Applied for WA CPL; Oregonians read this

[Gray Peterson]

WA is shall-issue for both residents and non-residents, so it's possible you got bad info about the WA permit (which is called a Concealed Pistol License). There is no training class requirement in WA (and that is the ostensible reason why Oregon & Washington do not recognize each other's permits). If I were you, I would find a different sheriff to talk to about getting a WA CPL.

Actually, that's not the reason why each state will not recognize each other's permits.

It's because of the fact that anti-gunners control the governor's offices in both states. Gary Locke vetoed CCW reciprocity in 1998, and Governor John Kitzhaber vetoed CCW reciprocity as well (which, btw, would have also made non-resident issuance shall issue for residents of ANY state).

Gary Locke is still in, and now Ted Kulongoski is governor of OR. No one's asked him if he would sign a CHL reciprocity bill. They never get out of committee anymore nowadays, and now the Senate is controlled by a Democrat who's anti-gun.

The WA State Senate passed their CPL recognition/reciprocity bill, S5083 by a UNIANAMOUS vote, but it got killed by the anti-gun committee chair of the House Judiciary committee who refused a hearing before the deadline for passing bills out of committee.

S5083 would not have allowed Oregon permits to be recognized unless Oregon changed it's law, but it would have made getting a WA permit unneccesary for Oregon residents, for they could get a Florida CWFL license and be able to carry just across the river, and the "bang for your buck" thing makes sense.

Idaho is a bordering state of Oregon, and it's residents can get permits. However, the best county for non-residents in Oregon for getting a non-resident permit, Clatsop, will only issue to residents of Washington without a lot of trouble.

 

[MMcCall]

All true, but on a lighter note, Idaho recognizes all states' permits.

 

[c_yeager]

I got my permit a few years back at the King County courthouse in Seattle. The staff was friendly and helpfull. The process took all of half an hour incluiding waiting in line. And i recieved my permit in the mail within two weeks. Im not sure why other have had bad experiences with this. Everyone i know has had a comparable experience to me.

 

[SKN]

Lars: "What do they teach you..."

As an example, for Oregon, see http://www.cccpstc.org/pst100.htm

1) Safety: theoretical as in the 4 universal safety rules and practical (weapon handling, loading and unloading);

2) Statutory issues regarding concealed carry and the use of force, including justification for using deadly physical force;

3) Personal defense principles: mindset, skills and tactics, pre and post confrontation options;

4) Weapon and ammunition nomenclature;

5) Criteria for a defensive handgun and ammunition;

6) Carriage systems;

7) Research and training resources;

8) Suggested training focus.

 

[Lars]

I've taken the PST-103 at PSTC and it was a good course. I got my Or permit when I got out of the Coast Guard 8 years or so ago. I had lots of safety and use of force training but no clue on carry laws.

 

[Double Maduro]

Unfortunately it seems that no one has much of a clue about firearms laws.

When I was taking my class in February the instructor said it was legal to carry on public school property. A couple weeks later I was talking to a LEO who said it was illegal.

When you call and try to get an answer they refer you to the Oregon revised statutes. Any idea how easy it is to find info there? Sure you can find it but then you have to try to understand it.

 

[Carlos]

I believe the LEO was wrong, as I've read the statutes lately. I could be wrong though. I saved all the applicable statutes to a Word file for annotation and further study.

 

[Big Mike]

Double Maduro,

You are correct: I used my WA CWP to get my OR CWP down here in Josephine Co. I originally lived in WA when I got my CWP, at the Tacoma County/City building. It was absolutely painless as well. My WA permit has since expired and I have not gone to reapply. When I asked the question about carrying on college campuses, here is where I was referred too:

POSSESSION OF WEAPON OR DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE IN PUBLIC BUILDING OR COURT FACILITY

166.360 Definitions for ORS 166.360 to 166.380. As used in ORS 166.360 to 166.380, unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) "Capitol building" means the Capitol, the State Office Building, the State Library Building, the Labor and Industries Building, the State Transportation Building, the Agriculture Building or the Public Service Building and includes any new buildings which may be constructed on the same grounds as an addition to the group of buildings listed in this subsection.

(2) "Court facility" means a courthouse or that portion of any other building occupied by a circuit court, the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court or the Oregon Tax Court or occupied by personnel related to the operations of those courts, or in which activities related to the operations of those courts take place.

(3) "Loaded firearm" means:

(a) A breech-loading firearm in which there is an unexpended cartridge or shell in or attached to the firearm including but not limited to, in a chamber, magazine or clip which is attached to the firearm.

(b) A muzzle-loading firearm which is capped or primed and has a powder charge and ball, shot or projectile in the barrel or cylinder.

(4) "Public building" means a hospital, a capitol building, a public or private school, as defined in ORS 339.315, a college or university, a city hall or the residence of any state official elected by the state at large, and the grounds adjacent to each such building. The term also includes that portion of any other building occupied by an agency of the state or a municipal corporation, as defined in ORS 297.405, other than a court facility


I'll jump to the next section:

166.370 Possession of firearm or dangerous weapon in public building or court facility; exceptions; discharging firearm at school. (1) Any person who intentionally possesses a loaded or unloaded firearm or any other instrument used as a dangerous weapon, while in or on a public building, shall upon conviction be guilty of a Class C felony.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a person who intentionally possesses:

(A) A firearm in a court facility is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony. A person who intentionally possesses a firearm in a court facility shall surrender the firearm to a law enforcement officer.

(B) A weapon, other than a firearm, in a court facility may be required to surrender the weapon to a law enforcement officer or to immediately remove it from the court facility. A person who fails to comply with this subparagraph is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony.

(b) The presiding judge of a judicial district may enter an order permitting the possession of specified weapons in a court facility.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:

(a) A sheriff, police officer, other duly appointed peace officers or a corrections officer while acting within the scope of employment.

(b) A person summoned by a peace officer to assist in making an arrest or preserving the peace, while the summoned person is engaged in assisting the officer.

(c) An active or reserve member of the military forces of this state or the United States, when engaged in the performance of duty.

(d) A person who is licensed under ORS 166.291 and 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun.

NOTE Just above, "(d)" refers to the person (like me) who has applied for and been issues an Oregon CWP. Double check this, but when talking to an OSP trooper, he didn't disagree with me that this was the case. BUT, just because the law says you can doesn't mean that there aren't more restrictive local laws. Check out where ever you want to go. I hear Multonomah Co. is extremely restrictive in its gun laws. Hope this helps. Mike

 

[SKN]

More ORS

To follow up on Big Mike's post, have a look at sections 166.170 which specifies the state's power of pre-emption over local ordinances, and 166.173(2)(c) which specifies how much authority local jurisdictions have in regulating firearms issues. Uh, no I'm not going to write it out verbatim here because I've already identified a web site reference in a previous post and if you're really interested you'll look at it.

This issue about guns on school property has been a hot topic with Oregon RKBA groups for quite some time. School districts maintain their regulations can prohibit CHL holders from being armed on school grounds while RKBA groups maintain they cannot.

The practical effect is that if you are compromised on school grounds campus administrators will be well within their authority to deny you entry. If you refuse their demand to leave expect to be arrested for trespassing and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law which will likely include confiscation of your firearm as a public nuisance and revocation of your CHL.

Finally, a Oregon CHL is not governmental validation of the 2A right afforded by the US Constitution, nor affirmation of the section of the State Constitution cited by Lars' signature line. In reality it is a 'get out of jail free card', it is your exemption from prosecution, an 'affirmative defense' if you are found out of compliance with other statute law.

 

[rperry03]

rperry03

I believe that if you have a WA ccw you can get an Oregon CHL. But you have a few hoops to jump through like proving you haven't been commited during the past so many years, that sort of thing.

I just got my chl in Multnomah county and had to wait the full 45 days, but the people were very friendly.

I will have to try there next time I go back to the Great Northwest.
Proving I have not been commited is going to be tough

 

[Alan Smithiee]

darn, maybe I should try OR again, I've been out there (portland) 3 time in the past month, but still no luck in WA. they won't issue me a Permit to own a firearm or allow a background check.