Basic Requirements
In order to apply for a permit to carry a weapon (professional or nonprofessional), applicants must:
Iowa Code Requirements
Applicants must show proof that they have met the requirements set forth in Iowa
Code Chapter 724 before receiving a permit. To summarize this code:
- Applicants must show proper identification.
- Applicants must apply for a permit to the sheriff of the county in which the applicant resides.
- Applicant must have completed required training.
- Applicant will pay the required fee at time of application. Cash or check required; there is no
electronic payment capability for weapons permits. Checks should be made payable to Hardin County
Sheriff's Office on the day you apply for the permit. Fee amounts are:
- $50 for 5-year Permit to Carry
- $25 for renewals or duplicates
- $50 for 5 year Permits to Acquire
Eligibility & Process
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.
When a person applies for a Permit to Carry, Hardin County will run a NICS check to determine if the
applicant is eligible for a Permit to Carry. 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.
Iowa Permit to Carry Weapons - Frequently Asked Questions
The Iowa Department of Public Safety Administrative Services Division has a list of Permit to Carry - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) that may be
helpful.
For More Information
Additional rules and requirements about the Nonprofessional Permit to Carry Weapons can be found on the Iowa Department of Public Safety Weapons Permit webpage.
Legal Advice Disclaimer
The Hardin County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is not qualified or
authorized to provide legal advice. Any person seeking legal advice should consult with an attorney licensed
to practice law in Iowa. The Frequently Asked Questions document only reflects the Iowa DPS understanding of
common issues and questions related to weapons permits in the administrative role relating to weapons
permits.
Circumstances that result in ineligibility for a Permit to Carry include:
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 non-immigrant aliens admitted under a visa)
- Dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces
- Person who has renounced U.S. 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:
- 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.