If you’re researching the “Best” CCW Insurance, then you likely already know how important self defense liability (legal) protection can be.
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The toughest decision isn’t whether you should get legal protection (you should strongly consider it) but rather which of the many concealed carry coverage options to choose from. It is a mistake to only compare “coverage levels” between these companies because, as a firearms attorney, an expert in firearms, and a licensed insurance agent, I can tell you that the fine-print in each policy is really what matters.
My background and experience means that I can read and analyze the contracts of each company as an attorney, give you advice on what really matters as a firearms expert, and explain what coverages mean as an insurance agent… all for free!
So, if you’d like to read and analyze each insurance policy on your own, this article isn’t for you. However, if you’d like my summary of the pros and cons in each policy and you’d like me to let you know which I think is the best option… read on.
Here’s a quick comparison and ranking of the top 6 concealed carry protection options.
Best Concealed Carry Insurance Companies
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#2 Best Coverage USCCA |
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If you’d like more details, including a review of each concealed carry insurance provider, we cover each one individually (with their specs and details) below in our Our rankings for the best concealed carry insurance
Before we begin, I want to let you know that some of the links below are affiliate links that can help us keep our ammo budget going but they will NOT affect your price nor do they affect our advice.
Top 7 Self-Defense Liability Providers:
- CCW Safe
- USCCA
- Right to Bear
- Second Call Defense
- Firearms Legal Protection
- Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network
- US Law Shield
Companies that Haven’t Made the Cut:
- X Insurance
- Carry Guard
- Lockton Affinity
As a note, most of these companies aren’t “insurance,” they are either pre-paid legal coverage or self-defense liability plans.
Even with my experience as a firearms attorney and as a licensed insurance agent, it can be really hard to compare each one of these companies to each other because there are so many differences.
So, to make it easy, I’m narrowing down my 3 “must haves” when you’re looking for coverage:
- Ability to Pick Your Own Attorney: You should be able to choose the best attorney you can find for your defense. I will never recommend a service that requires you to use their attorney.
- Money Up Front: Getting your legal coverage money up front, instead of only by reimbursement, is a major deal. Having to cover a few hundred thousand dollars of legal expenses while hoping to be reimbursed later is near impossible for most people.
- Daily Allowance / Per Diem: Having your legal expenses covered should be the most critical concern. However, while you’re on trial and can’t work, how are you going to bring in money for your other bills? We recommend a company that gives you a daily “Per Diem” payment while you’re on trial.
So, with these in mind, let’s go ahead and check out which companies I believe are the best options when picking your concealed carry coverage insurance.
CCW Safe Insurance
The best, and most, legal defense coverage and what we purchased for us and our families.
Check Latest Price
- Cost A
- Coverage A+
- Features A
- Value A+
Our Grade
A+
Reader’s Grade
A
Based on 32 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
CCW Safe Specs
- Monthly Cost $18-44
- Criminal Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Defense Max Unlimited
- Pick Own Attorney? Yes
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem $250
CCW Safe Review
CCW Safe is an excellent option for CCW insurance, or “firearms legal protection” – in fact I chose CCW Safe for me and my family and it is my #1 recommendation.
If you’re not sure which company to choose and legal protection is most important to you (instead of training, for example), then you should choose CCW Safe, too.
What we love about CCW Safe: The biggest reason we love CCW Safe is their unlimited and up-front coverage of certain legal expenses.
For example, they cover 100% of the following costs in advance:
- Criminal Defense
- Civil Defense
- Administrative Defense
- Private Investigators
- Expert Witness Coverage
Most people focus on their unlimited criminal and civil defense coverage (and they should), but a cost that many folks don’t consider is how much private investigators and expert witnesses can cost.
Another cost to consider (that will surely be very important to you if it’s needed) is bail bond coverage. CCW Safe provides the highest amount available, $500,000 with the option to upgrade to $1 million.
I think that CCW Safe’s best plan is their “Ultimate Plan for CCW Holders” because it also covers my spouse in 47 states and the rest of my family in our home.
CCW Safe Summary: After comparing their coverage and costs to other companies, it was a no-brainer for me to purchase the Ultimate Plan from CCW Safe for myself and my family. Although I can’t decide whether they’re also right for you, I can say that I have no hesitation in giving them my endorsement.
If you’d like to learn more, check out our full CCW Safe Review.
CCW Safe Pros and Cons
- Unlimited Defense Budgets
- Can Choose Own Lawyer
- Excellent Resources
- Legal “Dream Team”
- Higher-end Cost
- Attorney Must Be Approved
#2 Best Coverage USCCA – CCW Insurance : United States Concealed Carry Association
USCCA – CCW Insurance
United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) Membership offers great features and coverage.
Our Grade
A
Reader’s Grade
B+
Based on 49 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
USCCA Specs
- Monthly Cost $29-49
- Criminal Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Damages Max $2 Million
- Pick Own Attorney? Yes
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem $750
USCCA Review
The United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) comes in at the highest monthly cost, however, members get an amazing amount of features and benefits including a great online training library and checklist, guides, and even a monthly concealed carry magazine.
If you’re looking for additional resources (like training) in addition to legal coverage, then you should choose USCCA.
As for which plan to choose, I like their lowest tier as all of there plans have the same legal coverage! As a matter of fact, my business partner at Gun University, Dave Chesson choose USCCA for his coverage because he specifically wanted the extra features, training, and guides. So, if that’s you, then you should choose USCCA for your coverage.
If you’d like to learn more about what we think of their coverage and membership, please check out our USCCA Review.
USCCA Pros and Cons
- Great Training
- Highest Daily Per Diem
- Can Choose Your Own Lawyer
- Might Have to Pay Everything Back
- Highest Cost
Right to Bear Insurance
Right To Bear is backed by a great company, however, their insurance coverage is limited and must be shared.
Check Latest Price
- Cost A+
- Coverage A-
- Features A-
- Value A+
Our Grade
A
Reader’s Grade
C+
Based on 9 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
Right to Bear Specs
- Monthly Cost $11-51
- Criminal Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Defense Max Unlimited
- Pick Own Attorney? Yes
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem n/a
Right to Bear Review
One of the newest options on the block, Right to Bear ccw insurance is an offering from Palmetto State Armory.
If you’re on a budget but still want great legal coverage, you really should check out Right to Bear – they clearly win our Best Budget Option title.
You can read more about them in our full Right to Bear Insurance review.
Right to Bear Pros and Cons
- Low Cost
- Unlimited Coverage
- Choose Your Own Attorney
- Optional Add-Ons
- Bail Coverage must be added and is capped for any payment
- No longer offers per diem coverage
Second Call Defense – CCW Insurance
A budget friendly option that meets all of our criteria for a CCW insurance company.
Check Latest Price
- Cost A
- Coverage B-
- Features B-
- Value B
Our Grade
B
Reader’s Grade
C+
Based on 10 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
SECOND CALL DEFENSE SPECS
- Monthly Cost $10-35
- Criminal Defense Max $100,000
- Civil Defense Max $1,250,000
- Pick Own Attorney? Yes
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem $500
SECOND CALL DEFENSE REVIEW
Second Call Defense’s lowest tier option is the least expensive among this group of concealed carry insurance providers. However, it only comes with $10,000 of criminal defense protection and no civil defense protection.
The low cost might be enticing, but if you choose Second Call Defense, you really should be looking at their higher tiers. However, note that their limits are the lowest amongst the group.
Despite their lower coverage amounts, Second Call Defense is the only other CCW insurance company to meet all three of our must-have cow insurance guidelines. You can pick your own attorney, you get money upfront and you get a per diem during the trial.
You can read more about Second Call Defense in our Second Call Defense Review
SECOND CALL DEFENSE PROS AND CONS
- Inexpensive
- High Customer Satisfaction
- Capped (limited) Coverage
- Less Value on Lower End
Firearms Legal Protection
Great legal defense coverage with industry-leading extras (but missing a couple of key features)
Check Latest Price
- Cost A
- Coverage B-
- Features B-
- Value A-
Our Grade
B+
Reader’s Grade
A+
Based on 2 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
FLP SPECS
- Monthly Cost $17-45
- Criminal Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Damages Max $0
- Pick Own Attorney? No
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem $300/day
Firearms Legal Protection REVIEW
Firearms Legal Protection is the newest offering on this list and I had some trouble deciding where to put them in this ranking.
In some areas they are excellent – for example, their unlimited legal defense coverage for both criminal and civil matters and also their great coverage (in their premium plans) for extras like bail and expert witnesses.
However, they are currently lacking in a couple of areas – they don’t let you choose your own attorney and there is no civil damages protection.
If you’d like to learn more about them, check out our full Firearms Legal Protection Review.
Firearms Legal Protection PROS AND CONS
- Unlimited Defense Coverages
- Great extra features
- Legal defense focused
- No choice of own attorney
- No civl damages coverage
#6 ACDLN : Armed Citizens Defense League Network
ACDLN
High coverage at a budget rate. Although no per diem, this is a decent option for CCW coverage as long as their fund stays full.
Check Latest Price
- Cost A-
- Features B-
- Coverage B
- Features B-
Our Grade
B
Reader’s Grade
B
Based on 3 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
ACDLN SPECS
- Monthly Cost $12
- Criminal Defense Max Unlimited
- Civil Defense Max Unlimited
- Pick Own Attorney? Yes
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem None
ACLDN REVIEW
The Armed Citizen Legal Defense Network offers low monthly rates and unlimited coverage (up to a limit discussed below), and you can pick your own attorney. On those stats alone, even without a per diem payment, they are a viable option for legal protection.
However, compared to the other options listed here, I think you should look higher up this list.
Also, there’s a bit of fine print to their unlimited coverage for firearms legal protection: they only cover up to half of their defense fund. Currently, the defense fund is large enough that it can cover more than any other fixed amount, but that may not always be the case when you’re the one that needs criminal defense protection. Therefore, I do not recommend you use them.
ACLDN PROS AND CONS
- Unlimited Coverage
- Low Cost
- Coverage Still Limited to Defense Fund
- No Per Diem Rate
US Law Shield – CCW Insurance
Although US Law Shield comes in at a low cost, the inability to pick your own attorney is a deal-breaker for us.
Check Latest Price
- Cost A+
- Coverage D-
- Features F
- Value C
Our Grade
C-
Reader’s Grade
B-
Based on 38 Reviews
Your Grade
Do You Own This Insurance? Leave A Review
Success Your Grade Has BeenAdded To Our Reader’s Score
US Law Shield Specs
- Monthly Cost $11
- Criminal Defense Max unlimited
- Civil Defense Max unlimited
- Pick Own Attorney? No
- Money Up Front? Yes
- Per Diem None
US Law Shield Review
At first, there’s a lot to like about U.S. Law Shield (also called Texas Law Shield). They have one of the lowest monthly rates AND they offer unlimited coverage amounts.
However, no free choice on your own attorney and no per diem bumps them out of the running for our recommended concealed carry insurance.
Unfortunately, this is a deal-breaker for us. Paying a bad attorney a lot of money won’t help. That’s why I marked them so low on this list and you should avoid.
US Law Shield Pros and Cons
- Low Cost
- Unlimited Coverage
- No Per Diem
- No Choice of Attorney
X Insurance is, to date, the WORST coverage we’ve seen offered.
Not only can we not recommend X Insurance for CCW coverage, we fully encourage you to avoid them entirely. You should absolutely avoid them at all costs.
For more details on why they did not make our list of recommended companies, check out our X Insurance Review.
The NRA’s Carry Guard did not make our list of top firearms legal liability providers because they are no longer available as an option.
The NRA came out with Carry Guard in 2017 but ended it in 2019 due to many lawsuits and issues with state regulatory agencies.
If you were looking for Carry Guard and want to know who to get instead, we recommend CCW Safe.
Lockton Affinity is a large insurance company that provides many great products. In fact, we recommend their business insurance for FFLs.
Unfortunately, their concealed carry insurance coverage does not make the cut – we hope it is improved as it is a brand new offering by them.
The reasons we can’t recommend them are:
- Criminal Defense coverage is reimbursement only
- They have low coverage amounts (compared to other companies)
- Daily per diem amount comes out of coverage limits
To learn more about their coverage, check out our full Lockton Affinity Insurance Review.
BEST CCW INSURANCE BUYER’S GUIDE
CONCEALED CARRY INSURANCE COSTS AND COMPARISONS
There are MANY variables to consider when picking the right concealed carry insurance for yourself. You absolutely must determine which features are best for you.
To put things in a closer perspective, here are the crucial features of the groups we recommend above side-by-side.
| Feature | CCW Safe | USCCA | Second Call Defense | ACLDN | U.S. Law Shield | Right to Bear | Firearms Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $16-42 | $29-49 | $10-35 | $12 | $11 | $11 | $17-45 |
| Criminal Defense Max | Unlimited | Unlimited | $100,000 | Unlimited* | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Civil Defense Max | Unlimited | Unlimited | $1,000,000 | Unlimited* | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Civil Liability Max | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $250,000 | $0 | $0 | Unlimited | $0 |
| Pick Own Attorney? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Money Up Front? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Per Diem Max | $250 | $750 | $500 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $300 |
See Details | See Details | See Details | See Details | See Details | See Details | See Details |
Just getting “CCW Insurance” is NOT enough.
If you really want to protect yourself against legal and financial risks, you need to ensure that your cow insurance has these three things:
- The ability to pick your own attorney
- Money upfront
- Per diem during trial
Picking Your Own Attorney
Let me break it down real simple: you don’t want me as your criminal defense attorney.
I am an attorney. I am even an attorney that specializes in firearms law. However, my last exposure to the topic of criminal law was in a law school classroom. Trust me, neither of us would want me as your attorney in a criminal defense case.
Some CCW insurance providers will only provide you protection if you use an attorney they pick. Please avoid this. I suggest you get an attorney that you have confidence in, that is the best you could find, and that you never have to wonder if they are doing what is best for you vs what is the cheapest for the insurance company.
Get the Money Up Front
If your CCW insurance provider guarantees coverage up to a certain amount but only reimburses you after the fact, it’s better than nothing but it doesn’t help you avoid the heartache and cost burden of the process.
For example, if you have to sell your home and everything you own to pay for trials, getting reimbursed is better than nothing, but wouldn’t it have been better to not have to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars on your own? Of course, it would have.
Get Paid a Per Diem During Trial
In addition to the legal fees, you also have the risk of lost income you may experience if you lose your job during months of trial.
Getting your legal fees covered is great, but that doesn’t help pay your mortgage or help you support your family during a trial. If you can afford it, please consider a CCW insurance option that gives you a daily per diem (allowance every day) during a trial.
Concealed Cary Insurance Articles
As both a firearms attorney and a licensed insurance agent, I’ve spent a lot of time writing about this subject. If you’d like to learn more about any of these companies or about CCW insurance in general, then be sure to check out my other CCW coverage and protection articles below:
