My HCP sob story

[RobertNashville]

Okay here is a story for yall.

Back when I was 18 years old I was an idiot and had three wreckless endangerment and assault charges on me. Well, all were dismissed. Having said that I waited 13 years before I applied for a handgun carry permit as I am now 31. I put in the app and paid the fee, waited, waited, waited, kept saying in process every time I called. Then called on around day 60 said I should be getting a letter in the mail. Waited waited waited still no letter. Contacted Mrs knight. She advised letter was due to background check related issues and I would need to send the ppwrk in showing it had been cleared up. Prior to getting my hcp just to be on the safe side since all charges were dropped I put in to get them all expunged. It was to have taken 2-3 weeks. Well I assumed (assumption is mother of all mistakes) that it was done. (apparently, the court clerk in dayton has been out of work for 6 months with crohns disease and you can't get crap done there unless you know someone) Well when I was advised by Mrs Knight that wasnt the case I immediately got ahold of a friend of my father's who got the papers signed by the judge and da that day and had the court clerk sign it and put her seal on it. I immediately came home and faxed those to Mrs knight and emailed them to her. 15 minutes later I got an email saying that my permit has been issued and I should get it within 7-10 business days. Now I have a clean record, hcp, and can buy a gun now with no worries.

Getting your record expunged is probably a good idea and probably what I need to do.

Back in late August I submitted my application for my handgun carry permit and in a letter dated November 4th I received a letter stating that my permit could not be issued because of an arrest on my record from 1991 - the letter said that I needed to obtain certified documents from the court showing the disposition of the charge.

I won't go into a lot of detail about the charge but it happened while I was living in Ohio and it really should have never been filed in the first place but that's neither here nor there…in the end, the charges were dismissed (even the court's website shows this by the way but of course I still had to obtain "certified documents".

It took me a while to obtain (what I hope will be) the required documents and I submitted them about two weeks ago so I'm hopeful that will allow my permit to be issued soon...my HCP app was at the 70 day mark as of the date of their November 4th letter and at the 98th day when they received the documents from the court so I don't know where that leaves them/me with respect to the "90 day rule".

That's not where the story ends, however...

Last Saturday, I purchased a new handgun from a local dealer that I intend to be my carry weapon (assuming my permit is issued) and frankly, whether it's issued or not, I had intended to buy it anyway. My background check went through with no problem at all. Then, the following Monday (just two days later) I was going to purchase another gun from the same dealer BUT TBI denied my purchase (after having just approved one two days earlier)!

Of course I don't know at the moment, since I've absolutely nothing else on my record and have never been in trouble with the law (with the exception of a few speeding tickets) I can only assume that this "arrest" from 1991 is the problem just as it was with my application for a carry permit. On Tuesday, I faxed in my appeal of the denial and I assume all I can do right now is wait but this is beyond infuriating.

What seems truly odd to me is that I've purchased many handguns and shotguns since 1991 both while I still lived in Ohio and since I've lived it Tennessee…I've gone through any number of background checks with no problem.

[RobertNashville]

Good point...my arrest was over 18 years ago so obviously the "7 years question" is pretty meaningless.

In my case they received the needed documents back from the court showing that the charges had been dismissed in less than thirty days from my receipt of the letter (in fact, in less than thirty from the date of their letter and I have their signature to show receipt).

It's irritating...anybody can be "charged" with anything; the only thing that should be of interest to the state is whether or not you were convicted and it would seem to me that the burden to show you were convicted ought to be on the state rather than the individual...perhaps I'm all wet on this assumption but it seems to me that it today's world it shouldn't be that difficult for the state to KNOW if someone was actually convicted of a crime or not.

[RobertNashville]

...

Well, it looks as if the "carry permit" part of my sob story may be coming to an end!

I emailed to ask about the status of my permit application this morning and by this afternoon, I had a reply saying all my paperwork was in order and that I should be receiving my permit in 12-14 business days.

Hopefully I'll be able to clear up my purchase denial soon as well.

[leroy]

Alright, I emailed Lisa Knight on sunday and got a response monday. I just checked my email today. She said I was approved on monday . Funny how it takes an email to get something done that is over due. She thanked me for my patience and told me of the backlog issue. Should get it 10-14 days from now.

So if I count it all up including the 14 day wait to receive the permit, assuming it will take the full 14, It will have taken me 114 days.

Mrs. Knight was very polite and I would recommend anyone who has been waiting patiently to email her to ask for help and or answers.

Thanks for pointing me to her!

Guntroll:_________

My renewal was done similarly to yours at the Driver's License Station. It took a little over 4 months to process. I called about two weeks ago. Very nice people said probably 10 to 14 more days. That is exactly what happened. Mine came on December 12.

My take is that they are busy working on initial applications and doing renewals as a second priority. The thought must be that you can't lapse a renewed permit if you have the receipt in hand; and that you have a valid permit anyway.

Glad it is cleared up.

Kind regards and Merry Christmas,

LEROY

[Guest excatm76]

GunTroll,

Have you gotten your permit yet? I was told the same day as you that mine was approved. Still don't have it. I was wondering if yours had shown up yet. Seems like it should only take a few days to print one up and mail it.

[Guest GunTroll]

Not yet man. Still waiting.

[Guest excatm76]

Not yet man. Still waiting.

Me too I'll post when it shows up. We shpuld get ours within a day of each other if they were aproved the same day.

[shortround]

Called DOS today. Was told my application is 'still processing.' I'm at 59 days.

[Guest GunTroll]

There is a happy ending. Got my HCP today. Now I can mail my CO CCW permit back to them.

I probably always could have carried legally but always felt that I would get in trouble if a local LE would call in my CO CCW. I felt that way because a sheriff's office person called me and asked how I spelled my name after we talked just a few minutes prior. Now I know I'm good!

[Fallguy]

[Guest excatm76]

Got mine today, 4 months to the day.

[trblmkr13]

I called Friday and still in processing:wall:

[trblmkr13]

I thought they where suppose to issue after 90 days even if the background was not complete? Hope they get your permit to you soon Alpha7

[Wingshooter]

They ruled within 60 days denied due to back ground check. I immediately got expungement paperwork. I sent it (faxed and emailed) to them. They said they were issuing my permit on the 8th (December). Waited 10 days (until December 18) didnt receive it so I called. I was told it didnt print until the 10th and went out in the 14th mail (more than likely is what they said). They said to give it about 10 more days. On December 31 it will have been right at 104 days from the time I filled out the paperwork, paid my fine, and got fingerprinted. I am moving as of jan 1, 2009 and advised them I had better have it before I move or I am going to really be upset as I have to move back in with my parents because I got laid off and they are anti gun and will not allow my permit to be mailed there. I found that my denial letter was sent to their house which I never got and can only assume they threw it away.

My recommendation is to get your own PO Box while you are living with your parents. We lived with my parents for a couple of months until our new house was ready to move into and used their address. Because we had the same last names and the same addresses, our credit reports started displaying each others info. It was a big mess, and I wished that I had kept my own address with a temporary PO Box.

Plus, you can still get your gun related mail. Just sayin'...

[Wingshooter]

Actually you cannot. They advised me they cannot send it to a post office box it has to be a "physical address" I checked on that.

That stinks

[RobertNashville]

Im still waiting on mine. I applied nearly 100 days ago. Said its in the mail YEAH RIGHT!

Well, if Lisa is good to her word 12-14 "business days" could be as late as December 29th for you and as late as about January 5th for me...they seemed pretty straight forward with me so I'm willing to give them the full amount of time before I start considering any other action.

I know waiting is irritating; especially when the "problem" shouldn't even be a problem in the first place but sometimes all we can do is let things play out naturally.

Now...if they keep to their timetable with the appeal of my purchase denial I should be hearing something on Monday but I'm not holding my breath!

[dralarms]

Actually you cannot. They advised me they cannot send it to a post office box it has to be a "physical address" I checked on that.

This is incorrect. They have to have your physical address but mailing address can be a p. o. box. That's just like your drivers license, you won't find one with address as p. o. box XXXX, it will have the actuall address on it, but your mailing address can be a p. o. box. Been doing mine that way since 1994.

[Guest GunTroll]

Wow wow wow, Your parents won't allow a letter to be received at their address that has a HCP in it? If you live there with or without the actual license, and I assume you have a handgun, wouldn't the firearm be more of an issue? You also said they through away your denial paperwork???WTF! Sounds like you should have issues with the Fam before the state. That's tampering with the mail and punishable by law .

Good luck man!

[Guest excatm76]

Have the PO hold your mail for you.

[Krull]

My dad vot his some years back and it took him longer because we lived in Florida for some time. Everyone else he took the class with got theirs around a month quicker. He called Nashville and they told him it was taking a while to get the out of state stuff done. Anyway he griped a bit because then they had 90 days to turn you down or give it to you regardless. They expressed mailed after he called them and he recieved it 2 days later.

[Guest vovk82]

It will be 90 days in 3 days for me and still nothing... Since Nov. 23rd I've been told once a week that I've been approved and "set to be issued". I was actually told 2 weeks ago that "I would probably be issued this week". Still nothing, just that I'm approved and set to be issued. I was told this same line again today. 90 days is up in 3 days and I'm not sure what I can do, other than call every few days only to be told that it'll be issued any day now...

[RobertNashville]

I feel your pain (I'm still waiting as well but hope that will be over soon) but unless you have good reason to think they are jerking your around I would encourage you to be patient and, when you call, try to be as polite as possible.

I have nothing but "hearsay" to support my assumption but I suspect all of us that are waiting are simply caught in the middle of too much work and too few staff to handle all the original and renewal permits they are dealing with.

[Oh Shoot]

I feel your pain (I'm still waiting as well but hope that will be over soon) but unless you have good reason to think they are jerking your around I would encourage you to be patient and, when you call, try to be as polite as possible.

I have nothing but "hearsay" to support my assumption but I suspect all of us that are waiting are simply caught in the middle of too much work and too few staff to handle all the original and renewal permits they are dealing with.

It's much quicker now for most folks than it was 1.5 years ago and earlier.

I suspect this will be as good as it gets.

- OS

[Guest davidz71]

Got mine today, 4 months to the day.

I went in for my second renewal in early October '09 and was told it could take up to 6 months. It arrived the very end of November. I guess I was lucky.

[Oh Shoot]

According to mrs knight they have a total of 3 employees that do the issuing and backgrounds. They have processed over 435,000 apps thus far and expect to reach over five hundred thousand by year end.

65,000 apps in a couple weeks? Doubt it seriously.

Anyway, you'll see a real variety of figures on how many permits have been issued, when they were issued, how many are currently issued, etc.

For example, TDOS site says 339,000 since Oct. 1996.

- OS