If you own a gun, it is because you want to be prepared for the worst, however unlikely it might be.

You want to be ready to defend yourself or your family if necessary from an intruder in your house or an assailant outside of the home.

Because you are somebody who strives for preparedness, you have probably played scenarios through in your head.

In the ones which go well, you use your gun to fend off the intruder, saving your family. The police investigate the situation, conclude that you are not at fault for defending yourself and your loved ones, and that is the end of that.

But you also probably have played scenarios through in your head which do not go so smoothly. You shoot the intruder and save your family, but the investigation still lands you in court.

You find yourself in a drawn-out courtroom battle, legal expenses piling up day after day.

At that point, your livelihood and that of your family could be in jeopardy, and you could find yourself with years of debt ahead of you.

Thankfully, just as you can protect your loved ones from an assailant with a gun, you can protect yourself from some of these potentially disastrous costs by purchasing concealed carry insurance, also called “self defense insurance.”

Do You Need Self Defense Insurance Coverage?

Is concealed carry insurance really necessary?

Surely you can cope with circumstances on your own if you need to, right?

There are two really important reasons to get self defense insurance coverage:

1-You will get help with your expenses.

2-You will have someone on your side.

You need to understand that as the defendant in a trial where you have killed someone with a gun, you see yourself as having acted in self defense, but those who have put you in that court room are attempting to charge you with manslaughter or even murder.

This type of trial can last for a very long time. Not only will this pull you out of work, but attorney expenses and court fees can add up to thousands of dollars per day. Imagine how much that could run you if your trial goes on for weeks or even months.

The other thing which is hard to deal with on your own is uncertainty over the legal complexities of your situation.

Obviously, once you have a lawyer, that person will be able to help you out. But in reality, decisions you make which could impact the rest of your life begin the moment and intruder walks through your door.

After you shoot an intruder, what you do next will also impact how the police, investigators and lawyers perceive your actions.

When you sign up for a concealed carry insurance plan, you have the support of an organization which will work to educate you about the possible scenarios you could face in advance.

This means that you are less likely to make a catastrophic mistake in judgment in a worst-case scenario.

What to Look for in a Concealed Carry Insurance Plan?

You now understand why it is important to get a concealed carry insurance plan if you will have a gun in your house or you will be carrying one with you in your vehicle or as you walk down the street.

But what features are important in a self defense insurance plan? How do you choose one plan or provider over another?

Following are some important considerations:

Cost . Concealed carry insurance plans can vary considerably in terms of costs.

. Concealed carry insurance plans can vary considerably in terms of costs. Coverage . Pay attention to types of coverage and amounts. There are many different types of expenses which can arise if you are required to defend yourself. Make sure that you’re getting the most comprehensive coverage possible at the best price.

. Pay attention to types of coverage and amounts. There are many different types of expenses which can arise if you are required to defend yourself. Make sure that you’re getting the most comprehensive coverage possible at the best price. Included Weapons . Some concealed carry plans only cover firearms, but others will also cover you if you were wielding another type of weapon as well (including, potentially, your own body).

. Some concealed carry plans only cover firearms, but others will also cover you if you were wielding another type of weapon as well (including, potentially, your own body). Timing. How will the funding be distributed to you, and when? There are plans which will pay out 100% upfront, but there are also plans which will only pay out some percentage up front, and reimburse you the rest later.

Here are a few more questions you should ask about a policy before you decide to purchase it:

After you purchase coverage, how soon does it start?

If you are in a gun-free zone, does your coverage still apply?

Do you need to renew to get access to new benefits which are incorporated in the middle of your pay cycle?

Is there coverage for other members of your household such as your spouse? If so, does it apply in the house, out of the house, or both? Is there an added fee, or is it included in the base price?

How expansive is the attorney network?

If your firearms are stolen or seized by the authorities, will your insurance pay for their replacement?

Are you covered if you need to defend yourself in a situation involving domestic violence?

If you need immediate help in a legal predicament, are you able to get a hold of an attorney at any time of day?

Are any sort of training courses available? Do you receive a publication of any sort as a part of your membership? Are there any other cool perks?

Is there a money-back guarantee?

It does take research and time to identify the best value when you are shopping for self defense insurance. But taking that time could make all the difference in the world when you need it most.

What Is The Best Concealed Carry Insurance Plan Available?

Now that you know what to look for in a concealed carry insurance plan, let’s go over some of the top options you can consider right now.

Concealed Carry Insurance Comparison Chart

Below, you can view a chart comparing the features and pricing for popular concealed carry insurance plans.

USCCA Insurance

The first self defense insurance provider I want to talk about is The United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). You likely already are familiar with the USCCA. They are the ones who publish Concealed Carry Magazines. When you purchase insurance through USCCA, you are purchasing a full membership. Their plans are known as “Self Defense SHIELD” protection.

USCCA Coverage Options and Costs

Gold : $22/month ($247/year)

: $22/month ($247/year) Platinum : $30/month ($347/year)

: $30/month ($347/year) Elite: $47/month ($497/year)

Gold Level

Civil Suit Defense And Damages: $500,000

Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding and Attorney Retainer: $100,000

Platinum Level

Civil Suit Defense And Damages: $1,000,000

Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding and Attorney Retainer: $150,000

Elite Level

Civil Suit Defense And Damages: $2,000,000

Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding and Attorney Retainer: $250,000

ALL Plans Include:

24/7/365 Critical Response Team.

Critical Response Team. Instant protection from the moment you join.

The latest benefits, regardless of your renewal date.

You choose the criminal defense attorney you want from the USCCA network.

The funding for criminal defense and bail bonds is upfront.

Not just firearms, but all legal weapons, are covered.

There is a discount if your spouse wants a membership.

Carry Confidence™ Kit.

Exclusive discounts on training and gear from USCCA.

Early bird access to new training and gear.

Partner discounts.

Weekly training drills, live training broadcasts, and nationwide USCCA certified instructor network access.

Access to members-only video tutorials (you get more videos at the higher tiers).

Educational tools like permit expiration reminders, the USCCA app (exclusive to members), weekly updates on relevant news and legislation, 10 Lifesaving Checklists, and Lifesaving Digital Guides and eBooks (more of these at the higher tiers).

A full print and digital subscription to Concealed Carry Magazine. You get a year of back-access at the Gold level, 5 years at the Platinum level and a lifetime archive at the Elite level.

All memberships include the USCCA Community Giving Program, 24/7 customer support, and free daily entry to the USCCA Concealed Carry Expo. At the top two tiers, you get Advanced Show Entry, and at the Elite level, the Elite VIP Experience.

365-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Those are some seriously awesome benefits!

Additionally, there is added value at the upper tiers of membership as follows:

Elite members can look forward to eLearning Training Systems with a $344 value.

with a $344 value. With an Elite membership, you get access to the Elite Concierge Line.

Pros of USCCA Legal Defense CCW Insurance:

With three membership tiers at different price points, you can pick the most suitable plan for your needs. The vast majority of features and benefits are included for all members, regardless of the tier they choose.

While there are caps on coverage, they are set pretty high.

Legal benefits are available to members without a permit.

The USCCA customer support team as well as the Critical Response Team are there to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With all of the educational and training resources that come with your membership, you can become a safer and more proficient gun owner. You also should have some idea what you can expect to have to deal with if the worst does come to pass and you find yourself in a legal situation.

After you sign up, your benefits are in immediate full effect. When USCCA adds new benefits over the course of the year, those benefits are also yours instantly, even if your renewal date is still some ways away.

You can rest assured that you will receive full upfront funding when you need it. You will not be forced to cover your own legal costs and wait for reimbursement. This can prevent you from needing to take out loans and incur unnecessary interest and fees.

The exclusive gear, the free entry to the Concealed Carry Expo, the free subscription to the Concealed Carry Magazine, and all the other member benefits add tremendous value to your plan. It is actually pretty incredible what you are getting for a reasonable monthly cost.

USCCA members consistently provide positive feedback, even on forums. In other words, real gun owners—not just affiliates and third-party review sites—are impressed with these insurance packages.

Cons of USCCA Legal Defense CCW Insurance:

It is actually a genuine challenge to come up with negatives for USCCA insurance plans. Some members do feel that they send out a few too many emails. You have the option of opting out of them if they annoy you.

The Bottom Line: You cannot go wrong with USCCA insurance. As you will discover shortly, it is pretty much unparalleled in terms of features, reputation, and value. With coverage active the instant you sign up, you can rest assured that USCCA has got your back.

US LawShield

US LawShield is a competing provider of concealed carry insurance which has been in existence since 2009. Technically, the full name of the organization is “US & Texas LawShield.” A group of lawyers created the service. Let’s take a look at the coverage, features, and benefits US LawShield offers members.

US LawShield Coverage Options and Costs

Single Adult Membership: $10.95/month ($131.40/year)

Two Adults Membership: $21.90/month ($240.00/year)

When you first purchase your plan, you also need to pay a one-time start-up fee of $19.95 per member.

There are also Optional Coverage packages you can add on:

Multi-State Coverage Per Person : $35.40/year or $2.95/month

: $35.40/year or $2.95/month Minor Child Protection : $24.00/year or $2.00/month

: $24.00/year or $2.00/month Bail Bond/Expert Witness Protection : $35.40/year or $2.95/month

: $35.40/year or $2.95/month HunterShield : $35.40/year or $2.95/month

: $35.40/year or $2.95/month Gunowner Identity Theft Coverage Program: $83.40/year or $6.95/month

One of the best things about coverage from US & Texas LawShield is that there are literally “no caps, no hourly limits, and no deductibles.” So long as what took place was a “covered event,” you will not pay any fees whatsoever for your attorney. Full representation is available for civil and criminal trials.

Here are some of the other membership benefits with US LawShield:

24/7/365 Emergency Hotline staffed by attorneys.

Emergency Hotline staffed by attorneys. Educational seminars for members.

Discounts and promotions on training, guns, optics, and range time. There are even discounts for gunsmithing.

Even if you do not have a license yet, you can still purchase coverage.

Firearms are not the only weapons covered. So long as the weapon is legal to possess, your benefits will protect you.

Pros of US LawShield Insurance:

Coverage by US LawShield is undeniably very affordable, easily placing it within most gun owners’ budgets.

The fact that there are no caps nor limits of any nature is outstanding in case you find yourself mired in particularly lengthy or expensive proceedings.

Cons of US LawShield Insurance:

You cannot get coverage for government fees, expert witness fees, stolen guns, bail bonds, investigator fees, or identity theft in the basic package. Coverage for expert witness fees as well as bail bonds can be purchased separately, but the other exclusions mentioned here cannot.

While there are some perks that come with your membership, they are not nearly as comprehensive as those you get with USCCA. This is particularly true when it comes to educational and community features.

Depending on the state where you are located, there can be some pretty severe restrictions on your coverage through this provider. “Legal possession” of a weapon is a requirement, and in some states, this is defined very differently than it is in others. Domestic violence situations are not covered. You also may be denied if you shoot someone while on the clock at work, depending on your job.

The Bottom Line: We were impressed with US LawShield but we would not recommend as our overall top pick, especially if you are looking for the most comprehensive set of benefits and the best overall value. However, it does offer solid coverge and is a good budget alternative to USCCA.

CCW Safe

One more option worth looking at for self defense insurance is CCW Safe. This is yet another popular service with a sizable member base.

CCW Safe Coverage Options and Costs

CCW Safe offers plans both for those who have concealed carry permits and those who do not.

Permit Plans

Protector Plan: Starting at $149/year

This plan is designed specifically for members of the military or law enforcement. You can be active-duty or retired to qualify for this plan. Note, however, that coverage only applies to events which take place when you’re not on the job.

$500,000 bail coverage.

Critical Response Team available to meet you on-site.

Attorney fees are unlimited and covered upfront.

Investigator fees are unlimited and covered upfront.

Expert witness fees are unlimited and covered upfront.

Trial fees are covered upfront.

Work loss coverage up to $250 per day during trial.

Counseling coverage up to $4,000/10 sessions.

Crime scene clean-up in the home is covered up to $3,000.

You receive coverage for appeals and expungements.

24-hour emergency hotline.

National Trial Counsel-vetted attorneys.

While you are on trial, firearm replacement is covered.

In the home, coverage extends to your spouse and children under the age of 18.

Weekly online content including videos and newsletters is available with your membership.

There are some optional add-ons like higher bail coverage and dedicated civil liability. For $100, you can also add your spouse.

Defender Plan: Starting at $179/year

This plan is available if you have a valid state CCW permit. The benefits listed are identical to those for the Protector Plan.

So essentially, the Protector Plan is a discounted version of the Defender Plan for law enforcement officers and former and current members of the military.

Ultimate Plan: Starting at $499/year

This plan is significantly more expensive than those above, but it also provides you with far more coverage.

Once again, you get unlimited coverage for attorney fees, investigator fees, and expert witness fees upfront.

$1 million cap coverage for civil damages.

$1 million cap on bail bonds.

During the course of a trial, receive up to $350 a day to cover work losses.

Receive coverage for up to $6,000/40 sessions of counselling.

Get up to $3,000 in coverage for crime scene cleanup in the home.

There is partial coverage for your spouse as well as children under the age of 18.

You also receive the other benefits which are included with the plans above, including the 24 hour emergency hotline, the online content, and a digital membership card.

Non-Permit Plans

Constitutional Carry Plan: Starting at $299/year

With this plan, you do not need a license or permit for open or concealed carry. But the plan is only available if your state allows for “Constitutional Carry.”

Attorney fees, investigator fees, and expert witness fees are covered.

$250,000 in bail bond coverage.

Coverage for up to $250 a day in work losses while you’re on trial.

Receive coverage for up to $4,000/10 sessions of counselling.

Get up to $3,000 in crime scene cleanup in your home.

Limited coverage for spouse and children under the age of 18.

24-hour emergency hotline.

If you need to replace your firearm during your trial, you will receive coverage.

Appeals are covered.

Online content is included.

It should be noted that this particular plan applies only within the boundaries of the state in which you reside.

Home Defense Plan: Starting at $299/year

This non-permit plan provides protection only within your home. Coverage applies to you, your spouse, and your children who are under the age of 18.

The specific coverage amounts and benefits are the same for the Home Defense Plan as they are for the Constitutional Carry plan.

Pros of CCW Safe Insurance:

With a wide selection of plans to choose from both for permit holders and those who do not have licenses, there is something for everyone.

These plans cover work losses, counseling and cleanup, which is excellent.

Cons of CCW Safe Insurance:

While this is a solid selection of plans, the features and benefits are not nearly as extensive as those offered by USCCA. Considering the prices for CCW Safe Insurance, USCCA is clearly the better value.

Incidents which involve domestic violence are not covered. Additionally, there is no coverage if the incident involves a person you invited into your house.

The Bottom Line: CCW Safe insurance has some nice features and benefits, especially when it comes to covering miscellaneous expenses like money lost while being out of work for a trial. But pricing-wise, it is roughly in the same range as USCCA. As USCCA coverage has more benefits, we consider it a stronger value.

How Is Customer Service For These Three Competitors?

Two of these three concealed carry insurance providers—USCCA and US LawShield—offer live chat directly on their websites. Wait times are incredibly short (at least when we tested them out). Chat agents in both cases are friendly, patient, and knowledgeable, providing fast and comprehensive replies to questions about their services.

USCCA’s customer service particularly stood out. We were connected with an agent called “Kimberly M.” She answered her first few questions without missing a beat. When she got to question she wasn’t sure she could answer, she immediately asked her supervisor, which only took a couple of minutes.

She was fast to come up with solutions and workarounds. For example, she stated that counseling services should be covered by your health insurance, but that it might still be possible for USCCA to cover them under incidental expenses.

Something else which was impressive about this particular agent was that she actually encouraged us to keep asking additional questions. Most customer service representatives just want to get you off the line as quickly as possible. This one actually wanted to talk to us. This is such a rarity in any area of business these days that it was incredibly refreshing and unexpected.

CCW Safe has a “Chat With Us” button which you can click in the lower right-hand corner of the website. This is somewhat deceptive, as it pulls up an “Online Assistant.” Although this “assistant” is given a name, it is not a human being, and can only offer canned responses to canned questions. This essentially just makes it a searchable FAQ.

This doesn’t mean that CCW Safe necessarily has awful customer service or anything. It just means that its customer service seems to be a little less accessible and helpful than that offered by USCCA and US LawShield.

What About NRA Concealed Carry Insurance?

You are probably aware that the NRA offers concealed carry insurance through a program called “NRA Carry Guard.” Is this option worth considering?

NRA Carry Guard has only been around for a couple of years. The program got its start in 2017. Since then, it has taken a lot of flak (pun intended), and deservedly so.

Some changes have been made to the website, but at one point in the past, it declared that the program was, “THE GOLD STANDARD IN CARRY TRAINING.”

This was rather misleading, because it certainly made it sound as if policies would include training. But they actually did not. Training was available, but at an additional cost (it still is, and runs up to $850 per student for certain courses).

While there is no way to say with surety that the NRA meant to be misleading with their advertising, at best, it was confusing.

Last we checked, NRA Carry Guard had some other drawbacks as well. Only 20% coverage was available upfront, with the rest reimbursed—but not if you are found guilty. Additionally, the plan only covered firearms, not other legal weapons you might possess. When you are fighting for your life, you really do not want to be stuck weighing questions like, “Can I afford to use my fists?”

Finally, another thing which isn’t impressive about NRA Carry Guard concerns an incident between the NRA and USCCA in 2017.

The USCCA was originally invited to the NRA’s Annual Meeting that year. But after USCCA decided to launch its insurance plans, the NRA excluded them from the meeting.

Obviously, this was not the most professional way to handle a large organization in the gun community deciding to launch a competing service. It doesn’t reflect well on the NRA, and certainly makes its insurance program even less appealing. Who knows what other forms of un-professionalism members might expect to encounter given this behavior.

Best Concealed Carry Insurance Final Verdict: USCCA Insurance

You now have had a chance to learn in-depth about the pricing, features, benefits, and limitations for USCCA, US LawShield, and CCW Safe.

On the whole, these are three solid providers of concealed carry insurance. You could probably go with any one of them and feel pretty confident that they will safeguard your finances if you find yourself in a legal situation

If you are on a tight budget, US LawShield offers some very affordable plans. But the Gold plan for USCCA is also quite affordable, and definitely offers more in the way of features and benefits. So unless you intend to go with the cheapest US LawShield plan, we would recommend going with the USCCA Gold plan instead.

As far as CCW Safe is concerned, the variety of plans offered is appealing, but there doesn’t seem to be anything which this provider offers that USCCA doesn’t. Upon further inquiry, we discovered that USCCA does cover lost wages during trials, just like CCW Safe.

We also found out that USCCA provides coverage for “incidental expenses,” which can potentially include counseling services, cleanup costs and more. Being as that is the case and USCCA offers comprehensive benefits which outpace those of CCW Safe based on our research, it is hard to come up with a good reason why you would choose CCW Safe over USCCA.

Based on those considerations, USCCA emerges as the clear top choice for affordable, feature-rich concealed carry insurance you can count on. No other provider on the market right now offers more for a better price.

You carry a gun to protect yourself and your loved ones from physical harm. You should carry a self defense policy which is just as robust and reliable to protect your family from financial harm.

If you are ready to learn more about USCCA Self Defense SHIELD or sign-up for a concealed carry insurance plan now, click the link below. Give yourself and your loved ones the peace of mind that you deserve!