Welcome to Plane Cents!

The truth is, getting a “Permit to Carry a Firearm” in Minnesota can be very expensive and for some folks it can be too expensive and they go unprotected.

The cost for that course is left up to the individual training organization, yet most of these organizations price their classes at $125, $150, or even $200. At Plane Cents LLC, we believe that it’s your right to obtain a permit to carry a firearm and that you shouldn’t be “priced out” of that right.

Unlike several other states that only require that citizens be “law abiding” in order to carry a firearm, Minnesota requires that potential applicants attend a “Minnesota Permit to Carry a Firearm” course conducted by an organization certified by the BCA. So what exacty do you get for your $70.00 from Plane Cents LLC? You’ll be taught the key things that will keep you out of trouble in Minnesota, including the three key things that the state requires us to teach including: Instruction in the fundamentals of pistol use; instruction in the legal aspects of firearm possession, carry, and use, including the rules governing the use of deadly force, and an actual shooting qualification. In addition to those topics, we’ll also provide you with the appropriate instruction and certificate that you’ll need if you’d like to apply for many permits which, when combined with your Minnesota permit, will allow you to carry in 31 states.

About Plane Cents Self Defense

At the West Metro Waconia location we shoot indoors, eliminating the extra driving time and expense to qualify at off-site ranges. 

Plane Cents Self Defense is responsible for training thousands of students since the passage of the Minnesota Citizen’s Personal Protection Act in 2003. Our reasonable prices, instructor experience, and energetic classes lead to hundreds of student referrals year after year! Our Permit to Carry class is approximately 3 hours long, and combines a variety of training materials including a Power Point presentation and several pieces of gear related to firearms and the mechanics of carry. Our range qualification is low stress and is meant to demonstrate your safety and competence with a firearm and is not meant to establish a threshold not required by the law. I was privileged to have a sit in by the person who oversees the permit background checks for Carver County. I was told it was just a random check, but I was worried. Well I did very well and got their blessing. I have also had numerous Sheriff’s Deputies, county prosecutors, and many police officers from various departments sit in over the years. We always get a positive report. We just do a good job.

  • Qualification Guns Provided (silenced)
  • Range Fees Vary by Location
  • Snacks & Refreshments Provided!
  • Class length 3 – 4 hours
  • Class completition certification valid for one year!
  • Private Classes Available!
  • We shoot Indoors!
  • Instructions for CCW application provided!

Joe Penaz

Owner of Plane Cents, LLC

In addition to being listed with the BCA as a “certifying” organization (I can certify instructors to work under me), I am also certified by the NRA for the following courses: Personal Protection, Basic Pistol, Refuse To Be A Victim, and Range Officer; I’ve had more than 400 hours of formal firearms training, including frequent visits to FrontSite (Lifetime Member); International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors member and trained in the master instructor course.  Joe and Marcia are now also part of the Gunsite family, having spent 5 days there in June 2017.  We encourage all our students to get some training in safe gun handling and shooting skills.  Hitting your target is a must.  Do not be afraid to ask instructors about their qualifications and training, including who they took training from and when. Contact me via email at joepenaz@planecents.net or give me a call at (612) 327-3490 if you have questions or would like more information.

Why do I carry a gun?

When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don’t carry it because I’m afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn’t limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation…and that’s why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

Why are we so inexpensive?

We do not have a fancy expensive web site, I do it myself and it probably shows. This is one of the ways we save costs and pass it to you. Because we do not do this to make a living! Plane Cents has been here since the beginning, one of the first instructors certified in 2003, and have trained over 11,000 students. We think everyone should be able to carry, not just the elite with lots of extra cash. All courses are BCA approved!