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?
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?