New Changes to USCCA’s Membership Programs
You may have heard about the USCCA's recent program changes, and if you haven't yet heard that's what this article is about. And if you have heard about them but are in need some extra clarity about what this all means, we recently got the lo-down from the company so we can present you with as much info as possible.
Make sure you check out our Self Defense Insurance Chart (which will reflect these changes, soon).
My goal with this article is to help you understand what has changed, what has stayed the same, and if there is anything you need to do.
As always, I feel like I need to point out that we're not the USCCA, though we are friends with them and have similar names with similar goals.
So what has changed with USCCA's self-defense benefits?
The biggest change (at least to me) comes in the form of all levels of membership receiving the same amount of “self-defense liability insurance benefits.” This means that if you are currently at the highest level of membership (or even the middle level) and don't care about the new stuff they've added to those higher tiers, you may want to consider lowering your membership level to save nearly half of the money you'd be spending.
Again, all levels now offer the same coverage; 2.25 Million dollars in self-defense liability.
This then, begs the question about why there are still different tiers to their program. The answer is because the USCCA seems to be getting more into training, and perhaps further away from self-defense legal stuff.
The United States Concealed Carry Association has launched their new Protector Academy. Each level of membership has at least some education included in it, with the possibility of qualifying at different “levels,” as seen in the above graphic.
Also changing is the price you'll pay, as follows:
Gold: Was $22/month or $247/year now $29/month or $299/year
Platinum: Was $30/month or $347/year now $39/month or $399/year
Elite: Was $47/month or $497/year now $49/month or $499/year
To quote the USCCA:
Education and training is now the primary focus of the USCCA membership as well as provides the differences in levels of membership. There are now varied levels of education and training that come with each level of membership.
As a continued part of the education and training focus, the USCCA has launched its new Protector Academy. The Protector Academy is included with all memberships, but again varies in how much training is available to each member. The Protector Academy also includes different levels of qualifications for members to take a combination of online courses as well.
And again, it may be worthwhile to drop your coverage to a lower level if you don't need the training aspect. Or, if you are in the market for training, there are, of course, other options out there like our Guardian Nation membership with an extensive library of gun skills.
By the way, these are skills that will be used in real world defensive situations, or just to help you shoot your gun better. And of course, you can always take advantage of the extra benefits and discounts, like the following:
- Shooter's skill videos (which is what our training is)
- 20% discount on CCW Safe membership
- 10% discount on our ENTIRE store
- Quarterly Gearbox filled to the brim with tactical goodness
- Ongoing 5% discount on Ammo Supply Warehouse purchases
- Ongoing member-only discount on Honor Defense handguns
- And more …
I may be bias, and I haven't viewed the USCCA's training program in any detail, but I can say that ours is top notch. And, therefore, if you're in the market for a new training program that you can view at your own pace you should consider joining the Guardian Nation.
Learn more about GN Membership, here.
I'd feel remiss if I didn't at least state that nothing is meant to take the place of in-person instruction, so always keep that in mind when looking for gun training.
Conclusion:
To summarize, the USCCA has recently made a few changes to their program. Now, it seems all tiers have the same amount of coverage if you need to defend yourself. So, if you only need your USCCA membership to protect you after the fact, it makes sense to save some money, especially since the prices have seemed to increase. Going forward, though, it looks like USCCA's primary goal is to educate people.
*Disclaimer:
The USCCA is not an insurance company. A policy has been issued to the USCCA by Universal Fire and Casualty Insurance Company. That policy provides the association and its members with self-defense liability insurance, subject to its terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions.
Are there any state restrictions where membership insurance isn’t recognized?
Thank you. My primary concern was Insurrance, not being sold training. This just means I should investigate and locate a company more interested in insurance.
The only problem is that USCCA actually does still have thebest insurance coverage for the price despite their new focus on training. I would consider the basic Gold Level if training isnt as important to you.
Hi,
I am trying to renew my membership with USCCA.
I really would like to pay by check please.
Can someone help me with the renewal?
Thank you.
We are not the USCCA. You should contact them for renewal.