Permit processing "delay"..why so long??? (NY State)

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Capt_Vin

New member
Took my daughter up to the County Clerk's office this morning to drop off her pistol permit application package. She asked the clerk how long it would take to process and we both almost hit the floor when the clerk told us minimum, 5-6 months! I asked her why so long and her response was a simple "it always takes that long", so, I asked her again, why and she said because they conduct a backround check and these things take time. I am lost here, when I got my permit, I dropped the app pack off on a Tuesday and had my temp permit on the following Monday, and that was 5 years ago! I tried to joke with the clerk and said "Hell, a mortgage doesn't take that long" and I guess she can't take a joke or something cuz she snottily replied "If you don't like the time frame to complete the process, you can always file a complaint which will make it take longer".
Ok, so what gives here? I always thought that they had to do them in a certain time frame. Anyone know what is up w/ this? (Oh yeah, we live in upstate NY).
 
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ad313am

New member
Ya i just dropped off all my paper work on monday and was told it will be 4 months minium! I live in metro detroit. The county i live in is so backed up right now with apps. Sucks for us i guess. But what can you do about it? Just be patient.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
That "minimum" had better be the "maximum". NY state law requires that the permit be issued in 6 months. If there is a delay beyond six months the reason must be stated IN WRITING and the reason must be "for good cause only." The law specifically states that failure to complete the background check is not good cause.

I have personally only heard of one instance that took longer than six months. It was several years ago. A friend of mine finally went down to the office and said, basically, "Issue the permit or deny it so I can sue you." It didn't take long after that, I think it may have been the next day.

Now, all that said, I got my permit in Broome county just this year. I submitted the application in August, I got the permit just 3 days short of 5 months later. They had originally told me 2-3 months. When I had my gun put on the permit I asked them about it (our clerk is actually friendly). She told me that they have been receiving 90+ permits a month since about September and they normally only see 25-30.
 
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Storm52

New member
Don't you think that because of the number of applications, the lack of funds to add additional personnel and the current employees being overloaded (meaning they are finally having to work) would be the reasons for the lengthy process?

I have no experience with getting permission to own or purchase a firearm, so I can't provide personal experience here.
 
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Enoy21

New member
HEre in VA there is a maximum of a 45 day wait time by law.

When I apped for my CCW back on 04/14 I walked in to turn in my preprinted application and class certificate ... and there on the front counter was a huge stack of CCW permit applications. It seems that's the most frequent request they'd had there in a while.

I joked with the lady about the number of apps and she said "oh yeah ... we've gotten alot ".

The VCDL helped to pass a law that if it takes more than 45 days , then we get a defacto permit for 90 days while waiting on the permit.

http://www.vcdl.org/static/ccw.html



My Permit is Taking More Than 45 Days!
A VCDL supported law went into effect on July 1st, 2004 which provides that if the court has not issued or denied the permit within 45 days of the date of receipt noted on the application, the clerk shall certify on the application that the 45-day period has expired, and send a copy of the certified application to the applicant. The certified application shall serve as a de facto permit, which shall expire 90 days after issuance, and shall be recognized as a valid concealed handgun permit when presented with a valid government-issued photo identification.
Click to expand...
 
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LordofWar

New member
What the hell is happening....

New strict gun laws in the US, same here.

Delays in permits, same scenario here. It's been almost two months that the government is not issuing country wide permits.
 
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pendennis

Moderator
I live in suburban Detroit (Wayne County). I applied on January 28th. I received my CPL exactly 3 months from the application date. I know a couple of fellows who've been waiting since October.

Conversely, a friend of mine in neighboring Oakland County, got his in five days.

The sheriff of Wayne County, Warren Evans, is an anti-gun liberal. The gun board has two members, and they meet one Tuesday per month.

Michigan law requires "shall issue" forty-five days after getting back the Michigan State Police fingerprint report. However, try getting a judge to issue a "shall comply" order to a political crony.
 
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Jofaba

New member
Apparently the county I live in has slightly different rules for local residents than the state does. At first I felt that that was wrong, but my argument is cold now. I don't agree or disagree, its just as it is and considering the subject I am not about to raise a fuss.

But I sent in my state paperwork and got it sent back to me a month later, then immediately went to my police station and did it "their way" and was told upwards of 90 days, when state level is 30. Very frustrating to say the least.

Even more frustrating is I just checked the date of day zero for my second application and it was only April 15. Felt a bit longer ago. Blah! So upwards of 70 days left. Yay...

I do buy the "backed up" story, and that's just life, but if it's for any other reason then I think it's a bit ridiculous. If they think giving it to you sooner is dangerous, then they shouldn't be giving it to you in the first place.

That said, when I was told 90-ish days, I was told over the phone. In person, by the police officer fingerprinting me and working my paperwork, and the administrator who helped me, they said "probably much shorter". I think the admin I got on the phone probably wanted to turn me off from the idea.
 
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ritepath

New member
took me a little over 3 weeks from dropping off the forms and fingerprinting to getting the card in the mail.
 
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Capt_Vin

New member
What really gets me here is, the Oswego County clerk originally told my kid to request a sealed copy of her police record from the state pd and submit it with the app pack, which she did (clean as a whistle) and that would greatly speed up the process because this is what supposedly takes the longest. I would think it would be the character references (4 required). A friend at my club who lives in Onondaga County told me tonite that it took his wife 5 1/2 months to get her permit (in their county), and she got tired of waiting and called the county clerk and was told her permit was approved and to come in and pick it up (this was in late February, she originally submitted it at the end of September). When she got it, the issue date was December 4th! The clerk had mysteriously 'forgotten' to notifiy her it was approved and ready!
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
Don't you think that because of the number of applications, the lack of funds to add additional personnel and the current employees being overloaded (meaning they are finally having to work) would be the reasons for the lengthy process?
Click to expand...

+1 to that. It's the same all over the US. More people are getting gun permits and CCW permits than ever before.

I know the wait sucks, but consider it a good thing that the system is deluged with requests. Makes it harder to take them away when a larger portion of the society owns them.
 
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sclay

New member
A local talk radio station here in upstate SC was talking about this yesterday.

Here in SC SLED (state Law Enforcement) is required to send out new permits within 90 days of reciept of application. They are having a hard time meeting this due to staff reductions and a 100% increase in new applications from this time last year.

I think this is great news.:)

sclay
 
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yourang?

New member
hey capt_vin

dont forget to follow up with your people that you asked to write
recomendations....make sure they send them in asap!!!!!

this is one area that can really slow down the process

how do i know?....one of my requested rec writers took more
than 2 months to get the darn letter off....not good...he is a guy
at work and i was bugging him daily until i was such a bother
that he did it just to shut me up

also in ny, your rec writers have to have a squeeky clean record too
so if you ask some one without asking a rather "delicate" question,
the whole process will grind to a halt.....i found that out the hard
way too and had to go get my application "amended"

good luck

oh....and dont pester the clerk in the office...it just slows the
process down even more.....good things come to those who can wait!
 
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YodaMage

Moderator
6 mos...

Erie County is running between 12 and 15 months right now. The overpaid and under worked municipal lackeys are po'd about the county being bankrupt and the control board that took control not giving them absurd raises and additional staff so they can do even less with an attitude and a grimace.

Patronage jobs...40K a year and beni's (as well as about 30 paid holidays) all for kissing the right political butt and for the price of a GED.

Buffalo is super....
 
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DiscoRacing

New member
i live in cabell cty... wv... and just turned my app in last monday... she said it would be six weeks.... i asked her if that was just since the new presidency...she said she has worked there for eleven years and its always been that long here..
 
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Capt_Vin

New member
Yoda, are you kidding, 12-15 months?????? That is obscene! It is reasons like this that we are seriously considering moving out of NY!
 
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Bud Helms

Senior Member
Kreyzhorse:
... More people are getting gun permits and CCW permits than ever before.

I know the wait sucks, but consider it a good thing that the system is deluged with requests. Makes it harder to take them away when a larger portion of the society owns them.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Do you mean it's harder to take away permits when a larger portion of society owns them? I don't see that.
 
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Ruger4570

New member
The Taxes and the Law here in NY are the main reasons I am headed back to Arizona. Arizona residents go to the gun shop, pick out the pistol they want, pay for it and out the door. At least for now..
 
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