Who should issue Carry Permits

[DaveH]

I've been thinking about who should issue Carry Permits (whatever they are called in your State.

Here in Virginia resident permits are issued by the local court, not the sheriff. In some local jurisdictions (prior to "must" issue) that created problems in some localities. Even recently, we had to "tie down" State law about the currency and source of approved training to stop some judges denials.

In many, if not most, places issue is done by the sheriff. Again that seems to create variation/inconsistency in application.

Is one approach better that the other?

Would a Statewide issuing agency be better?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[kspilot536]

I don't know who should issue them but it should NOT be the status quo!
2-4 months to do a background check is CRAZY!
It should NOT take anymore than 14 days from time of fingerprint submission to recieving the permit in the mail!
And that go's for ALL states!

[oldogy]

IMO, the state should issue. Eliminates the local power hungry or local wanna-be power hungry. State issue works about as well as I would expect in TN.
oldogy

[retsupt99]

Who could ask for a better person to issue permits than the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Charles Bronson.

[VTFatBa*d]

Ideally, every state would be like Vermont. No license required to carry concealed or open. If you're legal to buy, you're legal to carry.

Now if we could just get rid of that stupid prohibition against carry in schools.

[Tally XD]

Who could ask for a better person to issue permits than the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Charles Bronson.

Agreed! They have went above and beyond to make sure their department issued in a timely manner!

[tiwee]

One more vote for the Florida system.

[44Runner]

I agree that it should be a state wide agency to eliminate differences in the process. That is how it is done here in SC.

[Divebum47]

Actually, no government entity should issue or deny a Constitutional right to bear, keep and carry arms. However, until the government realizes that they work for us, rather than the converse, I would think that the local County Sheriff's Office should be the right agency. The Sheriff's Department is the lowest common denominator covering an entire county, irrespective of municipalities, but still having jurisdiction over a relatively large area. Small enough to know the local populace, and large enough so that there are not a whole bunch of small bureaucracies telling us what to do and when to do it.

[mcp1810]

As long as permits are required I think it should be a state agency like drivers licenses. I have known too many politicians at the county level to trust them with administering a program like that fairly.

[dlclarkii]

In PA our county sheriff issues the LTCFs and we're a shall issue state, average wait time is 15 minutes, only need to be of age and have no criminal record and you can walk out the courthouse with a LTCF.

[Cericko]

In PA our county sheriff issues the LTCFs and we're a shall issue state, average wait time is 15 minutes, only need to be of age and have no criminal record and you can walk out the courthouse with a LTCF.

That's interesting. In Lawrence County (Western PA) I went to the court house, filled out the app, and paid my $25. The sheriff's office called my three contacts that I had listed within 30 minutes, and then proceeded to take a week to mail me the CWP. So I guess, even in a state you have different protocols for issuance.

I agree that it should be the state and not local government if the state has to override the Constitution and require CWP's at all. As my father use to say. "Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely!" I guess we have become an "Animal Farm."

[Cericko]

...and one other interesting bit of trivia. I live in both New Castle, PA and Roswell, GA. My DL is now a GA license as I've changed my residency, but both the sheriff's office and the PA State Police have told me that my PA-CWP is valid in PA for the entire term even though I've changed residency. On the other hand, I don't believe that GA will now accept my PA-CWP as it once would because I'm now a GA resident. If we have any GA folks that can confirm, that would be great.

[JerryM]

As long as permits are required I think it should be a state agency like drivers licenses. I have known too many politicians at the county level to trust them with administering a program like that fairly.

Yes. Although one might disagree with requiring a license, that is the way it is. That being so a state agency is the best overall.
We go from where we are, and not where we would wish we were.

Regards,
Jerry

[AKsrule]

That's interesting. In Lawrence County (Western PA) I went to the court house, filled out the app, and paid my $25. The sheriff's office called my three contacts that I had listed within 30 minutes, and then proceeded to take a week to mail me the CWP. So I guess, even in a state you have different protocols for issuance.
I agree that it should be the state and not local government if the state has to override the Constitution and require CWP's at all. As my father use to say. "Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely!" I guess we have become an "Animal Farm."

The point is that PA State Law regulates How and When the Sherrif issues
the license, the time frame varies because it's defined (45 days) in the law.

And if an ELECTED official (sherrif ) starts getting lax about his duties , they
can be voted OUT.