Best Concealed Carry Insurance [2024]: Reviewed by a Lawyer!

72 COMMENTS

1. My understanding is that US Law Shield is currently (2024) the only option for NJ residents. Can anyone confirm? Thanks.

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2. I’ve been with Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network (ACLDN) for ten years. (Now going on eleven.)

   I like ACLDN for several reasons: (1) no-hype / no-frills approach, (2) excellent educational materials, (3) a highly-informative monthly newsletter/journal, (4) expert board members/advisors like Mas Ayoob, (5) economical annual membership cost, and 6) in my opinion, ACLDN has this unique and outstanding advantage over other self-defense assistance providers–ACLDN is not insurance, and it is not dependent on an insurance company to provide support to the member-clients.

   Marty and Gila Hayes have done a superb job developing the ACLDN over the past 15 years.

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3. Ryan,

   Thanks for putting this information together. Excellent resource.

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4. This article took a lot of time to prepare. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort. I carry self-defense coverage from USCCA mainly because of the companies I was aware of didn’t include CCW. Based on your article I am going to re-evaluate my coverage. I was a court reporter for 25 years in CA. I totally agree that attorney selection is all important. Even a CA certified criminal defense attorney is no guarantee that your attorney has self-defense gun use experience. I personally know of one certified criminal defense attorney who told his client if he had done nothing wrong it was perfectly all right to talk to the police. My brother who was a deputy public defender inherited the case when the “certified criminal defense attorney” bailed. Had it not been against the law, he would have cheerfully killed the “CCDA”. I understand Robert Kardashian, a supposed, well known criminal defense attorney gave O.J.Simpson that same advice. While O.J. was acquitted, how much it cost him is a closely guarded secret. I might state that in my experience, expert witnesses who do not fly Spirit Air and don’t stay at Motel 6, are absolutely essential to a criminal defense and the later civil action. I don’t care if you killed Whitey Bulger in a shootout where he expended 19 rounds trying to kill you and you took him out with a single shot, if you are in a liberal county, you are going to at least go through either the grand jury route or the preliminary exam route and even without expert witnesses flying in from all over the country, just that little exerciser will cost a bundle.

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5. Can you name any of these “bad attorneys” you claim US LawShield pays a lot of money to? Because the attorneys in my state have both made the national top 100 trial attorney list with 10 Avvo scores and tons of experience.. pretty much every state is that way. “Getting to pick your own attorney” is great and all.. until they don’t want to take your case or your coverage won’t accept them. Precious time wasted finding someone to represent you when you can just call your independent attorney with US LawShield, whom you know. They answer the phone, you only deal with them not a call center, and they get to the scene without you filing some claim first. No other coverage can say that. Immediacy is your friend when you’ve just taken a life and need help.. not a “crisis center.” The name of the game here is attorney coverage.. and yet, none of these coverages can promise you that your named attorney will be there for you on that phone and/or come to the scene, except US LawShield. Jack Wilson’s attorney showed up to his church after he killed that active shooter in Texas in 2019 immediately, because he had US LawShield. USCCA would have you waiting around in a cell as they asked their insurance provider for permission to even issue the funds for an attorney, assuming you hadn’t already come out of pocket because you were tired of waiting. USLS all day.

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6. You call USCCA the best coverage knowing they do basically nothing for criminal charges? It’s a magazine subscription that offers liability coverage that requires jumping through hoops to actually get.

   Also, right to bear claiming to be unlimited is a blatant lie. They only cover up to what they made in the last 6 months, and as the nations smallest coverage, it’s probably not an exuberant amount. You’d better hope you’re not the next Rittenhouse needing 1.4mil or that a lot of members don’t need help at the same time.

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7. I’m an active LEO and fall under the HR218 with FOP Legal Defense Fund, but it only covers me on duty. Im leaning towards the CCWSafe policy that includes house of worship since Im on the safety team. However, since I hangout at the kids schools a bit on my days off, it appears I’m not covered by any of the plans since they are all gun free zones. Any suggestions?

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   1. US LawShield covers full scope work without exclusions like every other coverage, along with covering self defense for any threat, including hands, not just firearms and weapons.

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8. It is really important for anyone who signs up for CCW insurance that you stay on top of the policies because they have changed over the years. Luckily Ryan, the writer of this article, updates it multiple times a year so as to keep up with the changes. This, in turn, has changed the rankings of the best ccw insurance and who holds the top spot. For example, Right To Bear was almost in dead last in 2022 – this was because tehy advertised things that they did that was NOT in the fine print of their policy. But in early 2023, they changed the policy to reflect what they were touting.

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9. I see in most of these plan descriptions something like “Recognized Self-Defense Use of Force Incident”. Do they cover in situations like the recent mall shooting where a hero stopped and killed the shooter who was attempting to kill as many as possible in the mall food court? In this situation the argument might be made to say that the hero’s life was not in immediate danger even though many others lives were.
   Would our hero be cover if he had one of these plans?
   Thanks.

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   1. I am retired military police covered by HR218 as well as a permit to carry holder in MN. I am currently working armed security and looking for a carry “insurance” that will provide coverage both On and off Duty however from what I’m seeing most only provide coverage for off duty carry. Do you know of any that meet your 3 primary criteria AND provide on duty coverage? Thank you

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10. It appears that USCCA expects repayment if you are convicted. Others, like CCWSafe, do not. I think we all know that even if you do everything right, there is still a chance of conviction. Could you amend your reviews to include which of these carriers do and do not expect repayment in the case of conviction? For me, that is a non-starter.

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11. Hello Ryan,

    Can you look at and review Self Defense Fund Membership. A friend suggested it but wanted you point of view

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12. I chose USACCA over CCW Safe even though it is a little more expensive as it has the deepest bench in the industry. Hopefully their services are never tested by me. Yet in the current social economic environment – what was once a more kinder gentler world is now exhibiting a growing instability with increased acts of violence. In my opinion everyone who practices EDC should keep a good CCW Insurance package in their wallet.

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13. Has anyone heard about 2a shield? seems like a decent plan but I couldn’t find any review about them anywhere

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14. As Director of Legal Services for ACLDN, I would ask you to please correct the erroneous information about the Network. ACldN is NOT insurance; we are a 100% membership organization. Please remove us from the insurance category. Thank you, kindly.

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    1. Thanks for reaching out, Art! I will make some edits and corrections now. Ryan Cleckner, J.D., BAMF.

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15. Are there any known cases where a person was legally defended by one of these insurance sponsored lawyers. How did it turn out..? Basically, any proof these insurance will actually pay out or try to pull out the fine print and wiggle out of paying.

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    1. US LawShield covered Jack Wilson, guy in Texas who killed that active shooter in church in 2019. Attorneys right on scene immediately, covered.

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16. If I get CCW Safe and somebody breaks into my home and threatens my or my familys life, and my son shoots the intruder is his legal defenses/bail etc. covered under my CCW Safe plan? Is it true that CCW Safe does not cover the cost of expert witnesses for the defense as well?

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    1. Based on my understanding, yes you would be covered if your son shot an intruder in your home. As far as expert witnesses go, where did you hear that they weren’t covered? One of the reasons I love CCW Safe is that they do cover the cost of expert witnesses.

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17. It is now February 2022. Could you please revisit this article and the players in the field and current laws and policies and update it. It would be much appreciated if this could be updated annually and whenever a significant change impacts this information. Thanks for the article. I am wondering about the per diem payouts for the retired who have income, but not for a job. If they don’t apply, why don’t the companies offer plans w/o the offering at a lower cost?

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18. I just accidently came across your site in my quest to decide on a carry insurance. Every question that I have asked myself was answered by the time I read the article through. I was looking at USCCA or CCWSafe. Both had their good and bad. But that Recoupment Clause and the No Appeals covered as well as the no home coverage for my wife had already made me favor CCW. Thank you for a really informative article. We, here in Texas, have the new Constitutional Carry Law that is really causing many to look around for this type of option.

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19. Will/which companies will cover the shooting of an innocent bystander in the event of a stray bullet (God forbid)?

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    1. Depends on the circumstances. In many cases if an actor is justified in using self defense against an aggressor, that justification also covers harm to innocent bystanders (and therefore, absent some contractual clause to the contrary would be covered as part of costs relating to self defense). However, harm to bystanders may not be justified if the actors’ actions are found to be reckless or negligent under the circumstances; in that case it’s possible your costs would be covered anyway, depending on the contract (not sure if any of these companies say they won’t cover you if you end up guilty). If you’re talking about an accidental discharge, that would definitely not be covered.

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20. Ryan –
    What is the best method of financial/legal preparation for those of us who live in one of the three states (NY, NJ, WA) where these products are not currently allowed? Are there other sorts of “pre-paid legal” plans that can help with a self-defense defense?

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21. Reading through CCW Safe policy exclusions….I understand that they do not cover you in situations of domestic relationships. Say an a husband and spouse are separated and they meet to discuss possible reconciliation (or about the kids, or about anything) …. and the conversation turns bad with one attacking the other with deadly intent (this DOES happen). If you defend yourself….CCW Safe excludes this circumstance??? AND this exclusion includes “those in a current or FORMER dating relationships”….REALLY???

    They also exclude instances where someone is invited into their home….say a buyer from craigslist. But he has ill deadly ill intent, you defend yourself….you are not covered???

    Same can happen with a borderline mentally unstable family member….like a cousin…not covered???

    No Gun Signs. A movie theater is an important place to carry as they have been targets of mass shootings in the past. Yet…..if the state you reside in allows those signs to carry the weight of law (misdemeanor charge)….you are not covered if you defend yourself, and others, from a mass shooter…is this true??? If so….it is a concern.

    Does the following statement in their exclusions mean you are only covered for instances in their State????

    “CCW Safe will not provide the services for a Covered Member of the Constitutional Carry Plan outside of the Covered Member’s recognized “Constitutional Carry” state.”

    This plan seems to be the best plan….and I am or was strongly considering it (as USCCA can now ask or recoup expenses if guilty or accept plea deal, and others do not have much in civil damage liability)….but these exclusions really take me back. Unless I am reading them incorrectly.

    Thoughts???

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    1. You have valid concerns (we have them, too). However, I think these companies are limited in what they can cover – regarding the signs, they can’t cover “illegal” activity and carrying where it is prohibited by a sign can be against the law in some states.

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       1. This is the same on all insurance plans as well. If illegal activity is involved, then policies will not provide coverage.

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22. I really enjoyed your article and CCW comparisons and just purchased an elite USCCA membership but am now having doubts to instead go with CCW Safe. One point of clarification (and I may be misunderstanding this) is I am comparing USCCA to CCW Safe with your Criminal Defense Max and Civil Defense Max categories where you list $250,000/$2,000,000 (USCCA) and Unlimited/Unlimited (CCW Safe) respectively. This does not appear accurate based on CCW Safe’s website. Although CCWSafe says “unlimited” for Criminal and Civil DEFENSE costs they clearly state $1,000,000 for Civil Liability which I assume is damages. Therefore, USCCA’s $2,000,000 would seem to beat CCWSafe’s $1,000,000. So you can’t compare USCCA $2M to CCWSafe unlimited because USCCA’s includes the damages as well as the defense costs. It sounds like CCW Safe gives you unlimited civil defense costs plus $1M of damages, whereas USCCA gives you $2M total which includes both the civil defense costs and any damages, since USCCA’s $250,000 only applies to criminal defense (I think). It sounds like USCCA’s definition of “defense expenses” only applies to criminal cases (the $250k), and the terms “claim expenses” and “damages” are civil court definitions (their $2M limit) based on my reading of the 17 page USCAA policy, but again, maybe I’m wrong here. These three terms “defense expenses, claim expenses, and damages” are under USCCA’s self-defense liability insurance columns on their website and defined in their policy. What am I missing here? Am I understanding this correctly? So if a $1.7M judgment is entered against someone in a civil court where they incur $300,000 of defense costs, CCWSafe will pay the whole $300k of defense costs plus $1M of damages, or $1.3M total, whereas USCCA will pay out the whole $2M? Appreciate any clarification anyone can provide! Thank you so much.

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23. I meant to say above 2nd to last sentence”. . . .whereas USCCA will pay out the whole $2M” (not $1.7M) Sorry, I added wrong!

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24. I really enjoyed your article and CCW comparisons and just purchased an elite USCCA membership but am now having doubts to instead go with CCW Safe. One point of clarification (and I may be misunderstanding this) is I am comparing USCCA to CCW Safe with your Criminal Defense Max and Civil Defense Max categories where you list $250,000/$2,000,000 (USCCA) and Unlimited/Unlimited (CCW Safe) respectively. This does not appear accurate based on CCW Safe’s website. Although CCWSafe says “unlimited” for Criminal and Civil DEFENSE costs they clearly state $1,000,000 for Civil Liability which I assume is damages. Therefore, USCCA’s $2,000,000 would seem to beat CCWSafe’s $1,000,000. So you can’t compare USCCA $2M to CCWSafe unlimited because USCCA’s includes the damages as well as the defense costs. It sounds like CCW Safe gives you unlimited civil defense costs plus $1M of damages, whereas USCCA gives you $2M total which includes both the civil defense costs and any damages, since USCCA’s $250,000 only applies to criminal defense (I think). It sounds like USCCA’s definition of “defense expenses” only applies to criminal cases (the $250k), and the terms “claim expenses” and “damages” are civil court definitions (their $2M limit) based on my reading of the 17 page USCAA policy, but again, maybe I’m wrong here. These three terms “defense expenses, claim expenses, and damages” are under USCCA’s self-defense liability insurance columns on their website and defined in their policy. What am I missing here? Am I understanding this correctly? So if a $1.7M judgment is entered against someone in a civil court where they incur $300,000 of defense costs, CCWSafe will pay the whole $300k of defense costs plus $1M of damages, or $1.3M total, whereas USCCA will pay out the whole $1.7M? Appreciate any clarification anyone can provide!

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25. USCCA has an indemnification clause, if you are convicted, they can subrogate against you for all that they have paid out, this means that if you plea down, which is about 90% of the time, and are therefore “convicted” on a lesser charge, you are screwed.

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26. Hi Ryan, Same situation as Bryant. I’m a retired Massachusetts State Trooper with an LTC and HR-218 LEOSA qualified which is required annually in Massachusetts. This allows me to carry nationwide as a retired LEO. Will CCW Safe fully cover me in said capacity? Thanks, Noel

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27. Ryan, I’m a retired Police Officer in New York State, HR-218 Qualified and I have CCW SAFE NY STATE LEO PLUS plan. I’m also an Executive Board member with my local FOP Lodge. A question has come up with regards to CCW SAFE…Does CCW have the financial resources and assets, as a fiscally sound company, to back up their coverage and payments listed under their plan ? I would also like to pose the exact same question with regards to USCCA. I’m not trying to demean either company BUT rather confirm their fiscal soundness and resources. In the event that if anyone who is enrolled under either company’s plans has to use deadly force, ie: shot a perp in self defense and needs either company’s services, will both company’s have the financial resources to cover all aspects of their plan and promised coverage ? To coin an old phrase…”It’s better to have it and not need it OR to need it and not have it”. Should that person need it and either company doesn’t have the financial resources to fully pay for all the costs and benefits…then that person could be liable for paying out a lot of money. Your thoughts please…

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    1. That’s a great question that’s going to get a bad answer. 🙂

       You have a perfectly valid concern, but I can’t answer it for you as I don’t know.

       You will have to use your judgment about each company and understand that if a company goes out of business, you may need to choose another company. This is similar to auto insurance.

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       1. What happens if a plea deal is reached for a lesser charge for instance. Are you on the hook for all of the legal fees? What is the stance of CCW Safe for this? I’ve heard USCCA won’t pay if plea deal reached.

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28. Nice article! I just did a deep dive comparison video myself. You should look consider the Family / Intimate Partner exclusion clause and see if the rankings still hold up.

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    1. I’ll check it out, thanks!

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29. Hi! Civil liability is important to me. If I am involved in a defensive shooting, whether or not I am cleared of any wrong doing, I can still be sued. The descriptions (as well as the individual sites) do not make it clear about civil liability coverage. They all just say civil defense, which is only half of the issue. I prefer not to pay an additional $220/yr to get it with CCW Safe. Do oyu have any further insight on civil liability?

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    1. I have this same question. Civil and Criminal defense are great, but what happens if the lawyer fails to clear you in the civil suit? That seems like a huge deal these days and would be nice to see addressed in the charts above.

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       1. I may be making this too complicated but I’m not sure what you mean. If a lawyer fails to clear you… you lose.

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          1. I think what these people were asking is: if you are involved in a self-defense incident, even if you are cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, a civil suit can still be brought against you by the injured person or others. For example, if self-defense results in the attacker being paralyzed, a court could find the defender negligent and award the attacker $2,000,000. Or the defender could have to settle out of court. I believe some of these programs or plans would cover that $2,000,000 civil liability, not just the associated legal fees, but others would not.

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30. What insurance did you chose Ryan?

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    1. I purchased CCW Safe for myself and my family.

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31. I just wanted to thank you very much for your service.

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32. I’m still just a little confused about civil forfeitures. I know LawShield does not pay forfeitures in a civil matter if the judgement goes against the defendant. They will provide unlimited attorney representation, but the member may be left hanging in the breeze. If a member is found to have lawfully used their weapon, but in civil proceedings they are found liable, do any of the coverers provide forfeiture coverage?

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33. I found this article to be the most informative one regarding ccw insurance. Would you please address the concerns brought up by this article regarding domestic violence relates incidents and lack of coverage?
    Thank you sir

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    1. Great point – We saw that before and had some of the same concerns. However we realized that all services provide something more or less than others. I have CCW insurance to protect me against a home invader or when I’m out concealed carrying. You are right, many people are at risk of domestic violence (way too many) and that is why they are likely to have a firearm and need to defend themselves. I’m going to amend the article to address this because it is important information.

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34. I am curious about the rates…are these just introductory rates to get you hooked; then next year double your premium…or are they consistent rates with periodic increases based on the COLA/inflation rate of the nation? Been hood winked by to many of those type of companies so had to ask. Thanks.

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    1. We know of no company listed here that offers introductory rates to get you “hooked.”

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35. If I purchase both CCWSAFE & USCCA will both cover me?

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    1. I wouldn’t do that. I think there’s too much of a chance of one company insisting that the other company should cover something. Pick the one you feel most comfortable with. If you can afford two separate plans from two different companies, then perhaps just get the biggest plan from one company.

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36. Just received a great question via email about this article. Considering that many of you may have the same question, I decided to post the question and my answer here:

    QUESTION: “[you say you should] choose a CCW plan that allows you to pick your own lawyer. You also mention that even though you are a firearms attorney, you may not be the best choice. You would work in a pinch but are not an active defense attorney.

    So how would I go about picking an attorney that would be experienced in firearm defense or civil defense for a CCW holder?

    Do you have any suggestions as to where to look or resources to read up on that I can use in my search for a firearm attorney?…”

    MY ANSWER: “Great question. What I would do is see who my CCW insurance company recommends. If I like that person and feel that they are good for me, I’d go with them. However, I would want the right to fire them as my attorney if they weren’t competent or we didn’t agree on my defense.”

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37. CCW Safe pay $350 a day work los coverage. They also offer “Church Security Team Coverage” and “Extreme Risk Protection Order (red flag)” coverage.

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    1. Even more reason to like CCW Safe. Did you select them?

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38. Is it just a coincidence that the #1 and #2 picks each provide you with a referral kickback, while the remainder do not?

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    1. No – one of the bottom picks is also a referral link. As I explain in the features and review, the #1 and #2 picks are there based on what they offer. Also, the company that offers us the most is NOT #1. If we were giving advice based only on referral money, the order would be different. Instead, we are giving advice based on what coverages are offered.

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39. Hi Ryan and thank you for this CCW “Review”. I wanted to quote CCW Safe from their website :
    “Membership includes “bail premium” paid for up to a $250,000, bond; or up to a $500,000, bond; or up to a $1,000,000 bond depending on your selected level of service or plan restrictions. CCW Safe will select a bondsman and make arrangements for obtaining the bond. CCW Safe will pay the bond premium for its Covered Members, which is typically up to 10% of the bond. CCW Safe does not put up the collateral for the bond, as this is the responsibility of the Covered Member to coordinate through the bondsmen. CCW Safe will facilitate acquisition of the bail bond and pay the premium, but not more than 10% of the listed bond. An example would be if the Covered Member received a $100,000 bond, CCW Safe would pay the $10,000 premium. The rest of that bond is secured by collateral of the Covered Member, if needed”. That’s not good ! and it states coverage for Civil AND Criminal is $1,000,000. – not “Unlimited” as you state ?

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    1. Thank you for this – you caused me to scramble back and dive into the terms and conditions.

       Yes, they pay the bond premium. This is what I’ve found for every coverage option and it is the money that needs to be paid to bail you out of jail (if you skip your bond, then your collateral is at risk). So, they’re example is the best way to explain it – if you are put into jail but can be released on a $100,000 bond, then they will pay the 10% premium (actual money) of $10,000 and you then need to offer to give up something if you don’t return to court. This keeps you from having to come up with the cash for the premium.

       For the unlimited coverage, CCW Safe does cover your legal defense costs for both criminal and civil lawsuits without a limit. It is unlimited. However, “civl damages” is not the same as your legal defense costs. So, if you get sued by someone else, CCW Safe is here to help with legal defense costs only. If a jury or a judge finds in favor of the person suing you and orders you to pay them a certain amount of money in damages, CCW Safe limits that to $1,000,000 if you have a plan with the damages option added. Summery: they DO provide unlimited legal defense coverage. But, they will only pay up to $1,000,000 in damages if someone wins against you.

       I hope this helps and apologies if I explained it poorly.

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40. All these services seem to have a built in catch 22.
    If an incident is self defense the policy is in force. If an incident is determined to NOT be self defense, services will not be rendered. If the police agree with self defense, I wont need legal help. If police say its not self defense is when I would need legal help but the membership agreements says that is excluded.

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    1. I see what you’re saying, however, we don’t agree on the premise. If the police say it is not self defense, it is exactly what these services are for: to help you in your criminal defense case.

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       1. The best answer!

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          1. Great website, highly educational and informative. Thank you for all you do to help and educate others. Bought Hellcat based on your recommendations and it is a great EDC. Once again, Thank you!

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             1. Thank you – we’re god to hear that we helped.

41. I love everything you do, Mr. Cleckner, and I know you wouldn’t provide anything but honest advice. Others who don’t follow you might think it too coincidental that your top two recommendations happen to be those with referral links! Could you disclose your interest in, or relationship to those companies? Regardless, this is a great list of the the available options in CCW insurance. I’m even considering changing or adding to my SCD membership.

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    1. Thanks for the support and accountability! It might surprise you to know that we have (or had until this review) an affiliate relationship with 4 out of the 5 companies listed. After seeing the results of our ranking, one company revoked our relationship. Also, the company that offers us the most financial incentive is not listed first. Therefore, I can confidently say that our recommendations are not motivated by the affiliate relationships – we’ve chosen to earn less because of our recommendations and we have a company with no relationship listed higher than a company with which we have a relationship.

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42. You did not show the expense chart for US Law Shield. You repeated the chart of USCCA expenses.

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    1. Thank you – we’re fixing that.

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43. None of what you have listed work in Washinton State. 2 have a partial in Washington, but ZERO $$$$ for Bail or Lawer.
    DO YOU have a listing that will work in Washington State.

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    1. As far as I know, there are no options for Washington state.

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44. Other deciding factors as to why I picked the USCCA is other companies exclusions. For example, in the membership agreement forms a lot of the other companies state they will not pay for expert witness, private investigators, ballistic experts. Other plans will also exclude legal representation against a member or covered person’s current or former family member, household or dating relationships.

    Those are just some of the many reasons why I went with the USCCA as well as what is written above.

    Thanks for confirming my pick!

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