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Just Plain Goofy CCP Renewel In TN Today

2K views 32 replies 22 participants last post by  NONAME762 
#1 ·
I get a notice in from the TN Department of Homeland Security. It was to notify me that I needed to renew my carry permit.

Now, to their credit, it was months in advance of the expiration date, and they included an envelope, and the form that I needed to fill out. So far, all good.

The letter also told me that I could renew in person. Thats where everything got goofy today.

In my hometown, we dont have an office where I can renew. But, as luck would have it, I had a seminar in Nashville today, and would be driving through a town that did have one, on my way home.

After putting my "Big Brain" on it, (something I say to indicate Oh Boy, something went wrong), I got to wondering if the office I needed to go to was a non carry building.

I couldnt remember off the top of my head. I mean, its a place one never really goes.

On one hand, it seemed reasonable to think that "OF COURSE YOU CAN CARRY AT THE PLACE YOU RENEW. ITS OBVIOUS, ISNT IT?". On the other hand, it also seemed a good possibility that perhaps the TN DHS office might be a prohibited area.

Now, thats where I put my "Big Brain" to work on it all. I was driving on the interstate, and traffic pretty heavy. I couldnt pull up the information in print on my phone.

Soooooooooooo, I thought to myself, "Hey! Lets call them and ask". That seemed like a pretty good plan.

I called my Wife, and asked her to look up the number of that office, and give em a call, and ask could one, with a valid TN CCP, going to renew their license, could carry on the permises. She foresaw difficulties in doing this, but I reassured her that folks would be happy to have folks ask...Yeah...Right, lol.

Then, to really put my "Big Brain" to work, I thought I would call the Tennessee Highway Patrol Hdqtrs. See, they used to be the ones in the office that is now called Homeland Security.

So, while Wife is working on one call, I call The THP. I must say, the result of that call was ... not all I had hoped for. I call, and ask what seems like a very reasonable question.

The person on the other end seemed to have a different take on it all. Before I knew it, I was getting asked "You carry a gun with you everywhere you go, do you?" OK, being serious for a minute, thats one dumb question.

As I explained, "No, thats why Im calling YOU. To make sure I dont carry into a prohibitted area".

Well, bottom line is that, I got nowhere with that phone call. And for some reason started to think that perhaps my Wife had a point after all.

About that time the Wife calls me back. Shes laughing, relating how she had to go through 3 different people at that office, who all asked her the same question "What premises are you talking about?"

To which she replied with the most reassuring answer you can imagine; "YOURS". She went on to relate how her husband was on the way, and was carrying, but wanted her to check it out first.

She described how each person then seemed to become excited, and transferred her up the line to a supervisor.

Finally with the 3rd person, they understood exactly what she was talking about. And the answer was "NO". You cant carry there.

By now some of you are probably wondering why I didnt just show up, and if they had a gun buster sign displayed, simply leave my gun in the car. Well, thats also the place that they issue state IDs, and drivers licenses, and there was no way I wanted to get there, walk up to the door in front of people, some of whom might not have clean criminal backgrounds, and be of what might be described as a "Larcenous nature", and have them observe me putting a gun in the car.

Since the answer was "No carry there", I pulled off the road before arriving there, and secured my weapon, then was off to renew.

All humor aside, I am really bothered that the people who should know the answers to all this, either did not, or got concerned because an honest, law abiding Citizen, with a valid State Carry Permit, wanted to double check to see what was proper there.

As we all know, criminals, nuts or terrorists dont bother asking, or pay attention to gun buster signs. The fact that I was double checking, in an attempt to comply with the law should really have been met with better responses.

Now for the plus side of it all. The people I dealt with at the renewal office couldnt have been nicer. The process was pretty quick, and efficient. Pretty much all one could hope for.
 
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#4 ·
This ***should be*** simple information found on their website, citing the code it is in compliance with...i.e. "concealed carry of weapons are prohibited on state property, IAW state code xxx.xxx, dated dd MMM YY"
 
#7 ·
All humor aside, I am really bothered that the people who should know the answers to all this, either did not, or got concerned because an honest, law abiding Citizen, with a valid State Carry Permit, wanted to double check to see what was proper there.
Not all that atypical, actually. Lots of gate-keeper types out there, in the administrative "service" of the people.
 
#11 ·
My thoughts, exactly. Without exception, everyone I know who has called to ask permission anywhere has ultimately received a resounding no, whether the premises were posted or not.
 
#9 ·
Not to be obtuse here, but I can actually relate to the concerns of the offices. Yes, I agree you were trying to do what is correct and legal, but that could really get lost in translation on a cell phone call or multiple calls. I'm glad it all worked out well.

Sounds like a Lifetime License or mail is easier. :rofl:
 
#14 ·
Lol. Me being me, (with my sense of humor), can see how it got lost in translation, too. So can my Wife who was laughing when calling me.

Actually, prior to arriving at that office, I was saying to her on the phone, "Well, if they dont have every Trooper car in the State surrounding the office when I pull in, waiting for me, I should be home shortly".
 
#15 ·
"Well, if they dont have every Trooper car in the State surrounding the office when I pull in, waiting for me, I should be home shortly"
^^^^^ That's pretty funny.

In Texas the LEO always have an officer at the DMV, because goodness, you can;'t drive on an expired license if there's a Warrant out on you. :lolp:

I asked once, they nab two or three bad guys per day, every day, in line to get a new license. Not the brightest stars in the sky.
 
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#16 ·
I would have thought you would have know this long before renewal. I go to sheriff office to pay and new picture. He sends off to the state boys and they send me new permit. No guns in sheriff office. In Ky. unless your a LEO
 
#18 ·
Yeah. Well, as re "Knowing for sure", I did not. And, me being me, Id have double checked, anyway. Btw, heres something I think most are missing; This "Tn Department of Homeland Security" stuff is relatively new. It may have been in business for years now, but for a long time about all they seemed to have was some fortress in Nashville, and a few trucks, here and there.

I dont know when they switched out mainly Troopers and staff for these guys. They probably just put a new name on the door, and changed uniforms. I dont know.

But that, too left me clueless. OK! I have a good way to explain my quandry; TN DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DID NOT EXIST WHEN I GOT MY PERMIT. So I knew the rules for all kinds of other stuff, but not that bunch.

Double checking would save folks lots of legal expenses, and headaches.
 
#19 ·
Alternative to NICS

Under the Federal rules a permit that is good for not more than five years MAY serve as an alternative to the NICS check when you buy a gun. Here in the Great State of South Carolina my permit qualifies. If we went to longer permits, I would lose that benefit. Something to consider when asking for a longer permit.

For more information see https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/permanent-brady-permit-chart and https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/permanent-brady-state-lists.

John W in SC
 
#29 ·
Under the Federal rules a permit that is good for not more than five years MAY serve as an alternative to the NICS check when you buy a gun. Here in the Great State of South Carolina my permit qualifies. If we went to longer permits, I would lose that benefit. Something to consider when asking for a longer permit.

For more information see https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/permanent-brady-permit-chart and https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/permanent-brady-state-lists.

John W in SC
I just looked up how long TN permits are good for. 4 years, it appears.

And I can tell you, they dont waive NICS checks here because of a permit. At least I have never seen it done, or done for me.

It would be great if so. Save some time and money.
 
#22 ·
Just renewed my Florida CWFL at the local office. With no appointment signed in at the desk at 2:07 and took a seat, called to a clerk at 2:10 presented paperwork, she took my picture, took my $60 check, signed a form and she handed me my new CWFL at 2:30
 
#23 ·
The last time I renewed in TN, they handed me a new laminated permit, too. Now, for both a license renewal, and apparently CCP, they mail them to you later.

For my DL I did get a color paper ...."copy" of what will arrive in the mail. For the CCP...I got a receipt, and told it would be mailed to me.

For the DL, they took the old one, punched holes in it and gave it back for me to dispose of. For the CCP, (my old one is still good for months, yet), I retained it, with the new one supposed to be sent to me.

Like I said, somewhat goofy.
 
#24 ·
Strange that DHS is involved with a state permit.
 
#25 ·
Well, as I said, its TENNESSEE DHS. Baby blue uniforms.

Im not sure, but I think it used to be what was known as the TN version of FEMA. When I got the renewal notice in the mail, I wondered, (too), what the heck homeland security was doing writing me.

I figured that all States now had their own dept of Homeland Security, too. Then again, the whole thing is somewhat of a mystery...it just ..."happened" while I (at least), wasnt paying attention.
 
#26 ·
It surprised me a bit. Here in TN, DMV is DHS. Same place for carry permits. GFZ.

Car registration? That's not DMV (DHS), do that at the county courthouse. That one I can not remember if mine is a GFZ (certainly upstairs, just not sure about the business license and car registration windows downstairs). Probably is, though.

State business license office is definitely a GFZ. With full ID check at the guard station, temporary picture ID to wear while in the building, and remote door locks to get any further access past the lobby. I think those business tax records must be really important.
 
#27 ·
Not really news, unfortunately. Tennessee, like every other state, has a confusing patchwork of laws that say you can carry here, not here, not there, here under whatever circumstances, etc... It's crazy.

Case in point: we (in Tennessee) got State and National park carry back in 2010. But I went to a State park a couple of years ago and all of the signs said, "No Firearms." So I called the Ranger desk and asked. She was pretty nice and explained, "That only means that you can't carry without a permit. With a permit, it's fine." Yet if you go to Norris Dam State Park, the "No Firearms" sign really and legally means that you can't carry, because it's run by TVA.

And as often as not, police officers have no clue what the law is in a given place, either.
 
#30 ·
State and National park
Arkansas is the same way. The parks and "recreational areas" aren't always posted as to whether they're state or federal. And some things, like dams or hatcheries, are "parks" even through they aren't marked as such. And then oddities like the city of Hot Springs. The entire city is a Federal Park, and I imagine jurisdictions there are strange...
 
#28 ·
Local city council just voted down a motion to ban CCLs or OCers (after Jan 1) from carrying at the city council meetings. Vote was 5 to 2 and the mayor is also trying to repeal the city manager's ban on licensed city employees from carrying on the job. You guessed it, the mayor is running for Congress. This is what it takes to get elected in West Texas. Man I hope we never go over to the dark side.


ETA: "On Thursday night, the Lubbock City Council voted 5-2 to defeat two resolutions that would have banned open and concealed carry by Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHLs) at council meetings. Thank you to NRA members who showed up to testify against these unnecessary restrictions on their right to self-defense. Also, thank you to Lubbock-area state Representatives Dustin Burrows and John Frullo for notifying NRA-ILA about these proposals and voicing their concerns about them (and pointing out that the Texas Legislature allows CHLs to carry their firearms into the Capitol and while attending public meetings in the building)."
 
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#32 ·
With the "5 year" change, there is a subtlety. The first permit may be for more or less than 5 years, to synchronize it to the drivers license, which is synchronized to a multiple of 5 birthday.

So the first one could be 3 years or 7 years. But don't worry, it is prorated, so you get charged for the actual amount of time on the first permit. Whether it is more or less than 5 years, you pay for the amount you get. I had to pay for a few extra months, as my first one is good for just over 5 years.

As to not carrying in the place. Not sure why this is. Might be because people coming in to renew get mad that their DUIs mean they can't renew, or that traffic accident when they didn't have insurance means the license is suspended, or those unpaid parking tickets are coming back to bite them. Or is it the long lines and waiting in the waiting room for your number to be called? Or is it the bored screaming kids in the waiting room building stress and tension while waiting for your number to get on the board, knowing those DUIs, unpaid tickets, uninsured accidents are going to bite back?

Anyway, can't carry there.
 
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#33 ·
I once had a similar question as Storm's so I looked up the business number of the NoNameVille PD and called between 0830 and 1630.
Starting in the morning. Every single time I called my call was transferred to a 911 dispatcher. After making 5 or 6 calls and getting either a doofus or a 911 dispatcher I gave up.

I never got the answer I was seeking.
 
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