Applying for CCW Permit

[Gag_Halfront]

My wife and I live in Indiana. We are attempting to apply for permits. I did my paperwork with no issues, submitted it, and I am well on my way.

My wife started the online application and found a question asking if she had ever been diagnosed with any kind of mental issue, and stating that she must provide documentation. When she was very young she was diagnosed with depression and treated. The facility that treated her no longer exists and she has no records from that time.

I have two questions regarding this issue. The first is, should she bother to continue attempting to apply? Assuming that she could satisfy the documentation requirement, will she even be issued? I would think that the question here is to help filter out someone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia or some other serious problem. My wife's depression has not been an issue for neigh on thirty years. Anybody with insight into how the decision to issue (or not) gets made, could you give me some advice here?

Second, how does one satisfy the documentation requirement in a case like this? I understand that any tips and hints here are personal opinions only and not legal advice, but they would still be useful.

We would very much like to both have our permits and this seems like it should be such a trivial problem. I just don't want her to be accused of trying to hide something or falsify the application, and if she won't be issued anyway, I'd rather not continue to pursue it.

We didn't want to simply proceed and see what happens. I've seen such things go all pear-shaped for people in other areas like trying to apply for a pilot's license. It seems like it's better to understand the situation properly before moving forward at all.

 

[jdietz]

That is a very good question.

My daughter was treated at age 14 and is getting ready to apply for her license here in WV.

I do not know the answer but I will keep a watch on this post.

I am thinking that as it was when she was a minor that the records will be sealed.

 

[Scimmia]

***I AM NOT A LAWYER AND DON'T PRETEND TO BE ONE. TAKE THIS ADVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK***

I just took a look through the Indiana code, and even though they're supposed to be a shall issue state, they seem to leave a lot up to the judgement of the officer. You mention a documentation requirement, but there is absolutely NOTHING about this in the law. All I can figure is that they're using that as part of the "good character and reputation" and "proper person to be licensed" requirements. In this case, explaining it to the officer should take care of the issue.

 

[Gag_Halfront]

If that's the case, then maybe it would make more sense to do the application in person at the police station than online. There may not be a requirement in the law, but the instructions for filling out the form say you need to provide it.

*confused*

Any IN lawyers or LEOs on the board who'd like to chime in with an informed opinion?

 

[RightCoastBiased]

This has nothing to do with Indian laws or CCW process/procedures. But I am 17-18 weeks into the CCW process in CT, though it is supposed to only take a max of ten weeks. I thought the main reason behind this delay was soley bureaucratic foot dragging. I, however, received a call from the local town officer who conducts the background investigations about 2 weeks ago. She talked about an arrest I had 7 years ago where all the charges were completely dropped and asked me (in a voicemail) why I hadn't listed the arrest. She apparently hadn't been able to get a hold of the arresting jurisdiction to find out that the charges were dropped. Or what they were, since in CT the charges would not exempt me from having a CCW.

The point of my rant being? While you may not have to disclose something and things may work out in the end, you may end up waiting longer then, in my case, is legal.

However, disclosing a mental illness may get her knocked right off the list. Obviously this is based on my pedestrian view, from a person who has only driven through Indian and knows nothing of its laws. As I said in another post about permits. Contact the NRA's legal people and have them hook you up with a lawyer in your area who does CCW work and ask him/her. I talked to a lawyer and he gave me some good info/advice and it didn't cost me a dime. And now I know who to call if I run into a firearms related issue.

Best of luck.