How to Complete and Submit the Wisconsin Concealed Carry Renewal Form

To complete a Wisconsin concealed carry renewal, submit an application to the Department of Justice either online at concealedcarry.doj.wi.gov or on paper using Form DJ-LE-287R, pay the $22 fee, and file within the window that opens 120 days before your license expires and closes 90 days after.¹ The DOJ must issue or deny a completed renewal within 21 days. A Wisconsin CCW license runs for five years, and renewal does not require new training.

When to Renew

You can start as early as 120 days before your expiration date. The DOJ mails a renewal notice and form at least 90 days before expiration, so most license holders get a reminder in the mail.² If your license has already lapsed, you still have 90 days after the expiration date to renew. Miss that, and you lose renewal eligibility altogether; you would have to submit a brand-new application with proof of training, which costs more and takes longer.³

One point that catches people off guard: being allowed to renew after expiration does not authorize you to carry with an expired license. Once your permit lapses, you cannot legally carry concealed until the new card arrives, even if the renewal is already in the system.⁴ Renewing early enough to avoid that gap is the simplest way to keep your carry privileges uninterrupted.

Timing also affects your new expiration date. If you renew on or before your current expiration date, the new five-year period runs from that expiration date, so you don’t lose any time by filing a few months early. If you renew after expiration, the five years start from the date of renewal instead.²

What to Have Ready

Renewal is simpler than the original application because no new training certificate is required. Before you start, gather:

Your current CCW license number, printed on your existing card.
Your Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID number. The card cannot be expired, canceled, surrendered, or voided.³
Your current Wisconsin residential address. It must be a residential address, not a P.O. box.
Payment of $22. Credit or debit card online; check or money order payable to the Wisconsin Department of Justice for paper.

Active military personnel stationed in Wisconsin should include a copy of their current military orders with a paper application.³

Renewing Online

The fastest method is the DOJ portal at concealedcarry.doj.wi.gov. Log in with the account you created for your original application. The portal walks you through your personal information, driver’s license or state ID number, current address, and the eligibility questions, then takes the $22 by credit or debit card at the end.⁴

The system will only let you begin a renewal if your license is currently valid and within 120 days of expiration, or has been expired fewer than 90 days. Outside that window, you will need to file a new application instead.

Renewing by Mail

If you prefer paper, use Form DJ-LE-287R. The DOJ mails it with your renewal notice about 90 days before expiration, and you can also download it from the DOJ website. The form is four pages: page one is instructions, and pages two through four are the application itself.

The paper form requires three original signatures, one on each page of the application, and photocopies are not accepted.³ The three signatures affirm, separately: that your information is true and that you understand the license requirements; that you understand where concealed carry is prohibited in Wisconsin; and that you understand the state’s rules on self-defense and use of force.

Mail the completed form with a $22 check or money order payable to the Wisconsin Department of Justice to:

Wisconsin Department of Justice
Attn: Firearms Unit
P.O. Box 7130
Madison, WI 53707-7130¹

Fill in every field legibly. Illegible or blank fields get the application kicked back, and lost time can be a real problem if you are already close to the 90-day post-expiration deadline.

The Eligibility Questions

The application includes 15 yes-or-no questions on your eligibility to possess a firearm. They mirror the disqualifiers in Wisconsin Statute 175.60(3) and federal law. Categories include:

Any felony conviction in any court.
A pending felony indictment or charge.
A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction or an active restraining order involving domestic abuse.
Being adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
Being an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance, including marijuana.
Fugitive status, or being free on bond with firearm restrictions.
Dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.
Having renounced U.S. citizenship, or being a non-citizen unlawfully present.³

Answering “yes” to a disqualifier will result in denial, but the bigger risk is lying. Making a false statement on the application is a separate criminal offense carrying a fine of up to $10,000, up to nine months of imprisonment, or both.³ If anything has changed in your legal history since your last application, talk to an attorney before submitting.

Fee and Processing Time

The $22 total is set by state law and combines a renewal fee capped at $12 plus a background check fee.²⁴ The DOJ will not start processing until payment is received, so do not mail the form without it.

Wisconsin law gives the DOJ 21 days from receipt of a completed application to issue or deny the renewal.¹ The department runs a background check, and once the renewal is approved, the new card ships to your mailing address. Online applicants can track status by logging into the CCW portal, which will show whether the renewal is processing, approved, or flagged. If there is a problem with a paper application, correspondence arrives by mail. Online submissions generally move faster because there is no postal transit on either end, which matters most if you are filing close to expiration.

If Your Renewal Is Denied

A denial letter arrives with an appeals form and an explanation. You can submit the appeal to the Firearms Unit at no additional charge, along with any documentation supporting your case. If the denial was based on mistaken identity, you will need to include a fingerprint card prepared by your local law enforcement agency. The Firearms Unit has 30 days to respond to an appeal in writing.¹ Mistaken identity is the scenario where an appeal is most likely to succeed. If the denial rests on an actual disqualifying event, an appeal will not reverse the outcome unless the underlying record has been expunged or otherwise resolved.

1
Wisconsin Department of Justice. Managing a CCW License
2
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 175.60 – License to Carry a Concealed Weapon
3
Wisconsin Department of Justice. Concealed Weapon Renewal Application Instructions
4
Wisconsin Department of Justice. Renew Your CCW License