in the Terms of Service to include paid or volunteer house of worship security teams, a compromise was reached between CCW Safe and our Captive Insurance managers to allow this exception within the Ultimate Plan. This is the only plan with built-in civil liability coverage for up to $1.5 million that cannot be dropped by the member. We believe this provides a proper level of coverage to those who act as agents for their houses of worship. In a non-volunteer “paid agent” capacity, any organization the agent works for should normally provide this coverage through an umbrella insurance policy, bonding and licensing.

It is the House of Worship’s responsibility to cover the actions of those hired or those who have volunteered to act as “agents” of the House of Worship. However, if such coverage is not provided through your house of worship’s insurance, we strongly recommend considering the Ultimate Plan to cover yourself in the event you are involved in a recognized use of force incident on their behalf.

No paid security guards may receive coverage under this special benefit if on duty.

Yes, CCW Safe covers active/retired military or law enforcement officers and honorably discharged military veterans, firefighters, flight deck officers, EMTs and other credentialed first responders with a concealed carry permit.

CCW Safe does not provide coverage for any on-duty incidents or extra-duty security incidents including, but not limited to: police officers, private investigators, correction officers, security guards, security forces, bond agents, private investigators or military personnel, whether paid or volunteer. On-duty coverage will be covered by the employing agency or the organization for whom the individual is working or volunteering. This includes all those hired to protect a location, individual or group, personal property and any other similar services.

CCW Safe coverage does not take the place of the employer or organization, which must defend the actions of its employee/agent officer. If a use of force incident is found to be outside the course and scope of employment, then CCW Safe would perform a coverage analysis to determine what coverage, if any, applies. CCW Safe will not provide services to a covered member who violates any restrictions described within a CCW Safe plan’s description.

While CCW Safe covers 100% of civil trial defense costs, if you lose a civil lawsuit and a jury awards damages, you are responsible (liable) for those damages unless you have the civil liability add-on. The civil liability add-on will pay up to $2 million of a civil damage award, depending on the CCW Safe plan purchased.

Any member who signs up for a plan that requires a concealed carry permit has up to four months to provide proof of that permit’s validity. If the covered member under the provisional term fails to provide CCW Safe with proof of valid permit within four months after signing up for service, then the membership shall be null and void without refund. Provisional terms also cover added spousal coverage without a permit.

Log in to your account. Click on “Membership Subscriptions.” Click on the “Pay” button, then add the new/updated credit card information to process your payment. Annual membership plan fees are the sole financial responsibility of each member. Services, coverages and resources will automatically terminate upon cancellation or membership non-renewals, which will result in a failure to be a member in good standing.

No incident will be covered that occurred before an active membership.

If a member requires civil defense, attorneys are personally selected from the member roster of the Defense Research Institute (DRI). The DRI is the most prestigious civil defense lawyer organization in the country. The attorneys are chosen by our General Counsel, Kyle Sweet. Kyle has a national practice that represents insurance companies and their insureds in catastrophic litigation. Kyle has significant experience in lawyer management during complex, multi-district litigation scenarios.

We do not have a publicly available list of attorneys. Attorneys are either chosen by the member and vetted by the National Counsel, or the National Counsel chooses an attorney at the member’s request based on the attorney’s location and suitability to oversee a self-defense case.

Should you be involved in a use of force incident, you can email support@ccwsafe.com with the contact information for the attorney you wish to use. We will add their information to your account and forward their information to the National Trial Counsel for vetting.

You will only be contacted back concerning your choice if the National Trial Counsel has further questions or issues with your choice.

The National Trial Counsel is responsible for vetting member attorney choices and coordinating the defense team if an incident occurs. The National Trial Counsel is a member of your CCW Safe Critical Response Team.

Yes. However, the attorney you choose must then be vetted by our National Trial Counsel to verify they have the necessary experience to handle a self-defense case.

Yes. The amount of the attorney retainer paid by the company does not affect the overall criminal defense funds used to defend your actions; there should not be a limit, and with CCW Safe, there is no limit.

Log in to your account. Click on “Membership Subscriptions.” Click on the “Pay” button. Add the new/updated credit card information, then process your payment.

No. The amount of the bond fee paid by the company does not affect the overall criminal defense funds used to defend your actions. There should not be a limit and with CCW Safe, there is no limit.

Once a member has agreed with a bond company or bail bond agent to bond them out of jail, CCW Safe will pay the bond company or bail bond agent fee up to 10% of the required bail set by the court. The bond company or bail bond agent will then bond the member out of jail and take on the “bond” agreement with the court to pay the bail in full if the member does not show up to their set court dates.

For example, on a $1 million bond coverage, CCW Safe would pay a bond company or bail bond agent fee up to $100,000. With the 1.5 million coverage, CCW Safe would pay up to $150,000 toward a bond company or bail bond agent fee.

CCW Safe DOES NOT pay the remainder of the bail cost (90%); we simply cover up to 10% of the bail. Bail is the bond company’s non-refundable fee for making a “bond” agreement with the court to bond an individual out of jail.

Yes, CCW Safe provides services for covered members in all recognized use-of-force self-defense incidents – without regard to the relationship of the parties involved. CCW Safe does not cover incidents that are the result of a criminal act by the member or illegal activity.

No incidents will be covered for any member within the state of New York or members traveling through the State with the exceptions below. Membership plans are not available to be sold to residents of New York State. Our only exception is for those who fall under federal guidelines of the “Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act” (HR218), which allows police officers to carry nationally under federal authority. We will only cover law enforcement for their off-duty incidents (similar to the same coverage by state police unions and the National FOP). This coverage does not extend to the spouses or children; there is no home coverage for the family in the state of New York.

The special association and union plans for active and retired officers in New York will continue to be sold and covered (to include HR218, 10-13, LBA, RSA and NYLE, etc.). Those non-residents who are actively certified through LEOSA/HR218 and who travel through the state of New York will be covered where it is legal to carry. None of these plans will cover spouses who have permits or spouses who do not fall under HR218/LEOSA.

OUTSIDE SCOPE OF COVERAGE: CCW Safe will not provide services for any incident or event that is not a “recognized self-defense use of force incident.” These include, but are not limited to: an arrest or administrative action that does not follow a self-defense incident; a TSA security violation with a weapon; entrance to a property where it is a misdemeanor or felony to possess a firearm; the use of a stolen or criminally altered firearm; or, any incident before a CCW Safe membership and/or proceedings that follow such incidents that occur before joining as a member. No funding, legal or company resources will be provided for any incident outside the scope of coverage.

No incidents will be covered for any member within the state of New Jersey – even if you are a resident of another state traveling through that state. CCW Safe memberships are not available in the state of New Jersey.

As of January 1, 2021, NO incidents of self-defense with any weapon will be covered for CCW Safe members traveling through the state of Washington. As part of the legal agreement and cease and desist order, no new membership plans or renewals of existing plans will be processed (starting January 1, 2021).

Members who pay monthly will no longer be able to renew their payments for monthly service. Members paying annually will be covered up to their renewal date, but will not be allowed to renew their services (starting January 1, 2021).

No incidents will be covered by non-residents from states that have reciprocity with the state of Washington, or who are traveling through that state. HR218 coverage is not available until the legal challenge and the above-mentioned orders are lifted.

For our coverage, we define a “spouse” as a significant other in a marriage, civil union or common-law marriage who resides in the same residence as the primary member.

The primary member’s spouse is covered (even if they do not have a concealed carry permit) for recognized self-defense use-of-force incidents within the residence premises ONLY. Spouses are covered for the use of all legal weapons and physical force in response to a recognized self-defense use-of-force incident following a life-threatening attack.

The bond for those covered is up to $250,000 unless the plan has been upgraded through a covered plan or add-on service cost. The policy period matches that of the covered member and is terminated when the covered member terminates service (or service is canceled by any other means). All home coverage restrictions still apply.

A spouse’s coverage may be extended by adding the spousal upgrade to any plan, where it is applicable.

No coverage is available for a spouse in the states of NJ, NY and WA.

All children under the age of 18 who reside in the primary member’s residence and who are not legally prohibited from firearm possession will be covered at no additional cost for recognized self-defense use-of-force incidents within the residence premises ONLY. Children under 18 are covered for use of all legal weapons and physical force used in response to a recognized self-defense use-of-force incident following a life-threatening attack in the residence only.

The bond for those covered is up to $250,000 unless the covered member has upgraded through a covered plan or has chosen an add-on service cost. The policy period matches the covered member’s and is terminated when the covered member terminates service (or service is canceled by any other means). All home coverage restrictions still apply.

No coverage is available for children of any age in the states of NJ, NY and WA.

We currently cover 47 states and Washington D.C. The states we are no longer able to cover are NJ, NY and WA. However, coverage is available for NY law enforcement officials at www.nyle.ccwsafe.com.

Our plans currently cover the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The Texas School Guardian program allows school districts to authorize certain employees to carry weapons on campus. Weapons are generally not allowed on school campuses; however, the Texas Penal Code provides an exception if written authorization is given by the school district within the state of Texas only.

Louisiana Act 680 allows coverage for those in Louisiana who meet the requirements for Permitless Carry for honorably discharged Veterans and active-duty military (FREEDOM PLANS AND CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY PLANS ONLY).

Act 680 allows all honorably discharged Veterans and active military who have not been convicted of a violent crime, are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and who are at least 21 years old to carry a CONCEALED WEAPON WITHOUT A PERMIT in any place and under the same restrictions that those with a permit may carry a concealed weapon, only within the state of Louisiana.

https://legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1290223

A CCW Safe member involved in a self-defense incident regarding a firearm or other weapon will receive benefits, per their specific membership plan, without regard to the member’s location (e.g.,”gun-free zone,” etc.) at the time of the incident.

If you are found in a “gun-free zone” and are charged with other firearm or weapons charge(s), that firearm and/or weapons charge(s) is the responsibility of the member.

CCW Safe does not provide benefits for incidents that occur in WA, NJ or NY (unless covered under a specific law enforcement plan in NY only).

Red Flag laws (or risk-based gun removal laws) are gun violence prevention laws that allow state courts to temporarily confiscate firearms from an individual they believe may present a danger to themselves or others. Depending on the state, they are also known as the following:

• Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs)
• Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Orders (ERFPOs)
• Emergency Substantial Risk Orders (ERSOs)
• Firearm Restraining Orders (FROs)
• Gun Violence Protective Orders (GVPOs)
• Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs)
• Lethal Violence Protective Orders (LVPOs)
• Risk Protection Orders (RPOs)

CCW Safe covers two types of “Red Flag” administrative actions that may be taken against any permit plan member (including Defender Plan, Protector Plan, Ultimate Plan, HR218 Plan or associated LE plans).

The first is for administrative actions taken against a member following a recognized self-defense use-of-force incident. This is covered 100% by all permit plans. Firearm replacement only includes the firearm that was used in the specified incident.

The second is for administrative actions taken against a member that occur outside of a recognized self-defense use-of-force incident. This coverage is through a “Special Benefit” and has set limits (depending on the plan) of up to $5,000 or $10,000 of contracted attorney fees. Any costs that exceed the maximum amount limits set in the terms of your plan will be your responsibility.

“Red Flag” laws change from state to state. It is your responsibility to understand the laws within your state of residence.

No. CCW Safe will not provide service to new members who have an existing Extreme Risk Protection Order or any legal requirements that arise from an existing order. These include, but are not limited to: the use of a weapon incident; any other use of force; appeals; extensions; terminations; written challenges; renewals; or any hearings stemming from an existing Extreme Risk Protection Order.

No. CCW Safe will not provide service for any orders that are not considered “Extreme Risk Protection Orders” to include any other forms of court-issued personal protection orders restraining any other activities. These include, but are not limited to: Victim Protective Orders; personal restraining orders relating to harassment; stalking; or domestic disputes.

No. CCW Safe will not provide services if a member chooses to use force against the agent(s) commissioned with a legal court order by a judge to confiscate weapon(s). This would be considered an illegal act.

CCW Safe covers 100% of that trial regardless of the outcome, as well as appeals and retrials.

Yes. All CCW Safe plans cover appeals, retrial after appeals and retrial following mistrials.

Yes. CCW Safe does not require you to have a “not guilty” verdict to pay for your defense. We pay for all fees associated with the criminal defense (even pre-trial and during Grand Jury proceedings) without any financial requirements by our members.

If your criminal case results in a guilty verdict or you have to plea to a lessor, we will continue to assist you in the appeals process, if applicable, and will pay for the preparation and defense of your civil trial.