Permit for CC in Maine problem

[Jofaba]

It's been exactly 1 month since I filled out my concealed carry permit application for the state of Maine, and I just got it returned to me, including my uncashed check, with a note on the front saying:

"You must apply at the York Police Dept"

I called the DMV to see if my drivers license had any problems, as I have admittedly lapsed on my car insurance a few times over the past two years, and it's completely clean. I havent gotten a parking ticket in like ten years, and haven't been pulled over in around 5. I'd expect if I had anything outstanding, that I would have had a knock on my door years ago.

Another weird thing is you can see on my application that they actually assigned me a license. My number is there and whited out. There is one mistake on my application where I accidentally checked off "Change of address" which is an additional $2.00 which I did not include because it was a mistake.

I don't have anything to worry about, but I can't help but fear some erroneous problem, or some clerical error on some decade old issue may lead to me walking into the police department and finding myself in some unwanted bracelets.

Anyone experience this or have a clue? I was going to go this morning but money is tight this week, and knowing that the check isn't going to clear frees me up. I'll be going Friday morning, so hopefully I can post here Friday evening about what the problem is. If you don't see me, you know where I am lol.

 

[RDak]

In Michigan, nothing you have said would prohibit you from getting a concealed carry permit IMHO.

I don't know about Maine but you don't have a record that should be a problem in any State IMHO.

Now, if you forgot something you did...........well.......................???

 

[maestro pistolero]

Maybe someone was freaking out, overreacting to the CC holder in Binghamton, NY. The PD may be taking a a look at their issue procedure.

Doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about. They probably won't arrest you or anything when you go to the Police Station!

 

[NavyLT]

Where do you live? Do you live in York? If so, the application must go through the city police department. Did you submit the application to the state police instead?

Title 25, Part 5, Chapter 2002:
9. Issuing authority. "Issuing authority" means the following:
A. To a legal resident of a municipality:
(1) The mayor and municipal officers or councilors of a city, the municipal officers or councilors of a town or the assessors of a plantation or, if they so choose, their full-time chief of police as their designee; or
(2) The Chief of the State Police as the designee of the municipal officers under section 2002-A; [1993, c. 524, §2 (NEW).]
B. To a resident of an unorganized territory:
(1) The Chief of the State Police; [1997, c. 360, §2 (AMD).]
C. To a nonresident:
(1) The Chief of the State Police; and [1997, c. 360, §2 (AMD).]
D. To a private investigator licensed under Title 32, chapter 89:
(1) The Chief of the State Police. [1997, c. 360, §3 (NEW).]
[ 1997, c. 360, §§2, 3 (AMD) .]

 

[Jofaba]

Yes, York. Apparently I have to start all over with new paperwork, get finger printed (not something Maine requires) and the waiting period is more like 90 days instead of 30.

I don't like it at all but what am I going to do? It feels wrong that this area can have it's own rules and State law doesn't apply to me, but I'm obviously just going to suck it up and go though the crap all over again and wait another three months. At this rate I'll be lucky to have my NH permit before 2010.

By the way, I'm not against fingerprinting. I'm just stating that it differs from the Maine application.

This makes me wonder, are there places where your permit isn't even valid because some town voted to not accept CC law?

I am frustrated that the Maine application could have saved me this hassle, and a month of my waiting period, by having a page saying which counties/towns had different rules. And why did they wait a month to tell me, when you know they got my paperwork a day or two after I sent it, and can tell right from the ship from part of the envelope that I was apparently in one of those counties/towns.

But what really gets me is that in the end, I will get my permit. These are just more hoops to jump through which yields in zero additional action taking place. It's just a time game which makes no sense to me.

 

[shurshot]

I'm in Standish Maine and had to go through the Maine State Police for my CC, because Standish doesn't have a Police Department. York has a Police Department (and a great one due to a solid Chief and staff!), therefore you go through them. Relax, and just go through the steps, and provided you have no "issues", you will get your CC permit. My Buddy lived in Gorham Maine and had to get finger printed there, as many Maine Departments mandate. Remember, ALL the Maine Law Enforcment Departments are short on funds and staff, therefore applications/reports/policy changes are stacking up on desks. Just be polite and show the York Police respect, and in return they will treat you w/respect. My CC took time through the MSP, it felt like forever, but it came. After all, this is Maine, not MA or NY...

 

[Jofaba]

I'm relaxed just frustrated lol.

I see that I forgot to update this thread with my experience.

So, I went to the police department and they were all very nice and professional. I wasn't there for very long. It's odd, my York permit will not have my picture on it. Weird huh?

And on the phone they stressed "upwards of 90 days" almost like a deterrent, but when I was there they said 6-8 weeks and probably even less.

As I said (I think, if not I meant to), it's not that I'm in a rush. It's just that I don't see why the York permit takes three times as long as the Maine permit, although after reading the pamphlet they gave me I now feel that they were telling me a realistic timeline, not a mandated timeline. The pamphlet says 30 days just like the Maine permit paperwork, and the policeman who fingerprinted me said that he's been fingerprinting a ton lately. So it's most likely just a backlog.

I haven't looked into how long it will take to get my nh non-resident once I get my Maine resident, so that's another thing affected by the delay.

In the end though, lets say it does take 90 days, then that means it was a total of 4 months after initiating the process to receive the permit, and that's the only thing that frustrates me. But it's probably more due to how many people are applying than anything else, so it's right up there with the frustration of a lack of ammo and reloading equipment/supplies.

Heck, I've only put four rounds through my carry pistol because I can't find affordable 9mm anywhere. 4 rounds! I refuse to carry it until at least a hundred have gone through it and I've found a practiced defensive round.

 

[Al Norris]

Jofaba, may I be the first to welcome you to the wonderful world lawful carry? A world wherein the law abiding citizen must jump through hoops of compliance (and sometimes, hoops within those hoops), just to get permission to be able to defend oneself, should such an unlikely situation arise.

Am I being overly sarcastic? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not.

 

[Jofaba]

Gracious welcome accepted!

 

[blume357]

Yep, many of us have paid our dues for this....

I spent an afternoon waiting on a nice lady at a county court house to sift through files down in the basement to find out if I was a felon or not... so that I could get a non-resident Florida permit. I already had a S.C. permit which in my mind proved this.... but not for Florida.

Now you get to wait....

 

[shurshot]

The Maine State Police request that we include photo's for our CC permits, but no finger printing. My CC permit looks just like a drivers license.