Is CCW Safe the best concealed carry insurance product?
Once the excitement of getting your CCW permit wears off, you’ll probably want to start thinking about getting insurance for that pocket rocket you’ve got strapped to your belt.
With lots of offerings like USCCA and US Law Shield, there are plenty of options for all types of coverage at a range of prices.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that all of the CCW coverage policies will have some type of coverage limitation, whether it’s a dollar amount for the attorneys’ fees for your legal defense or the specific type of situations where you will be covered.
Let’s go over the pros and cons of CCW Safe so you can make the best decision.
*Updated February 2021*
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Ensure You’re Insured
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and it never hurts to have CCW insurance of some type, in the off chance that you’ll one day find yourself in a self-defense situation where you must discharge your firearm.
The last thing you want to be thinking when defending yourself from a deadly threat is whether you’ll be able to afford the legal fees that follow.
With other insurance policies, if you find yourself in court after a self-defense shooting, you’ll be covered up to limits such as $2,000,000 for civil defense, and $250,000 for criminal defense, depending on your plan.
While these amounts sound like a lot (and they are), those of you unfortunate enough to have any experience with lawsuits will know that legal expenses can add up VERY quickly.
That’s where, at least for me, CCW Safe comes in.
Don’t Leave Yet!
For anyone without a CCW permit, either because you live in a state that hates the Second Amendment (CALIFORNIA, cough cough) or you just don’t want to go through the hassle of getting one, you may still find value in getting coverage with CCW Safe.
Unlike most other CCW insurance companies which provide comprehensive plans covering self-defense regardless of where you (legally) carry your firearm, CCW Safe offers a “Home Defense Plan”, which, as the name suggests, provides legal defense coverage only for situations of self-defense in the home (think home invasion, robbery, burglary, etc.).
This plan is relatively inexpensive, mostly because it is limited to only covering incidents which happen in your home. To make up for the difference, there are additional benefits tailored to a home defense situation, like payment for counseling sessions, and even crime scene cleanup.
Of course, you’ll still have access to the standard 24-hour emergency hotline and attorneys just like with the other plans, so you won’t be missing out on the important stuff.
If your firearms only live at the range and at home in the safe, a basic home defense plan provides just the essential coverage that’s needed without all of the extras.
So What’s the Big Deal?
So what about people who want to get standard CCW insurance?
Like with anything, it’s ultimately up to you to decide what type, if any, of insurance you want to get.
All the insurance company policies will offer, at a minimum, some type of coverage for your legal defense in both criminal and civil cases, and also provide support over the phone after a shooting.
Let Me Count the Ways
CCW Safe differs from the other insurance companies in a few important ways though:
First
One of the main things to point out is that CCW Safe does not actually place a limit on the dollar amount available for criminal defense. This is a huge deal and ultimately what sold me on their plan. Even with a policy under the other guys, you are capped eventually, when you reach into the realm of around $2,000,000.
Of course, it’s always possible you will never need that much money for your legal defense. But then again, if you’re unlucky enough to be in a shooting…
Secondly
Another big draw of CCW Safe is that while they offer an emergency hotline you can call after a shooting.
Just like all the other insurance plans out there, the company will also fly out members of their critical response team to you, to offer someone experienced in the use of deadly force in self-defense settings to help you through your situation.
In addition to the benefit of having experience on your side, it’s sometimes also just nice to have in-person support, especially after something as traumatic as a shooting, even if it was in self-defense.
Third
While all CCW insurance companies offer attorney representation or at least reimbursement for attorneys’ fees, CCW Safe lets you pick your own attorneys, so you can make sure you end up with one who is actually experienced in self-defense cases.
If you don’t have a preference, they can recommend someone to you as well.
Oh, and by the way, one of the main attorneys working for CCW Safe also represented George Zimmerman. Yeah. That guy.
Fourth
CCW Safe does not and has never sought recoupment. That means if you’re found guilty or have to plead to a lesser offense, they don’t claw back reimbursement of defense costs like others.
Lastly
CCW Safe isn’t actually insurance!
The company is technically a “legal service membership plan,” which is a fancy way of saying you have a membership to their legal expertise, not just their ability to pay your legal defense fees.
It still has the funds to cover your legal defense if you ever need them, of course, but their focus is on providing legal services, not just paying for them.
Why does this matter?
Because a CCW Safe plan isn’t insurance, it isn’t underwritten by a traditional insurance company.
Instead, the company is self-funded, through membership fees and investments of those fees. The benefit of this is that it is not subject to the insurance licensing and tax policies a typical insurance company has to follow.
It also means that if the big insurance companies ever start to cave to the anti-2A gun grabbers and drop self-defense type policies, CCW Safe will be able to continue to provide coverage, while the more traditional insurance companies may begin to run into issues.
But That’s Not All
New for 2021 is the added benefit of $5000 defense for stand alone red flag laws (Defender Level) and up to $10,000 for the Ultimate Level.
And if it’s a red flag case associated with a covered self-defense case…it’s covered 100%
Let’s Talk Numbers
Of course, nothing in life is free.
And even if you could get something for free, coverage for legal defense is probably something you should fork out a little money for.
Really, though, if you’re trying to decide how much you’re willing to spend, there are a ton of plans offered by CCW Safe, ranging from the Home Defense Plan for those of you who will never carry outside the home, to the different levels of their more typical “Defender” and “Ultimate” plans.
The less expensive of the two, the Defender plan, starts at just $18/mo, and lets you add on additional benefits like spousal coverage (you supply your own spouse, unfortunately), increased bail limits, etc. that you think you will need.
There are tons of options to add on, and really, it all comes down to what level of coverage you are personally comfortable with.
For guys like me, it’s easier to just go the easy route and get the Ultimate plan, which provides every type of coverage offered, plus a T-shirt and challenge coin. Love me some challenge coins.
The Ultimate plan is only available in a yearly installment of $519 which comes out to ~$43 a month.
Don’t Forget!
Of course, just because CCW Safe is my preferred CCW insurance plan, doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you.
Do your homework, and be sure to check out other CCW insurance companies to see what your options are.
While there are tons of companies out there, including smaller regional plans, some of the more reputable companies out there are:
We now have an article covering all of their pros/cons in Best Concealed Carry Insurance Comparison.
Even with the main benefits of CCW Safe pointed out above, some people may prefer to go with another company, and that’s perfectly fine.
The main thing is to make sure you pick what is best for you and your family, so you aren’t caught off guard if you are ever unfortunate enough to find yourself in the aftermath of a self-defense situation.
And make sure you leave some money for ammo and range time to practice practice practice!
What did you end up choosing?
18 Leave a Reply
OK. I'm currently a USCCA Gold user who is concerned about their ability to recoup their payments should you be found guilty while using a gun in a legit self defense situation. Leaving my financial well being in the hands of a judge or jury is worrisome. On the other hand. I like CCW Safe Defender plan at $19/month. They won't try to recoup payment if found guilty, but I'd have to pay an additional $20 a month to get civil damages covered. Your thoughts appreciated. Thanks
any coverage for loss of gun or damages ?Id pay a little extra for that . my car insurance is less then what I'm paying now, makes sense .what about you ?
Jeez, I feel like the sweet spot of CCW insurance already passed. I remember when CCW safe was $100 bucks a year with their 5 year plan. That makes sense, low cost for peace of mind. Now it costs enough to think twice, and it's only getting expensive-er. And just wait until it's made mandatory! What odd times we live in.
I live in Montana and do a lot of travelling from state to state and still not sure which insurance would be better for me. Any help out there would be appreciated.
Hi John, you may want to check with the different companies you are interested in to see what states they provide coverage. Different staff members here at PPT have gone with CCW Safe and USCCA, and have liked their choices, so if you haven't already, feel free to check out those articles as well. At the end of the day, it's usually a good idea to have any type of insurance rather than none at all. Hope that helps!
Is CCW Safe insurance valid in NYS? I was told there was no insurance available in NYS for the legal use of a gun for self defense.
You might want to reread the article... CCW Safe ISN'T insurance.
NY, NJ and WA do not allow carry coverage.
Only for active or retired law enforcement.
CCW Safe's home defense option only protects you in the home, not in any other self-defense scenario where you may possess a weapon legally on private property, but without a CCW permit, such as at a friend's house or vacation property.
Hi , my name is Ron i'm a retired correctional officer living in New York City , could I get carry insurance through CCW residing in NYC ?
I would recommend calling them directly, NY has some odd laws that require an expert's answer.
I am glad I found CCW. NY State has forbidden the regular insurance companies from operating here. Given the fine review of CCW and the comparison with the other companies, I would probably have chosen CCW anyway.
CCW Safe is my choice
I’m debating between ccw safe and tx law and shield
tx law shield doesnt cover nearly as much. It ONLY pay lawyer fees. Not other associated costs with a trial.
I started with uscca but quickly switch to ccw. They cover more for cheaper and the roots of the company started by law enforcement. Also will mention they have already proven they will win.
Great read and interesting to read an opinion in support of another CCW "Insurance" (contrasting Eric Hung's article reviewing USCCA). You guys are actually the reason I carry insurance (went with USCCA) but I definitely like to read and learn more as you never know when better protection is available, maybe even a better price. Thanks for the info! PS: Thanks for the unrelated Supermodel pic. Guns and gals are always a great pairing and make reading more enjoyable!