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Oy, the wait is killing me

7K views 66 replies 23 participants last post by  tex45acp 
#1 · (Edited)
Seriously, how long does it take the state of Texas to send a packet of papers?

I have recently discussed with some others who have decided they too wanted to get their CCW license in 2005, and I'm finding out that CCW permits are apparently not a high priority issue for the Department of Public Safety.

Now in my state, you basically have to mail in a form to get the application packet. You have to make the application to get the application in other words.

I spoke to one woman who sent off her paper work last November and still hasn't received her packet. It's February for all intents and purposes. That's 3 months waiting on the application alone!

I've gathered this is not a Texas phenomenon. It seems in other states the wait can be even longer, and the process more difficult.

The way I see it, I'm going to have to wait months for the papers to arrive, then I'll have to take time to get prints made, which is a real PITA, and then get photos made, and fill the thing out correctly. Then I'll have to wait for the 3rd Saturday of the month to take the freaking class.

Then I have to mail it all in and wait and wait and wait some more.

This is literally going to take all year. I suppose it's not all bad as I'm practicing an awful lot in the meantime, but honestly I'm competent to possess the license right now.

What if I were a recently divorced woman and my ex husband were stalking me? What if I were a prosecuting attorney or a retired peace officer?

I realize this process isn't quick but come on this is just silly. It shouldn't take them any longer to process than driver's license application. Why the wait? They make such a big deal out of all the paperwork and all the legal requirements and then they sit on them.

Heck I even looked into physically going to the DPS, but found out they're just going to give me a form to mail in. You'd think they'd at least let you go down there and get printed and your picture taken in person like they do for a driver's license. Instead, they give you a form to fill out and mail in. Come on, I could go in there any day this week, and walk out in a couple of hours with my first driver's license.

Well I saved myself a trip and just downloaded the pdf off the DPS website, filled it out, and mailed it in myself. That's a little bit of time saved. The form only actually had to travel about 34 miles to Austin. I could have delivered it myself if I'd felt so inclined.

Of course why can't I download the actual packet? That would save the state time and resources. It's my paper I'd be using!

I then found where it was buried on the state's website you could apply online. It took some doing to find it too.

This I think is a subtle form of gun control. The resources to process these permits faster are already present in Texas and I bet they are in your state too. They don't have to build a new DPS building. I should be able to walk into the DPS with a certificate stating I've completed a state approved CCW course, fill out the paperwork, get my mugshot taken, get the prints, pay $200 or whatever and walk out the door with my temporary CHL while I wait for the permanent one to come in the mail in 2 weeks.

Here's another pisser: I'm a Texas certified educator and I have a Texas Driver's License. The state has all this information about me already. They have my prints, they have my picture, my address, everything.

Also, I have to go to the County Sheriff's department to get prints made. The DPS can't/won't do it. Last time I did this, I arrived at 12:30 pm. The woman behind the counter said they don't start making prints until 1:00 PM. I said Okay I will wait. That's fair enough. At 1 o clock the woman who had been doing nothing but sitting at the counter filing her nails for 30 minutes gets up and says "Okay let's take those prints now."

I'm also going to have to go somewhere to get some Passport Photos it seems.

This is just silly. It really is. Well hopefully by 2007 they'll send me the packet to apply for the packet to apply for the application to take the test to be fingerprinted to send in so I can wait for the real application. Sheesh.

Anyone else have problems like this in your state? How many months did it take you to get your actual permit?
 
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#28 ·
Euclidean - perhaps you've already known this, but there is one website I keep in my favorites - www.texasonline.com theres a bunch of good links. It used to be a main link to get to the CHL page, but now you gotta search thru their "permits" page. However, here it is
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/chlsindex.htm

The site is good for all the statistics, such as current reprocicity states.
When I sent all my paperwork in, I used to go to the website and track the progress online....it took me approximately 4 wks to get mine last Spring.
 
#31 ·
Okay update on this case. TXDPS sent me a letter today stating my application was incomplete because, get this, I did not sign the back of one of my photos.

They very thoughtfully however taped one of my photos to the letter. I signed it in a bold black Sharpie marker and will take it back to the post office tonight. I knew something would go wrong, but at least it was very mild.

I noticed however the letter was dated the 24th but I got it on the 31st. Typical goverment efficiency. This has probably added untold days to my total processing time.

On the bright side it means they opened my application packet much sooner than I thought they would.

I'm sending it off tonight and crossing my fingers and hoping the next letter from the DPS is good news.

I do not recall anywhere in the instructions where it says you must sign the back of your photograph but now I know I guess.
 
#32 ·
Oh my - what a saga! It is chronic the way so many ''permits'' - (those things that supposedly make your pre-existing right confirmed!!!!) take forever. I hope your wait will soon be over Euc'.

Firstly - I consider my 20 minutes of time spent at Sheriff's office originally, a very easy option - admittedly we have no specific training requirement tho I have shot for ever and have NRA cert. My wife at last got hers a month or two ago - she was there barely 30 minutes. I trained her long ago (make of that what you will!!).

I am waiting on my FL non-res ...... probably be late May before I see that. I was (I thought) scrupulous in my care over submitting all things ''just so''... but had a letter back saying they wanted proof of my 90 days+ residency in PA. What? I sent a utility bill from late last year! So guess they lost it! I reprinted that one and threw in an extra from many months before. Thus far have heard no more and just hope the application is going thru.
 
#33 ·
Thanks P95. The whole point of this thread is to show how ridiculous this whole process is. Even in a supposedly gun friendly state (Texas is not a gun friendly state by any stretch), a person who has already undergone criminal background checks, who already has prints on file, who the public trusts with the supervision of large numbers of minors en loco parentis, is having this much trouble.

Is it the end of the world? No, but it shows how ridiculous this whole thing is. Someone else in worse circumstances could pay the price for this kind of nonsense with their life.
 
#34 ·
Euc' - I'll wager the term ''public servants'' grates with you as it does with so many. For you and others in a similar situation, one is bound to wonder whether conspiracies abound - departmental complacencies, apathies, generation of hurdles just ''cos they can''. Worse it seems for you as they have prints and background checks etc - makes them pretty much fresh outa excuses - you'd think! :(

It is appalling, and makes us realize how far down the slippery slope we are even now, in all too many ways. I'll run ''Ol' Glory'' straight up the flagstaff when I see your post saying it is done and over with! :D
 
#35 ·
True enough. I do think this whole process could be more reasonably handled at a much lower fee with a 6-8 week turnaround time and a streamlined process.

I figure the best I can do is hold out until I get it and then show the state of Texas that ordinary responsible people are interested in their right to carry. There won't be any change until some more people get involved and get their permit and their TSRA membership.

Yeah I know it's BS we have to have a permit and a TSRA but change happens one small step at a time.
 
#36 ·
I got my last renewal sent back because the notary stamped it but didn’t sign it. Thankfully I did it well ahead of the expiration date so I was able to get the corrected forms in and processed before my license expired.
 
#37 ·
Euclidean said:
Someone else in worse circumstances could pay the price for this kind of nonsense with their life.
From the ''public servants'' perspective...what's the hurry...they already have their guns!! :biggrin:

Not sure what you mean by "worse circumstances", but I'm assuming you're referring to someone having a legitimate fear for their life. I gotta be honest here folks, there is no law or lack of some permit that would ever stop me from packin' if I had a reason to believe my life was in danger!

Truth is I made a conscious decision over twenty five years ago to carry a gun (yes illegally)...not because I couldn't have jumped through the legal hoops, but because until recently, the legal options were just not available to people of my social status. I have always felt the risk was worth it!!

Do I feel relieved today that I carry legally...of coarse...I never realized the weight that would be lifted having carried all those years. But the reality is, as long as there are places in this country like Kalifornia and others that don't buy in to 2nd amendment or reciprocity, I continue to carry when forced to visit these states....the lives of me and my loved one's are worth it!! That's just a personal choice I've made and a risk I'm willing to live with.

So be patient Euc...no amount of bitchin' or whining about the system will make it happen any faster, and will only serve to torment you until the day your "golden ring" arrives!
 
#39 ·
Euclidean.....I got mine last year...applied in April and it took about 6 wks. They used to have a website where you could monitor the progress of the application. Maybe you got an "anti-gunner" handling your app....be patient, it'll get there. I too have wondered why it takes as long as it does...I've maintained all my Govt security clearances for 30 years...there's probably a pile of paperwork on me saying I'm a trustworthy good ole boy, but they just never know...I could be a psychomilitantcommieterroristdrugrunner!!! LOL!
 
#40 ·
When I got my initial license my instructor said there were just a couple of ladies down in Austin handling all the applications. He said there were nice ladies who were competent in their jobs and did them well, they were just over worked. I talked to one of them once about an address change and she seemed competent and helpful. I don’t know if they have more people on staff now, but I suspect the length of time it takes to get it done has more to do with not enough people for the work load than any incompetence on the part of the people there.
 
#42 ·
Secamp that's probably the easier thing to do.

The trouble I have with that is if I do that, it's basically telling the state of Texas I don't care about what the state of Texas thinks about my right to carry.

Now if I lived in a state where it really was a tremendous pain like Missouri, yeah I'd have gone Out of State in a heartbeat.

As much as I'm whining it's really not all that terrible. And in the long term I'd like the Texas program to look more like the Arizona or Florida program.
 
#43 ·
secamp32 said:
you could have gotten the forms, filled the out, mailed, and received Florida permit.
Still not a bad idea! Go to packing.org and see what states you gain by either a Florida or Utah permit. Extra coverage never hurts if ya get around.
 
#44 ·
I WOULD get a home state permit .ie Texas

Euclidean said:
The trouble I have with that is if I do that, it's basically telling the state of Texas I don't care about what the state of Texas thinks about my right to carry.
.
But if you had done Florida at the same time you wouldn't be so aggravated over the delay. And you could be carrying now instead of 3 months from now. I think everyone should get a home state permit if its available to boost the numbers and show support for their state. Waiting is always the hardest part (except in NY). I have 5 permits and everytime I applied for another 1, everyday its "Where's the mail! Did my XYZ pemit come?" Even when I wasn't planning on visiting that state. NH and PA were the best. 2 weeks round trip. NY was the worst, almost a year.
 
#46 ·
secamp32 said:
you could have gotten the forms, filled the out, mailed, and received Florida permit.
Regardless of what other permits you have, I think you should have a permit in the State in which you live. If everyone got out of state permits, the politicians (in your State) very well may not think it is a popular issue and not work to improve it. When it turns out a lot of people are on the roles the politicians start seeing them as a powerful voters' block that will burn their ass in an election if they mess with the law....

What we should do is everyone get a permit in every state we are allowed to. :smile:
 
#47 ·
I think my Florida permit took 58 days

Euclidean said:
I think I'd be in the same boat actually. Florida's permits seem to take about 90 days round trip as well, or am I mistaken about that?
But I thought you said that it took 90 days just to get the forms? Or was that total turnaround time?
 
#48 ·
The forms come thru quite quick - I procured mine on line. They came in mail within a week IIRC.

The turn around time tho is quoted as ''allow 90 days''. Supposedly faster if prints done electronically. I did a std print card and so expect mine will take quite a while to get done.
 
#49 ·
secamp32 said:
But I thought you said that it took 90 days just to get the forms? Or was that total turnaround time?
Oh I see your confusion.

It was 3.5 weeks (a month) to get the packet in the mail. I am for the sake of assuming things, assuming that I started the process formally January 11, 2005 when I paid the application fee and applied online.

I assume if one were to request form from Florida they should realistically expect a 1-2 week wait, which is entirely reasonable.

I can only hope someone else will consult this thread one day and learn what to expect more or less.
 
#51 ·
I don’t think getting an out of state license in place of your own state’s is a good idea. Just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it is the most prudent choice. Take a common scenario. You are stopped for speeding. In Texas, if you are carrying and a police officer asks for your driver’s license, you are required to also give your CHL. If you are in Texas, you have to follow Texas CHL laws, so this applies even if you have an out of state CHL. So now you hand the Texas State Trooper your drivers license and your Florida concealed carry license and inform him, that yes, you have a handgun on you. Are you ready for the questions? So you’re a Texas resident, but you have a Florida CHL instead of a Texas CHL? Why? Oh, the paper work was too much of a pain in the butt? What are you trying to hide? Why could you not qualify for a Texas CHL? Sure, you could – step out of the car.

Of course, you will probably win in the end, but this may be after a little stay in a cell, bail posted and an attorney hired. Is it worth it? Think it can’t happen? There is reciprocity, but that is designed for out of state visitors. A Texas resident with an out of state CHL in place of a Texas one throws up a red flag. I think anybody who has dealt with Texas DPS will back me up on this. The are very no nonsense.

And just imagine, if God forbid, you ever had to use your weapon. The local anti-gun DA hands over this justifiable shooting to a grand jury. Do you really want the extra questions regarding your out of state Concealed Carry License, in addition to all the other questions you will have to answer?
 
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