I recently received my official 'Concealed Carry Badge.'

Question: Is it legal for me to wear my badge - even when I'm not carrying?

Here in "AZ", those badges mean absolutely nothing. In fact, most of those teaching CCW classes recommend NOT wearing them.

Why would you want to advertise that you're carrying concealed ?

One instructor I know tells a story of how a citizen thought that the badge was for an undercover police officer and was reporting
a robbery to the bearer of the "CCW" badge.

For me, concealed means concealed. I do not need to let the world know that I am armed.

I've seen an advertised.

Never knew there was anyone that hard up for attention to buy one thoigh

Anyone wearing such a badge should also have a spinner beanie on their head.

I'd leave it at home, just to eliminate the possibility somebody seeing it and reporting you for impersonating an officer. I'm not insinuating you would do that but every idiot has a cell phone and a good number of them call the police over stuff most of us would blow off.

I'm pretty sure this post was humor - good job! Made me giggle.

But just in case there's some noob who is serious about this: You are NOT in the cop business - ever. Pretending to be in the Cop business will get you in a world of hurt in all sorts of ways.

The same rules apply for the wearing of your official state licensed driver badge. Only wear it visibly when you are actually driving. Please note: when you are stopped at a red light for more than one minute or in a properly designated parking place, you must immediately remove the official licensed driver badge or face legal penalties. An exception provision for the concealed weapon carry badge is there is no requirement to display it while in the act of showering, if armed. Hope this helps.

What the hell is a CCW badge?

You can order one from ads in magazines or internet ads. They are marketed to space cadets who think that if they have a concealed carry license, they are then somehow, somesort of a kinda sorta, big shot law enforcement official secret special agent. Kinda like in the league of James Bond, Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Batman (or Batgirl), with a smattering of Maxwell Smart mixed in.

We don't need no stinkin' badges!

LOL, I have to get me one of them, maybe we should do a group buy:)

Are you serious ?

Sterile is the word. No advertising whatsoever.

^^^^^ THIS^^^^^

I don't have one, and have no plans to, but I could speculate about where it might be useful, i.e., you're involved in a shooting and don't want a cop to see you in the distance with you handgun in hand after arriving to a report of a shootout, and cap you with his scoped AR. He might hesitate a few seconds if he sees a badge of some kind in a proper holder on the belt. I guess the idea would be to take it out and put it on your belt under a circumstance like that, but otherwise to leave it put away. Just a thought, but perhaps there are reasons this isn't a good idea. I haven't given a lot of thought to it.

But it's sort of like the idea of keeping a SECURITY windbreaker in you trunk with your AR, in case there's a mass shooter you have a chance to dispatch, and don't want a cop to shoot you thinking you're the mass shooter. He may hesitate long enough to reevaluate what he's seeing if he sees those big yellow letters SECURITY across your back.

The only difference in concept is that the badge is something you don't have to run to your trunk for.

I think they're giving them out with jars of Ovaltine these days.

What if the afforementioned cop can't see your lettered-up back?

For informational purposes only.

http://www.dsmsafety.com/index.html

I'd rather have one of those stupid things than a 'security' jacket. I wouldn't want them to write me a ticket for 'impersonating a mall cop'......

Then you could well be screwed. It might be better than not even trying to deter cops from shooting you, though.

PS I'm not one of those guys who carries a carbine, just in case. There are some at this site who do, though.

You don’t have a rifle in your truck? WTF

How do you shoot stuff in your daily comings and goings? I use my truck gun way more often than my spare tire.

Yeah, I know lot of folks have rifles for that sort of thing, but some also keep one in case of mass shooters and whatnot.

If anyone can purchase them, then they’ll become useless.

A bit off topic, but brought up on this thread - what the hell is an "official state license drivers badge"? Never heard of that, lived in Texas 67 years, never seen or heard of one here!

Mike Holmes

It is sarcasm/satire. No such thing. Just as there is no such thing as as a state issued concealed carry permit badge. However, if one desires, you can order a badge from an unofficial supplier made up to say anything you want such as "official U.S. Taxpayer" or "certified bugger picker", etc. Makes some feel real important. I see ads for them from time to time.

only gun store cowboys and fat guys with 'tactical' vests use those. They are a joke.

Be sure to get a CCW sash to go with it. Link

The reviews tell the tale.

You got that right - The reviews are scary and I don't think they're tongue-in-cheek!

Don't know.....this is news to me.

Ooo. On sale too!

In most of my nearly 34 years of big-city policing, my badge stayed at home, or otherwise securely locked-up, unless I was wearing the uniform. In my earliest days, I did carry the badge in a wallet made to accommodate it, but soon abandoned that idea. Why? Well, I soon learned that the badge did not impress anyone, unless it was on my uniform.

I cannot think of one truly tactically-valid reason to have a badge, unless there is an easily-recognizable OFFICIAL public servant ID with it.

While I was LEO-ing, if I encountered an armed person, I was not interesting in seeing a badge. I was interested in seeing an official ID, or a license to carry a handgun, and that was only after the situation was under control. Fake, generic, and wannabe badges are for sale at places from souvenir shops to evil-bay. Real police badges can be readily found on the collector market.

Obviously, I recommend against private citizens carrying unofficial badges.

Disclaimer:


I hope nobody here seriously thinks I actually wear one these badges?

<> https://www.pleated-jeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/dachshunds-play-cops-and-robbers.jpg <>

I was only playing the 'fool' . . . honest!

From the reviews:
" I wear a size XXXXL and it's a little hard to deploy at a moments notice."

Bahahaha!