For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app. So you might as well just start.. The permit costs $90 for new permits and $75 to renew a permit. Am I able to tell the IRS that I'm not able to pay my taxes on time? ", Sheriff McFadden's office issued the following statement: "The Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office has yet to receive the lawsuit in question but does not comment on pending litigation. And thats what the sheriff is doing to these people.. Click on the button above to start the application/renewal process. Do you live in Mecklenburg County and need a Handgun Permit? CLICK HERE]. Information Line: 704-336-8100. We hope the county will give them the funds.". From March 2020 to February 2021, the sheriffs office gun permits division saw a 148 percent increase in applications for pistol purchase permits and a 76 percent increase in applications for concealed carry permits, compared to the same time period in 2019. We are going to hire more staff. I want to again thank the incredible staff of the Permitting and Registration Division for their tremendous efforts during this crisis and for remaining open while many other counties closed their doors. Changes to clear gun permit backlog | Mecklenburg County news | wcnc.com GRNC thanks Attorney Ron Shook for volunteering his time to litigate this case for our members. "I'm sorry but we're not accepting that argument," Valone said. Applicant Must be a citizen, a naturalized citizen or a resident alien; be twenty-one (21) years of age; eighteen to twenty (18-20) year olds can apply for a restricted permit; have attained at least one month's residency in Mecklenburg County; The process is supposed to take just 90 days and under state law the sheriffs office is supposed to notify applicants whether their permit will be approved or denied in 14 days. Mecklenburg County Handgun Purchase Permit Information These people are being denied their right to protect themselves by a sheriff who is refusing to issue concealed handgun permits in less than, in many cases, a year or more, Paul Valone told Senz. In response to that ruling, the sheriffs office canceled all previously scheduled fingerprinting appointments for 1,300 current customers waiting to get gun permits. But as we hire, the demand is still there, McFadden said. As sheriff I also have a sworn duty to protect the people I serve, said McFadden. It comes after gun rights advocates sued the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office, saying people faced long delays when trying to get handgun permits from the sheriffs office. Few if any other North Carolina sheriffs make such mental health requests before issuing [concealed handgun permit]s and, not coincidentally, those sheriffs are able to issue or deny all [concealed handgun permit] applications within the statutory 45-day window, the lawsuit reads. The Sheriff and his staff are required to follow strict federal guidelines when performing necessary procedures for fingerprinting. 7,there were 4,942 pending applicants for concealed carry permits who have already been fingerprinted but are waiting for mental health clearances. Medical offices that review mental health checks, including Veteran's Affairs, are to blame for the delay, sheriff's office claims, CMPD officer taken to hospital after crash in west Charlotte, FORECAST: Sunny skies, cool, and breezy today, Yosemite flood risk, closures block some springtime visitors, 7,600 concealed handgun permit applications pending in Mecklenburg county, Trudeau orders immediate ban on handgun sales in Canada, Greensboro woman almost robbed after getting help with a flat tire on US-29. Gun rights advocates sued him in August 2021 after applicants faced long delays when applying for permits. Some said they had been waiting for months to get fingerprinted. Sheriff Garry McFadden said the progress is a relief. 2023 Cox Media Group. I support the second amendment and the right to bear arms. Records received by WBTV from the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office show that process is taking an incredibly long time. According to the lawsuit, both tried to renew them before they expired, but they still have not been granted. By doing so, you will not be charged the convenience fee. All applications received after February 3rd are waiting for mental health releases from one or . But despite that change, the new lawsuit says applicants are still facing challenges. I do respect the Second Amendment.. Click the button below for Concealed Handgun Permit information and applications. [WANT TO WATCH ON OUR STREAMING APPS? Sam Cranston has been teaching classes to help people get their concealed carry license for about a decade. "But, we know the people downtown are trying hard. What type of payment do you accept for all services? I know in some states its a little bit quicker, but I live in North Carolina. Mecklenburg County. It passed the House and will be heard by the Senate next week as supporters argued the pistol purchase permit is outdated and unreliable. One man said he applied in March and had not even been given an appointment date. What McFadden is doing is, he is exploiting a loophole in the law where the sheriff is allowed to do mental health checks on applicants, Valone said. The attorney for Grass Roots North Carolina and Gun Owners of America, Ronald Shook, said, they filed a lawsuit against Sheriff McFadden in August of 2021, after Mecklenburg County residents were complaining about the long wait to get their permit, saying some waited over a year to get their gun permit or concealed handgun permit. According to the lawsuit, both tried to renew them before they expired, but they still. I regret that as a result, for a period of time, we were unable to process handgun permits as efficiently as any of us would have liked. The process was all online. It comes after gun rights advocates sued the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, saying people faced long delays when trying to get handgun permits from the sheriff's office. Some said they had been waiting for months to get fingerprinted. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. The Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office said they are doing everything they can to get permits issued but the delay isnt with their office. "If you are a domestic violence abuser, a minor, somebody experiencing a mental health crisis, you can go to a gun show or online and buy a gun, no questions asked," Ceartas said. Applications for pistol purchases must be approved within 14 days, while concealed carry permits must be issued or denied within 45 days, according to North Carolina state law. It includes a required class to conceal carry. To get a concealed carry permit in North Carolina, you must take a class and then apply for a permit from the local sheriffs office, which involves an online application and getting finger-printed. A permit to purchase a gun takes about 14 days to process once the application is submitted. Listen to the podcast weekly. It also acts as your purchase permit.. (d) "Minor" as used in this section means a person under 18 years of age who is not emancipated. N.C. General Statute 14-415-15(a). Example video title will go here for this video. Meck County making significant progress on concealed carry and pistol permits, sheriff says, Sheriffs office faces lawsuit as gun permit applicants wait months for approval. PDF MCSO To Reopen Registration Unit Operations With Restrictions 2018 Form NC Permit Application to Purchase Pistol/Rifle/Shotgun In May, the sheriffs office transitioned fingerprinting services to a first-come, first-served basis from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sheriff's Office said they saw an almost 150% increase in gun purchase permits and 76% in CHP applicants during the height of the pandemic. Gun locks can provide a false sense of security. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office has 7,116 concealed handgun permits that are currently unfulfilled as of November 28, 2022, according to data provided by the sheriff's office. The processing of the concealed handgun permit takes much longer than the handgun purchase permit. . With the current backlog, Carmichael said gun owners do have options. All applications received after February 3rd are waiting for mental health releases from one or more facilities, according to the sheriffs department. "At least that is what they are stating. Click the button below for Concealed Handgun Permit information and applications. . The legal fees for this suit are being covered by GOA and GRNC. Gun permit requests surging in 2021 | wcnc.com Carmichael said informed his class upfront there is about an eight-to-nine-month wait at this time. He has signed up for this job and he's failing to do it properly.". is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. The plaintiffs want to challenge the permit laws mental health provisions. Sess., c. 14, s. Mecklenburg sheriff must issue handgun permits faster, judge says Internal Links. 700 E. 4th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 Information Line: 704-336-8100 August 6, 2021. It then said it was providing fingerprinting services for gun permits on a first-come, first-served basis to comply with a judges order. (WATCH BELOW: 66-year-old woman, husband play waiting game to get concealed-carry permits). Yet what takes other North Carolina sheriffs days or weeks to accomplish, Sheriff McFadden is dragging out for anywhere from many months to over a year., PREVIOUS: Fingerprints to be taken same day gun permit application submitted in Meck County, per judges order. Concealed Carry Association of North Carolina | Mecklenburg County CHARLOTTE There are now new rules in place for people to get a gun permit in Mecklenburg County more quickly. She was also in line that morning. Under the order, applications for concealed handgun permits are supposed to be issued or denied within 45 days, and 14 days for pistol purchase permits, according to North Carolina state law. Within the last couple of weeks MCSO began using an interface between the state system and our permit vendor, Permitium to eliminate staff from having to do duplicate entry on new applicants.. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT. "They are being processed within the timeframe. For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app. Two of the plaintiffs, also residents of Mecklenburg County, said they had concealed handgun permits. Updated: 5:38 PM EDT May 12, 2022. "Right now, we are busy on all sectors.". However, other, less populated counties havent had the same backlog. During theCOVID period, they got really bad with over a year wait, Hyatt said. So, I just applied for it when I got the class done back in March and been patiently waiting, Michael Diaz said. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. The fact is, these people have a right, Valone said. To ensure compliance by a sheriff who has so far dragged his feet, Grass Roots North Carolina advises anyone whose fingerprints are not taken with five business days of completing a concealed handgun application to contact us immediately. The appointment to get fingerprinted was scheduled for June. Defendant McFaddens custom, policy, and practice of refusing to timely issue pistol purchase permits and concealed handgun permits violates the North Carolina Constitution because the Sheriffs actions infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms, rights that shall not be infringed, according to the lawsuit. Since the beginning of the pandemic MCSO has implemented several changes to the process to be more efficient to include mailing permit(s) to customers to eliminate visits to the office. Step 1, Please Enter All Information. Flashpointis a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson.