USCCA Review: Benefits, Coverage, and More!

You asked, and we delivered. Here’s an entire article dedicated to everything USCCA; concealed carry insurance, also commonly shortened to CCW insurance, to make sure you’re covered in the case of a lawsuit after using your firearm.

USCCA stands for United States Concealed Carry Association; an association is not only dedicated to protecting its members but also educating anyone who will listen on how to properly carry and conceal their weapons.

This article was specifically created to point out what USCCA has to offer its members, potential members, and other resources they have available to non-members. So, member or not here’s a full review of USCCA, a CCW insurance provider.

USCCA Membership

USCCA offers three different membership levels, gold, platinum, and elite. All of them come with the Concealed Carry magazine, educational resources, training, and legal protection. However, how much you get of each of those will depend on which membership you select.

USCCA Gold Membership

Gold membership is your cheapest option at $22/month or $247/year. It includes a year subscription to online back issues of the Concealed Carry magazine and a print and digital subscription—because not all of us are on board with digital books and magazines just yet.

Concealed Carry Magazine

• Complete Print + Digital Subscription (8 issues per Year)
• Complete Online Access To 1 Year of Back Issues

Education

• CCW Reciprocity Map With Permit Expiration Reminders
• Member-Only USCCA App Features
  • CCW Alerts When Crossing State Lines
  • Attorney Locator
  • Quick Access To Attorney Contact Info
• Weekly updates on news, changing laws, and gear reviews
• 10 Lifesaving Checklists
• Digital Access to 15 Lifesaving Guides & eBooks

Training

• Weekly Training Drills
• Live Training Broadcasts With Industry Experts (3 Times per Year)
• Access to Nationwide USCCA Certified Instructor Network
• Member-Only Online Video Library
  • Proving Ground Scenario-Based Training Series (Over 30 Videos)

Legal Protection

• $500,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Civil Defense & Damages
• $100,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding & Attorney Retainer
• 24/7/365 Critical Response Team
• Your Choice of Criminal Defense Attorney
• Up-Front Funding For Criminal Defense & Bail Bonds
• Protection For Use Of ALL Legal Weapons

USCCA Community

• USCCA Community Giving Program – Provides Free Training and Resources To Your Community
• 24/7 Access to Expert Member Services Team
• Free Daily Entry to Annual USCCA Concealed Carry Expo

Member Perks

• Exclusive Discount on Gold Spouse Membership
• Carry Confidence™ Kit Mailed Within 1 Business Day
• Member-Only Discounts on USCCA Training & Gear
• Early Bird Access to Newly Released Training & Gear
• Huge Discounts from Trusted Industry Partners

USCCA Platinum Membership

Platinum membership is your middle-of-the-road option. It will cost you either $30/month or $347/annually. The differences between this membership and gold is, you get access to the interactive “ask an attorney” monthly webinar, access to situational awareness videos, more money for legal protection, and advanced show entry into the USCCA Concealed Carry Expo.

Concealed Carry Magazine

• Complete Print + Digital Subscription (8 issues per Year)
• Complete Online Access To 5 Years of Back Issues 

Education

• CCW Reciprocity Map With Permit Expiration Reminders
• Member-Only USCCA App Features
  • CCW Alerts When Crossing State Lines
  • Attorney Locator
  • Quick Access To Attorney Contact Info
• Weekly updates on news, changing laws, and gear reviews
• 10 Lifesaving Checklists
• Digital Access to 30 Lifesaving Guides & eBooks
• Interactive “Ask An Attorney” Monthly Webinar 

Training

• Weekly Training Drills
• Live Training Broadcasts With Industry Experts (3 Times per Year)
• Access to Nationwide USCCA Certified Instructor Network
• Member-Only Online Video Library
  • Proving Ground Scenario-Based Training Series (Over 30 Videos)
  • Situational Awareness Video 

Legal Protection

• $1,000,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Civil Defense & Damages
• $150,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding & Attorney Retainer
• 24/7/365 Critical Response Team
• Your Choice of Criminal Defense Attorney
• Up-Front Funding For Criminal Defense & Bail Bonds
• Protection For Use Of ALL Legal Weapons

USCCA Community

• USCCA Community Giving Program – Provides Free Training and Resources To Your Community
• 24/7 Access to Expert Member Services Team
• Free Daily Entry to Annual USCCA Concealed Carry Expo
  • Advanced Show Entry

Member Perks

• Exclusive Discount on Platinum Spouse Membership
• Carry Confidence™ Kit Mailed Within 1 Business Day
• Member-Only Discounts on USCCA Training & Gear
• Early Bird Access to Newly Released Training & Gear
• Huge Discounts from Trusted Industry Partners

USCCA Elite Membership

Elite membership is your most expensive option. You’ll pay $47/month or $497 annually. The difference between the elite and platinum membership is your lifetime access to the Concealed Carry magazine’s back issues, an archive to the interactive “ask an attorney” webinar, more training videos, more money for legal protection, an elite VIP experience for the Concealed Carry Expo, and access to the elite concierge line.

Concealed Carry Magazine

• Complete Print + Digital Subscription (8 issues per Year)
• Complete Online Access To Lifetime Archive of Back Issues

Education

• CCW Reciprocity Map With Permit Expiration Reminders
• Member-Only USCCA App Features
  • CCW Alerts When Crossing State Lines
  • Attorney Locator
  • Quick Access To Attorney Contact Info
• Weekly updates on news, changing laws, and gear reviews
• 10 Lifesaving Checklists
• Digital Access to 70+ Lifesaving Guides & eBooks
• Interactive “Ask An Attorney” Monthly Webinar + Complete Archive

Training

• Weekly Training Drills
• Live Training Broadcasts With Industry Experts (3 Times per Year)
• Access to Nationwide USCCA Certified Instructor Network
• Member-Only Online Video Library
  • Proving Ground Scenario-Based Training Series (Over 30 Videos)
  • Situational Awareness Video
  • When To Use Deadly Force Video
• 10+ Hours in eLearning Training Systems ($344 Value)
  • Concealed Carry & Home Defense Fundamentals
  • Emergency First Aid Fundamentals 

Legal Protection

• $2,000,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Civil Defense & Damages
• $250,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding & Attorney Retainer
• 24/7/365 Critical Response Team
• Your Choice of Criminal Defense Attorney
• Up-Front Funding For Criminal Defense & Bail Bonds
• Protection For Use Of ALL Legal Weapons

USCCA Community

• USCCA Community Giving Program – Provides Free Training and Resources To Your Community
• 24/7 Access to Expert Member Services Team
• Free Daily Entry to Annual USCCA Concealed Carry Expo
  • Advanced Show Entry
  • Elite VIP Experience

Member Perks

• Exclusive Discount on Elite Spouse Membership
• Carry Confidence™ Kit Mailed Within 1 Business Day
• Member-Only Discounts on USCCA Training & Gear
• Early Bird Access to Newly Released Training & Gear
• Huge Discounts from Trusted Industry Partners
• Elite Concierge Line (Priority Non-Emergency Phone Service)

USCCA Membership Review

Join USCCA

If you’re interested in joining USCCA, it’s not difficult, and you’ll have same-day protection. Simply decide which membership option you want and select the “Join Now” button under your plan. Type in your email and then fill out some basic shipping, billing, and payment information, and you’ll be good to go. Once you join, you can take advantage of more than just legal protection. Below are some of the resources you can take advantage of.

Concealed Carry Magazine

As a member of USCCA, you’ll get 8 copies of the Concealed Carry magazine. That also includes a year of digital access, for those who’d rather read it on a screen. Magazines include things like drills and training scenarios, as well as gun and gear reviews—like any good gun magazine.

Education

USCCA offers a ton of educational resources. Whether you’re looking to improve your shooting technique or improve your confidence, USCCA has something for you. You can take advantage of more with an upgraded membership.

Membership Training

If you’re interested in becoming an instructor for USCCA, you most certainly can. This might be something you don’t see on the main page of other CCW insurance sites. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not out there. You can become a certified instructor or training counselor—we’ll elaborate on those further down the article.

Legal Protection

Legal protection includes a self-defense shield, which is civil and criminal defense, damage protection, bail bond funding, and attorney retainer. You will also get a 24/7 critical response team, which works 365 days a year, your choice of a criminal defense attorney—most CCW insurers make you use theirs—upfront funding for criminal defense and bail bonds, and of course protection for use of all legal weapons.

USCCA Community

Under USCCA Community, you’ll see a giving program, 24/7 access to expert member services, and free daily entry to USCCA Concealed Carry Expo. However, when it comes to your show entry, only platinum and elite members get advanced show entry, and only elite members get the elite VIP experience.

Member Perks

Membership perks include a discount membership for your spouse, a Carry Confidence kit, member-only discounts on USCCA Training and gear they sell, early-bird access to new training and gear being offered, and according to them, huge discounts from industry partners. Each of these is available at every membership level. However, the elite concierge line is only available to elite members.

USCCA Training

USCCA offers class all over the US. Whether you’re looking to take a concealed carry class or become a trained instructor, USCCA has a class. They offer classes from training teachers on how to deal with mass shooter threats to defensive shooting and emergency and first aid classes. They also offer a women’s only handgun and self-defense fundamentals class.

Certified Instructor

If you’re interested in becoming a certified instructor, USCCA will provide you with materials and an endorsement through them. It will cost you $250 and they’ll send you your eLearning and instructor toolkit. If you want to sign-up for this course, you’ll have to physically call them—sorry, no online sign-up. Simply call 877-577-4800.

After you’ve completed the course and training, you’ll need an actual class with a USCCA training counselor. This will cost you $347 but is paid directory to your counselor. And that’s it. After, you’ll receive your credentials in the mail with a toolkit to use in your classes.

Training counselor

If you’re interested in more of a “train the trainer” type of environment, becoming a training counselor might be right for you. You can become a USCCA training counselor by first being a USCCA-certified instructor. After that is done and you’ve signed up for a counselor’s course, you’ll find yourself in West Bend, WI, where you’ll do a little role-playing in the classroom and range environment.

Sometime this year, USCCA is expected to extend their classes out to a nationwide program, but for now, you’re going to WI. But, after that, you’re done. Unlike becoming a certified instructor, you may apply for this position online. Just be prepared to answer a few questions about your strengths and goals for growth as an instructor.

USCCA Resources

One thing USCCA doesn’t do is slack on resources. Considering you’re paying a pretty penny for coverage, you’d probably hope to get something else out of your membership. Because let’s face it, we all know the likelihood of needing to use them. It’s more of a safety net. In fact, you’re more likely to need your life insurance, car insurance, your home insurance, and pretty much any other form of insurance you pay for before needing to utilize CCW insurance. With that being the case, USCCA does a good job of providing a lot of extras.

You might think, all these extras are what make the prices so high. Maybe. But, the companies that provide only coverage are basically only taking your money for nothing. Instead, you’ll keep paying until you die, and you’ll probably never even pull your weapon.

With that being said, resources outside of legal defense include plenty of video training, lots of eLearning tools, a concealed carry expo, a terminology guide, federal gun law references, and plenty of advice on traveling with a firearm. Because we all know the first time you decide to fly with a firearm, the anxiety kicks in on what to do, how to do it, and how not to get in trouble doing it. The last thing any of us want is to have our weaponry confiscated, get the overly intrusive pat-down, and miss our flight.

CCW Reciprocity & Gun Laws

If you’re going to carry a weapon, you should know the laws. It’s never wise to just carry and hope the 2nd amendment has you covered. Every state and even big cities within states has their own regulations. USCCA has an interactive map you can use to find out the concealed carry laws for your area. They also list any updates they make to the states, what they are, and when they made them under the map, so you can know how updated the information is.

We still advise you to look at the actual regulation for your state, but this is a good place to start—especially if you’re traveling outside of your area of expertise.

Concealed Carry Expo

The Concealed Carry Expo is yet another educational resource provided by USCCA. If you’re a member, you get in at a discounted rate, you also get discounts on some of the extra-priced seminars—don’t worry, there are a lot of free ones too. And it lasts an entire weekend. If you’re reading this now, it’s probably too late for most of you to sign-up for this year’s expo, but there’s always next year—unless, of course, you live in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, though, some of the classes are already sold out at May’s expo.

USCCA Blog

The USCCA blog is a great place to add a little more education to your arsenal. And you don’t even have to be a member to access it. The following are some of the categories you can find in their blog.

• Self-Defense & Home Defense
• Women & Guns
• Guns & Gear
• True Stories
• Legal & Second Amendment
• News & Current Events

Shop USCCA

USCCA, of course, also has its own product shop. You can pick from a variety of categories. Add more training materials, gifts, and apparel—you know, so everyone knows you’re a USCCA supporter—What kind of CCW insurer would they be if you couldn’t buy a hat with their logo on it?

Products include:

• Books & DVDs
• Digital Products
• Range Accessories
• Training Products
• Home Safety
• Gifts and Novelty

Interested in other CCW insurers? Read our blog, U.S. Law Shield Review

Why do I need CCW insurance?

You might be asking yourself, why do I need CCW insurance if the likelihood of me using it is so slim? This is a valid question, and we aren’t attempting to shame anyone into going out and getting coverage. However, there are advantages, if you select the right provider.

Sadly, active shooters are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society, and so is your chance of needing to be that Good Samaritan. It’s not just about carrying or even carrying wisely. It’s about having someone to help represent you without paying the ridiculous fees after someone sued you for protecting their son. Yes, we know, the price of a lawyer will vary based on where you live and the actual circumstance itself. That’s why it’s wise to weigh the cost of CCW insurance and how much it would cost if you needed it but didn’t have any coverage.

It’s also important to keep in mind, the more you carry, the greater your odds of having to use the weapon on your person. We, of course, hope that no one actually gets put in a position of self-defense. But, if you are placed in that type of scenario, it’s the aftermath you have to worry about.

Again, we’re not telling you to run out and get CCW insurance. What we’re saying is to be smart. Do your research. Just because a company says they’ll support you doesn’t mean they will. Read the fine print in their policies. Look for reviews of people who’ve actually had to use the company they’re insured under, not the, “I’m so glad I got CCW insurance after I saw what my neighbor went through!” You want real-life stories of people who’ve utilized their CCW insurance to the fullest extent.

Some companies are just out there to make money. Find someone who will let you pick your own defense attorney too. And remember, you’re getting what you pay for. So, while there’s plenty of really cheap service out there not providing all the bells and whistles like USCCA, there might be a lot of necessities they’re leaving out too. Simply put, do a lot of research on the company you’re interested in.