What’s Next?

Now that you have your training certificate in hand, what do I do now?

• First, obtain the fillable version of the CPL application (RI-12) and print it. Do not sign it!
  • (Don’t have a printer? You can obtain a copy free of charge at your county clerk’s office, they call it a “Concealed Pistol Application Kit” and they’re legally mandated to provide them – but it’s easier to just fill and print if you can!)
• Double check all the rules on the first pages of the RI-12 carefully. Do not submit your application if you do not meet the requirements!
• If you do not have a digital copy of your photo on file with the state for either a drivers license or a photo ID, you will need a passport photo. I have no idea how you would end up in this position, but if you do, they will need it. (I suspect this will come into play if you legally live in another state and are stationed here in the military, or if you have arrived in the state with another state’s license but have not yet obtained a State ID/Drivers License.
• Obtain an appointment (if necessary) at the county clerk office in the county you reside in.
  • Oakland
  • Macomb
  • Wayne (if you get considerable delay, you may want to reach out to Michigan Open Carry who has been going after them in court about this)
  • Washtenaw
  • Livingston (they appear to do walk-in appointments)
  • Genesee (appears to do walk in)
  • St Clair County (um, probably walk-in? I’d call if I were you)
  • Lapeer County (looks like it’s walk-in)
• You will need to have $115, ideally in cash (some counties accept other payment methods, ask if you need to). $100 goes to the county clerk, and $15 is for the fingerprinting. If for some reason you cannot obtain fingerprinting services from the clerk, state police, sheriff’s office or local police agency, they can be obtained through a private livescan fingerprinting vendor. Call me if you need help with this.
  • (Oddly, a renewal costs $115 despite the lack of need for fingerprinting services and it can be done 100% online. Read into that what you will)
• Once all this is done, your receipt states that it is valid as a Temporary CPL if no response is given in 45 days. THIS WILL NOT OCCUR IN PRACTICE. It’s meant to force counties into acting on the applications timely. Certainly, if 45 days has elapsed, carry with it. But it’s extremely rare and warrants a call to the county clerk to see if it’s lost in the mail somewhere. Response times vary by county, but 2-3 weeks is common. YOU CANNOT IMMEDIATELY CARRY WITH THIS RECEIPT.
• Once issued, carry responsibly! Remember the prohibited areas (they are listed on the back of your CPL) and remember if stopped by police, the FIRST WORDS YOU SAY “Officer, I have a CPL and I am carrying. How should I proceed?” no matter what questions are asked of you. The law says you must notify them IMMEDIATELY and in a previous case, a license holder was charged because they waited 40 seconds to notify them. You must carry your ID and CPL with you any time you are carrying a pistol or electro-muscular disruption technology. If you forget your CPL, you can ask the police officer to verify your CPL status in LEIN. MCL 28.425f (7)(a) and (b) says if they can verify it, and you have your state issued ID, you can and likely will be fined, but your weapon is not subject to immediate seizure.