The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is here to assist you, as a law abiding citizen of Montgomery County, in obtaining a permit to carry a concealed pistol. Under Alabama law, Title 13A-11-73, “No person shall carry a pistol in any vehicle or concealed on or about his person except on his land, in his own abode, or fixed place of business, without a license, therefore as hereinafter provided.” Simply put, under Alabama law, you must have a permit to carry a concealed pistol on your person or to carry a loaded pistol, concealed or not, in your vehicle. The first requirement to obtain a pistol permit from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is that you must reside in Montgomery County. State law requires that you apply for a pistol permit in the County where you reside; however, the permit, once issued, is valid throughout the State of Alabama, as well as any reciprocal state. The law also allows a Sheriff a measure of discretion in determining whether a person is a suitable person to be licensed. The Sheriff is prohibited from issuing a license to carry a pistol to a person who, by law, would be ineligible for such a license. The first step in obtaining your Montgomery County Pistol Permit is to truthfully fill out a Pistol Permit Application. You must then be able to pass a nationwide criminal history background check which will reveal any local, state, and nationwide arrest. Once this background check is completed, you will then be issued your pistol permit. Under state law, the following minimum requirements must be met in order to obtain your Pistol Permit in Montgomery County: 1. You must reside in Montgomery County (Title 13A-11-75) 2. Provide completely truthful information on the Permit Application (Title 13A-11-81) 3. Not be convicted of a crime of violence (Title 13A-11-70 and Title 13A-11-72) 4. You must not be a drug addict, habitual drunkard, or be of unsound mind (Title 13A-11-76) The Sheriff is allowed by state law to use a certain amount of discretion in determining if you are a suitable person to be licensed to carry a pistol based on your overall criminal background check. Under Alabama law, the following persons are forbidden to possess a pistol: (Title 13A-11-72) A person who has been convicted in this state or elsewhere of committing or attempting to commit a crime of violence. A crime of violence as defined by Alabama Law includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to commit any of them: 1. Murder 2. Manslaughter (except Manslaughter arising out of the operation of a vehicle) 3. Rape 4. Mayhem 5. Assault with Intent to commit Robbery 6. Assault with Intent to Ravish 7. Assault with Intent to Murder 8. Robbery 9. Burglary 10. Kidnapping 11. Larceny | 
