| No Additional Training Classes Are Required
Occasionally, I receive phone calls from persons inquiring about my "Concealed Pistol License (CPL) Renewal Classes." Let the truth be told, I don't have
one available for students to take for the simple fact that the state of Michigan does not require it for CPL renewals. That fact, however, doesn't stop the
charlatans and con artists in the firearms training field from "suggesting" it to prospective students.
I believe that honesty is truly the best policy. Accordingly, I would not feel right registering someone for a CPL Class that he did not have to take unless he
was apprised of that fact and made the conscious decision to still take the class because it made sense for him to do so. Besides, I am just honored that he elected
to contact me instead of calling the firearms instructor that originally trained him. That subject alone could be the basis of another article.
Many people, when their CPLs are about to expire, make an informed decision to retake the Basic Pistol Training Class for principally two reasons. For one,
they know that in the relatively short few years that they have had their CPL, the laws governing the permit have changed sufficiently to justify a re-take.
Furthermore, many people elect to re-take the class because they haven't fired their firearm since their original training class and want to brush up on their
shooting skills under the oversight of a gun safety expert.
The CPL Renewal Process And Considerations
Renewing a Michigan Concealed Pistol License is a fairly straight forward process. As before, the person must submit a completed CPL Application at the
County Clerk's Office in the county in which they currently reside - even if the county is different from the county which issued the original permit.
Be advised that at least one major metro-Detroit county web site has an outdated application on its web site which may not be accepted when you show up to
turn it in for processing. You should always download the application from the Michigan
State Police web site for principally this reason. The application should be submitted with enough lead time to allow "normal" processing. For most Michigan
counties, you want to re-apply at least three months before your current permit expires.
As an aside, I spoke with one of my students today, from perhaps the slowest county in the state, who informed me that it took her nine months to get her permit
in the mail. If she had talked to me months ago, I would have advised her of certain rights she
had under the statute.
Furthermore, the application fee for renewals is exactly the same amount for first-time licenses: $105. Obviously, the state of Michigan is making a few bucks in
generated revenue with this process; the state of Indiana only charges $75 for its CPL and it's good for a life-time unlike the relatively short time period of five
years in this state.
After you pay your application fee, fold and staple your receipt to your current CPL. Depending on which county you reside, you may one day need to prove that
your "expired" CPL is still being evaluated for a renewal.
Moreover, you will be required to sign a statement that you have reviewed your original Basic Pistol Safety Training Class educational materials for at least
three hours AND that you have visited a target range and practiced firing a firearm for at least one hour within the last six months immediately preceding the date
you submit your CPL renewal application. With respect to the shooting requirement, I know of at least one county that wants to see an applicant's receipts from the
target range.
On the positive side of the renewal process, you will not have to be re-fingerprinted if the last time your prints were taken occurred after January 1, 2006; this
was the date that the Michigan State Police started storing CPL applicant fingerprints with their "automated fingerprint comparison system."
Good Luck! | 
