Why so difficult to get a CCW for Utah and Oregon

[jleyring]

When I turned 21 I wanted to get my CCW Permit. Well after searching for classes I find one near my area. I signed up immediatly. I gladly payed the $80 and my father and some of his work buddies all went. It was a small class and the teacher was great. That was the easy part.
I got home and tried to get all the things together for both Oregon and Utah. I took a photo but couldnt get anywhere to print a 2x2, luckly an employee at walmart was great and went out of his way to crop it down for me and made me 8 of them for the price of 1. Nice guy. Then came getting the Utah application Notarized. Went to my bank and it didnt take long. Made copies of all the little things (certificate, drivers license). Trying to get fingerprinted seemed to be a huge ordeal. Went to my local police they told me come back the next day. i went and then they asked if I had the card. I said no, so they turned me away. I had to go up to Washington but was 10 minutes after 4 so they wouldnt do it. The next day drove back up there and luckly they did it after a long explination about how it was for a Utah Concealed Weapons permit and I know that Im an Oregon Resident but they only do fingerprinting 1 day a week and It is past and I dont ahve a card, and so on. Finally after all of that I got the money order and sent in my Utah application.
Then came down to the Oregon one. I thought I had everything. I found the application on my county website and filled it out. Found out that i had to make an appointment with the sheriff so I called and he is booked for 2 weeks. I leave for College in 3 days. IN IDAHO. So I found the application for the county over. About an hour away. I filled everything out and called down there to find out if i needed an appointment. I didnt and I mentioned that I live an hour away in a different county and she told me NO over the phone. That Sheriff wont give an out of county resident one. The firearms instructor told us all to go to a county that is about 3 hours away from where I live. So I am havin an internal conflict whether I should drive down tomorrow(friday) and just spend 6 hours total driving. Or I wait until Thanksgiving time when i get home from school. I know that yall are probably thinkin why spend so much worry if Im already gettin the Utah but Oregon only takes Oregon so I need to get that one due to still goin to be driving through Oregon and living here in the summer. I just dont understand why it takes so much work for something that should be my right. Jumping through hoops and sittin on command is not really what I enjoy. I guess what I could use help on is whether I should drive 3 hours away or just wait until November when I get home from school on break. Ok venting is over.

 

[mljdeckard]

Welcome to the world of governmental bureaocracy. And get used to it, it doesn't get better.

 

[The Sarge]

I was lucky and did not know it! I have my Texas and Utah Non-Res. Both classes the instructors took the pictures/fingerprinted all that stuff. When the class was over we all had a completed application ready to mail.

 

[Quiet]

When I went through the UT non-resident CCW class, they took my fingerprints & pictures as part of the class (no extra fees).

Then came getting the Utah application Notarized.

Why did you have to get it notarized?

UT changed the CCW permit application in 05-2010 and no longer requires it to be notarized.
Your UT CCW instructor should have told you that.

 

[mljdeckard]

I got mine notarized in 1995.

The good classes/instructors will include prints and photos and finish your packet and mail it from the class. If I were an instructor (I'm still considering it,) I would tell my students to bring these things and have them ready BEFORE the class.

 

[G27RR]

I'd drive now so you'd have Thanksgiving off to do whatever you want. Sorry to hear your process is so confusing and time consuming, but good for you for getting everything you need to be legal in the places you're going to be.

 

[Lucky Derby]

Here in CA they don't even have to give it to you if you jump through all the hoops. They can deny you a permit just because they don't like the color of your shoes.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, but please keep things in perspective.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Why did you have to get it notarized?

UT changed the CCW permit application in 05-2010 and no longer requires it to be notarized.
Your UT CCW instructor should have told you that.

I took the UT class in 7/2010 and they must have used the old form because mine had to be notarized. Luckily they took care of the fingerprinting and photos there.
If you wait until Thanksgiving make sure the sherriff will be open and processing those during that time. When I got mine (mult. co.) they only did CHL applications one day a week (I think it was thursdays) for a couple hours. They were more high tech and did digital scans and digital photos there when you turn in the application.
It's a mess of red tape and you really need to plan on a couple weeks to get everything together and sent off for unforseen hangups like you experienced.
That's crazy your S.O. didn't have fingerprint cards. What do they use to book criminals?

Anti-gun folks should go through this process just to destroy the notion they have that CHLs are given out like candy.

 

[Ifishsum]

It's my understanding that by law an Oregon resident MUST get their resident permit from the county they legally reside in. Non-residents can choose which OR county they apply to for a permit (which is good because non-res permits are not "shall issue" as resident permits are).

I had no problems getting mine but it did take a few weeks to get the appointment to process the app. Most counties only accept applications and do fingerprinting only on certain days. Sounds like your main frustration is the short time line you have to get it done, and I bet you'll have to plan a visit back home to finish it up.

 

[hirundo82]

Texas required all the same things for an initial application when I got my CHL--fingerprints, pictures, notarization of the application. However, here it is standard for instructors to offer one-stop shopping so that when you walk out of the class all you need to do is write a check and sent the application of to the state. I would have expected that if you're paying $80 for a class.

Fortunately, Texas DPS is trying to make the process simpler. You can now fill out the application online (no notarization), there are no prints or pictures required for renewal applications (they save your prints from your first application and sent them to the FBI again), and they will soon start using driver's license photos for the license instead of requiring pictures with the application packet.

 

[Buck Snort]

Here in CA they don't even have to give it to you if you jump through all the hoops. They can deny you a permit just because they don't like the color of your shoes.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, but please keep things in perspective.

Geeze, before I read your location I thought you HAD to live in Stanislaus County!!

 

[Diggers]

Humm a bit of a run around BUT that's what happens whey you are dealing with government agencies. No real suprise there.

But finger print CARDS? What year is it there? I've been fingerprinted many times for my work in the last 10 years and not once has it been done on a card with ink.

Like Lucky Derby said be happy you can actually get a CCW, because not all states see it as your right. In southern California there is pretty much ZERO chance of getting one in less you know someone. Some counties in northern CA are better, some aren't. I don't think anyone in CA issues CCW to non-residents.

 

[Hawaiian]

I don't think it is difficult. The problem is you are leaving oregon in three days and waited until now to apply.
My Utah class provided the fingerprints, photo, competed the form and included an addressed envelope to mail it off.

 

[Morph]

FL CCW. Good in 36 states. But what a pain in the ass to get. Same BS as I have read here.

 

[mickeygrimreaperblueeyes]

I guess all the riggamoral that you have to go through in different states makes the process in Indiana seem quite efficient. You just need to bring the Money orders. If you live out of town, the county sherrif does it. All required paperwork is completed at the station and the prints are taken when You go for the application. Now, you can even renew your permit over the internet. SO, the short 3-6 month wait for initial and 3 month or less for renewal seems only trivial in perspective.

 

[B. Adams]

FWIW, Utah no longer requires that the application be notarized, even if you have an old form that says it needs to be. I called Utah BCI to confirm that before I sent mine in, and they said it wouldn't be an issue. They have great customer service at Utah BCI, BTW.

I sent my application in at the end of June 2010, and my form was from a class in June 2009. Got my permit in the middle of August, but I haven't been anywhere I needed it yet..

 

[billybob44]

I guess all the riggamoral that you have to go through in different states makes the process in Indiana seem quite efficient. You just need to bring the Money orders. If you live out of town, the county sherrif does it. All required paperwork is completed at the station and the prints are taken when You go for the application. Now, you can even renew your permit over the internet. SO, the short 3-6 month wait for initial and 3 month or less for renewal seems only trivial in perspective.

Good post Mickey..The only thing that you forgot to tell them-is-the LIFETIME Personal Protection Permit, that is available in Indiana...Got mine.........Bill..