How to Apply for a Gun Permit in Georgia: Forms, Fees, and Renewal

To apply for a gun permit in Georgia, go in person to the probate court in the county where you live, bring a valid Georgia ID showing your current address and about $75 in fees, fill out the sworn application the clerk hands you, get fingerprinted, and wait for the background check to clear. The whole process is designed to finish within roughly 30 days, and the license, officially called a Weapons Carry License (WCL), is good for five years.¹

One thing to know before you start: Georgia no longer requires a license to carry a handgun. Since 2022, anyone who meets the eligibility rules for a WCL can carry openly or concealed without one, and you do not need a WCL to buy a firearm either.²³⁴

Who Can Apply

You must be at least 21 and domiciled in the Georgia county where you apply. Applicants 18 to 20 qualify only if they have completed basic training in the U.S. Armed Forces and are actively serving or honorably discharged. Being enlisted but not yet through basic training is not enough. Active-duty military members stationed in Georgia can apply in the county where they live or on a military reservation within it, even if they are not Georgia residents. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible; non-citizens must provide additional information required by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, including place of birth and alien or admission number.¹

What Will Disqualify You

The probate court cannot issue a WCL to anyone who falls into certain categories. Review this list before you pay any fees:¹

A felony conviction in any jurisdiction, unless pardoned. A conviction for manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance is a permanent bar even with a pardon.
Pending felony charges that have not been resolved.
Status as a fugitive from justice.
Any federal prohibition on possessing or shipping firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 922.
A misdemeanor conviction for use or possession of a controlled substance, which disqualifies you for five years after you complete your sentence. A second such misdemeanor restarts the clock.
A prior WCL revocation within the past three years.
A conviction under Georgia’s unauthorized-carry statute, which disqualifies you for five years after you complete your sentence.
Involuntary inpatient treatment at a mental hospital or alcohol or drug treatment center within the past five years.
An adjudication of mental incompetency to stand trial or a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

The mental health lookback has a built-in cutoff: the Georgia Crime Information Center is required to purge involuntary hospitalization records five years after receiving them. If you think you’ve been wrongly flagged, you can request your records from GCIC and petition for a hearing on your eligibility.

What to Bring to the Probate Court

You apply in person at the probate court in your county of residence. Two things need to travel with you:

A valid Georgia driver’s license or state-issued ID showing your current county address. A P.O. box does not count. Some counties will accept a utility bill or lease as supplemental proof if your ID shows an older address; others insist the address on the ID itself be current. Call or check the court’s website first.²
Payment of roughly $75 total. The statutory probate court fee is $30, law enforcement collects $5 for fingerprinting, and the GBI charges separately for its records search. Counties vary on exact totals and accepted payment methods.¹

The clerk provides the application form at no charge. You fill it out under oath, giving personal information and answering questions about your criminal and mental health history. Some counties post the form online so you can read through it before your visit.¹

Fingerprinting and the Background Check

After you file the application, the probate judge directs you to a local law enforcement agency or a GBI-approved vendor for fingerprinting. Some counties take prints on-site. Others hand you an affidavit and give you five days to get fingerprinted at a police department.²

Your prints feed two checks. Within five business days of receiving your application, the probate court directs law enforcement to run a fingerprint-based criminal history search through GCIC and the FBI. A separate check runs through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.¹

Law enforcement has 20 days to report any disqualifying findings back to the probate judge. If nothing shows up, they return the application without a formal report. The judge then has 10 days from the date the report comes in to issue or deny the license. The statute specifically prohibits the judge from suspending, extending, or delaying these deadlines, so the full process should wrap up in about a month.¹

If You’re Denied or the Court Delays

If the probate judge denies your application, the court must inform you of your rights. You have two paths. You can request a hearing before the probate judge to argue your fitness for the license, or you can file a mandamus action in court to compel issuance. If you prevail in either proceeding, you can recover your costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees.¹

The same mandamus remedy applies when the court simply fails to act within the statutory time limits. You do not have to wait indefinitely on a slow court.

Renewal and Replacement

A Georgia WCL is valid for five years from the date of issuance and covers you statewide, even if you move to a different county during that period.¹ Renewal runs through the probate court for the $30 statutory fee and does not require new fingerprints. The court runs a non-fingerprint-based records check through GCIC and the FBI instead.

If your license is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can get a replacement for $6 by submitting a sworn statement to the probate court. For a stolen license, you’ll also need to report the theft to law enforcement.

1
Justia. Georgia Code 16-11-129 – Weapons Carry License
2
Georgia.gov. Apply for a Firearms License
3
ATF. Brady Permit Chart
4
Office of the Attorney General. States Which Recognize Georgia Weapons Carry License