Hello everyone I just had a quick question, for all of you who have a concealed weapons permit in CO.
I like to be specific to people's answers, as I consider it to be the courteous thing to do, so...
First, yes, I have a CHP (we call it a "concealed handgun permit" here, not a CWP).
I am just curious how long did it take to actually get the permit after you applied for it?
As I recall, they have 90 days to comply, and I received mine in about 75-80s days, two days after I'd called their office asking the nature of the delay.
Would your job affect it at all?
Not unless one's "job" involved criminal activity. I know people from the military, information technology, a university professor, former ranch foreman turned full-time writer, executive businessman, a pastor... None had any problems. Why? What's your job?
Also just for reference, mine is thru El Paso County
Same.
If somebody has asked this question before I apologize for posting again, I did look thru the forums but found nothing. Thanks for your help in advance!
No worries. By law, it can take up to 90 days. If you don't hear from them by 75 days, give them a very polite, non-demanding call. If you don't have it by 85 days, stop by for an office visit, dressed in your most professional, conservative attire, and again, be very polite and non-demanding while you inquire as to what the delay might be? If you're in their office beyond the 90-day point, I'd simply say something like, "well, I'm allowed to have something in writing one way or the other by 90 days, and I do not understand why I've not received any communication from your office one way or the other. Tell you what - I have some time available this morning, so I'll just sit here and read until you finish one way or the other."
Then, pull out a book and
read. Sit there, making eye contact often. Don't stop reading, but after half an hour, say, "Excuse me, please, but I've been waiting half an hour; Have you finished the letter, yet?"
If the answer's "no," then say, "Oh. Well, then, I suppose an appeal is in order" and get up to leave. Instead, go to the restroom. Return after a few minutes and resume reading. You could ask to speak to the sheriff himself, but it wouldn't do you much good, as all he does is sign the documentation once all the substantiating documentation is in, including the recomendations from his personnel who actually run the program.
What you're doing with this is garnering evidence you complied with the fullest extent of the law while they're office did NOT. You were patient. You can them the full 90 days, as well as at least an hour after your post-90-day-window to find any missing files or information they may have misplaced. All of which will play well into your favor should you ever find yourself filing an appeal.
If you haven't been helped after an hour, they're not going to, as it only takes 15 minutes to form-print the letter, the CHP, put your information into the system, and hand it to you.
If that helps, leave after an hour. You might write the sheriff a letter that day, then file your appeal three days later. That's just the way the system works, and it works well, almost always before the 90-day limit, especially here in El Paso County.
When it doesn't, it boils down to one of three things:
A. Clerical error.
B. Sheriff's "perogative." The problem is, Colorado is a "shall issue" state, so unless your background meets one of the criterion for refusal, they "shall issue" you a CHP. Again, another example of clerical error, just at a higher level.
C. There actually is something in your background which meets the C.R.S. justifications for denial. However, you still should have received a letter of denial, as well as the reasons stated therein, before 90 days! So, they may have right in denying you a CHP, but their delay still boiled down to "clerical error."
I could REALLY get into the nit and gritty of logical and semantic analysis, but at this stage, we'll call the issue exhaustively analyzed so far as most are concerned.
Although you're also an El Paso Co. resident, this applies for the entire Colorado section, so if you see similar posts, please ask the moderators/admins to MERGE THREADS. That function takes 30 seconds, and remains the SIMPLEST and most efficient means of preventing unnecessary thread duplication in vBulletin. Failure of a mod or admin to spend that 30 seconds often means hours of additional time spent by users rehashing stuff that's already been hashed to bits.
Grr... I could write a book on administration and moderation of message forums! Given 25 years of experience in the business, I think I will. After all, I am a writer...
Back to your OP, yes, if I knew where the earlier threads were, I'd link to them!