Anyone have any idea of how long the ISP is taking to issue new FOID's now? I've got my friend interested in shooting and he would like to purchase a handgun but its been right about at a 2 month wait so far. Sad when you consider in less than a week, including transit time to Pennsylvania, the state of PA issued me a concealed carry license. His own state takes over two months just to "allow" him to own a gun.
IL - Current FOID delay?
- Thread starter Soybomb
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hotpig
Member
I held a transfer for a guy while he waited for a renewal. It did not take more than two weeks.
The Guy
Member
Man, it is a crap shoot to get FOID's renewed here. My latest wait was three months, but the time before it was 2-3 weeks. This place sucks! I belive, but I could be wrong, that a law mandates a MAXIMUM time of 1 month, but who is going to arrest the ISP?
I have never had a negative ISP experience BTW, EXCEPT for when it comes to FOID renewals.
I have never had a negative ISP experience BTW, EXCEPT for when it comes to FOID renewals.
GoRon
Member
My renewal came rather quick considering all the buzz about delays.
Three weeks or so.
Three weeks or so.
My girlfriend has sent 2 applications within the past 8 months, paying twice, without any response AT ALL. No confirmation of receipt, no denial, no refund, and no FOID card.
Even if you play by the rules the BATF will screw you over.
Even if you play by the rules the BATF will screw you over.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
Illinois seems to regard the right to keep and bear arms as a privilege it can extend or reserve at whim.
You couldn't pay me to live there.
You couldn't pay me to live there.
hotpig
Member
You screwed up. The Application goes to ISP not ATF&E.
anotherinkling
Member
Hey Slinger, send help!
Just kidding. Mine was 3-4 weeks this last time. A friend several months ago had it take about 2-3 months but another fellow recently got his in about 3 weeks (both with my encougement, I should add).
Chicago gun registration, which one would think would take much less time, often takes a 2+ months, and I've had 3 registrations get "lost" in the mail. Just an FYI.
Just kidding. Mine was 3-4 weeks this last time. A friend several months ago had it take about 2-3 months but another fellow recently got his in about 3 weeks (both with my encougement, I should add).
Chicago gun registration, which one would think would take much less time, often takes a 2+ months, and I've had 3 registrations get "lost" in the mail. Just an FYI.
eastwood44mag
Member
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Renew no less than 3 months before yours expires.
The renewal processing is now being handled by a contractual firm. The ISP does the basic computerized background check but the form processing is handled by a private company, I forget where the company is out of.
On average there are between 17,000 and 20,000 applications processed every month. However, the fall is the absolute worse time to renew your FOID. Those numbers can and often do double or more during the fall. There's a rush in August-September at the start of small game season and then October-November prior to deer season. People wait until hunting season before they check their FOID card for expiration. They then find out their card has expired sometime during the year since the last hunting season so all of a sudden they're in a big hurry to get renewed. So instead of trying to process 1000 cards a day that number may be 2000 or more. That's about 250 per hour in an 8 hour day or 1 card every 15 seconds. If someone calls in sick or takes off and only 1500 cards get processed one day that means there will probably be 2500 cards the next day needing processed. And if the person takes off the next day and only 1500 cards get processed again then the next day there will be 3000 cards needing processed or about triple what is normally handled thru out the rest of the year. There's a lot more to the process than just printing out a new card. Computerized criminal checks have to be run. Any "hits" have to be checked to see if the hit name is the same person as the applicant. This all takes a lot of time.
Imagine what kind of line you'd have to stand in if 2000 people tried renewing their DLs all the same day and all at the same station and of that 2000 there are 50 "James Smith" all with fairly close DOBs.
Eastwood is exactly correct. Don't wait until the last minute.
On average there are between 17,000 and 20,000 applications processed every month. However, the fall is the absolute worse time to renew your FOID. Those numbers can and often do double or more during the fall. There's a rush in August-September at the start of small game season and then October-November prior to deer season. People wait until hunting season before they check their FOID card for expiration. They then find out their card has expired sometime during the year since the last hunting season so all of a sudden they're in a big hurry to get renewed. So instead of trying to process 1000 cards a day that number may be 2000 or more. That's about 250 per hour in an 8 hour day or 1 card every 15 seconds. If someone calls in sick or takes off and only 1500 cards get processed one day that means there will probably be 2500 cards the next day needing processed. And if the person takes off the next day and only 1500 cards get processed again then the next day there will be 3000 cards needing processed or about triple what is normally handled thru out the rest of the year. There's a lot more to the process than just printing out a new card. Computerized criminal checks have to be run. Any "hits" have to be checked to see if the hit name is the same person as the applicant. This all takes a lot of time.
Imagine what kind of line you'd have to stand in if 2000 people tried renewing their DLs all the same day and all at the same station and of that 2000 there are 50 "James Smith" all with fairly close DOBs.
Eastwood is exactly correct. Don't wait until the last minute.
lee n. field
Member
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- Dec 29, 2002
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- 4,314
Are they at least notifying people who's FOID is about to expire now? As they are required to do by law?
Last time mine came up, I never got notification (again, as required by law). I asked around, and it seemed hit or miss if people were notified.
Last time mine came up, I never got notification (again, as required by law). I asked around, and it seemed hit or miss if people were notified.
Notices are sent out. However, if your address has changed the notices are not forwarded. It's also not to say some aren't missed.
It's the same as with your DL and license plate renewals. By law they're suppose to be mailed out to notify you too. I wasn't notified of 2 of my vehicles last year nor was I or my wife notified last time our DLs were due. Our address hasn't changed in 25 yrs.
With any of them tho, failure to get a notice is not an excuse or legal justification for driving on an expired DL, having a vehicle with expired plates, or having an expired FOID. It's the owner's responsibility to ensure they're kept current.
It's the same as with your DL and license plate renewals. By law they're suppose to be mailed out to notify you too. I wasn't notified of 2 of my vehicles last year nor was I or my wife notified last time our DLs were due. Our address hasn't changed in 25 yrs.
With any of them tho, failure to get a notice is not an excuse or legal justification for driving on an expired DL, having a vehicle with expired plates, or having an expired FOID. It's the owner's responsibility to ensure they're kept current.
Yup, happens every year. Every year there are calls from someon that they're leaving for a big hunting trip the next day, they just noticed their FOID had expired 6 mo earlier, and they want express 1 day service. If express 1 day service was allowed then when you sent your app in 4 weeks before yours expired you would have to wait even longer because big hunter didn't think to check his FOID card until the day before his big hunt. You shouldn't be penalized and delayed because big hunter doesn't prepare. The additional problem is all the calls from forgetful big hunter types means the person handling all those calls can't be processing apps. Just delays the system even more. There's a good bunch of folks working in that section, admittedly everyone agrees tho not enough people, and how they put up with the stuff they do is beyond me.
The Guy
Member
Figures.
(sigh)
I would still rather get pulled over by the ISP than any other Illinois county/city police (not counting the guy who dates my sister LOL). But something should be done about the FOID system. The bit about the hunters does make sense, but mine was 3 months last spring.
(sigh)
Good ol' Illinois...
(sigh)
I would still rather get pulled over by the ISP than any other Illinois county/city police (not counting the guy who dates my sister LOL). But something should be done about the FOID system. The bit about the hunters does make sense, but mine was 3 months last spring.
(sigh)
Good ol' Illinois...
Big Calhoun
Member
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- Oct 16, 2006
- Messages
- 554
Can you guys (and gals) in IL send it your paperwork certified with a return receipt? At least you can back track who supposedly recieved it.
Our CHL instructor advised us to send our application certified with RR even through DPS doesn't really want you to. It costs a little extra but at least you have some documentation.
Our CHL instructor advised us to send our application certified with RR even through DPS doesn't really want you to. It costs a little extra but at least you have some documentation.
If you think FOID is taking too long you should see how the state is handling other business. If you were a doctor you would be waiting 6-8 months minimum for payment. If you were running a road contracting business you'd be waiting 6-10 months for payment. If you had an EPA cleanup business you would have waited at least 16 months for payment with no payment still in sight.
It all due to shortage of personnel to handle the processing. Four years ago this governor said he was going to cut state personnel head count and that's what he's done. Folks cheered and voted for him when he promised that. Well, now you see the results.
You're going to see in a few years. All he has done is borrow against the future. Filan, his head budget guy who was also the head budget guy under Walker, has admitted the way this administration is paying for the programs is by using money earmarked for other future programs. He admitted that in 4-10 yrs the state will be in a worse financial mess because of all the borrowing but his response was "It won't be our problem then. Another administration will have to figure it out."
At least the ISP has honest troopers for the most part. The people running it have been the problem. Once the rot sets in at the top, you have to wonder how long it will take to work its way down the food chain. I wonder how long it will be before they are no better then NJ or LA.
THE DOC 44
Member
Oh heck !!! My son is moving to Chicago ( from the U.K. ) next year , he was going to get some firearms for me to use when I visit . On a previous post you all gave some advice on how to apply for a FOID ,I just wonder if they can be applied for from the U.K. as I could not wait around for many months in the U.S.
Not that I would not like to , just that I could not afford the time .
Not that I would not like to , just that I could not afford the time .
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