Mopar89, welcome to the forum and the fun world of Mississippi weapons carry.
I will apologize in advance for not providing direct links to the codes I'm citing, but I have yet to find a way to directly link to a page on the Lexis Nexis site. In lieu of direct links, you can go to
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/mscode/ and drill down to or search for the statute numbers.
Also, if you haven't seen it before, the state Firearms Permit Unit has some relevant info.
http://www.dps.state.ms.us/firearms/firearms-permit-unit/
The wait time for the permit was recently (last few years?) reduced to 45 days. See 45-9-101:
(c) The Department of Public Safety shall, within forty-five (45) days after the date of receipt of the items listed in subsection (5) of this section:
(i) Issue the license;
(ii) Deny the application based solely on the ground that the applicant fails to qualify under the criteria listed in subsections (2) and (3) of this section. If the Department of Public Safety denies the application, it shall notify the applicant in writing, stating the ground for denial, and the denial shall be subject to the appeal process set forth in subsection (7); or
(iii) Notify the applicant that the department is unable to make a determination regarding the issuance or denial of a license within the forty-five-day period prescribed by this subsection, and provide an estimate of the amount of time the department will need to make the determination.
If you haven't read the laws relevant to weapons carry, please do so - frequently and thoroughly. Ignorance of the law rarely (never?) saves you from the consequences of unknowingly breaking it. And though many will offer opinions on the interpretations of various laws and cases, in the end, it may be
your butt on the line, and you need to make choices based on your own knowledge. That said, here are a list of statutes you should peruse (I'm sure others could add to the list):
- 45-9-101 License to carry stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver
- 97-37-1 Deadly weapons; carrying while concealed; use or attempt to use; penalties
- 97-37-9 Deadly weapons; defenses against indictment for carrying deadly weapon
- 97-37-19 Deadly weapons; exhibiting in rude, angry, or threatening manner
- 97-3-15 Homicide; justifiable homicide; use of defensive force; duty to retreat
- 97-3-31 Homicide; killing unnecessarily, while resisting effort of slain to commit felony or do unlawful act
By the way, 97-3-15 (justifiable homicide, etc.) is long and complex, so be sure to read it over and over, so you know exactly what the allowable boundaries of deadly force are in this state.
