Judge Boller here in Erie County is pro 2A, and yet the PPO is so fudged, that most applicants are currently waiting between 12-18 months start to finish...
The wait is KILLING ME...
- Thread starter taat2d
- Start date
There are numerous threads and postings about this problem. Basically, in some NY counties, the process is straightforward, quick and painless. And in others, it is a major PITA. Some counties, like Cattaraugus and Chatauqua take a month, and sometimes less.
Even though the law is written to say that they have 6 months to process CC permits, it has gotten so bad in some counties that they now delay you from even picking up or submitting the application by as much as a year. That way, they then claim that the 6 month provision in the law "only applies to the time it takes for the judge to make his decision", - not the overall process.
While some counties do all of the checks simultaneously, - either online or by mail,- that is, - sending them to the FBI, NYSP, NYS Mental Health, your local PD, etc. others, including Erie County, do the checks in a manner to be as slow as possible: they wait until they accumulate 150 or so applicants, and then they send that bunch to the FBI, by US SNAIL MAIL, and then wait for that batch of 150 or so to get returned after all of them are completed. Then, they send out ANOTHER batch to the NYS Police the same way. Apparently, they have confused the word simultaneously with sequentially... Also, there is reportedly a big difference as to how long local PD checks take. Some seem to get to them right away, and others seem to have an attitude that they will get to them when it is convenient for them,... and people have reported that they have waited months and months for them to get done and returned to the PPO.
The only logical explanation for it, is that it is deliberately done that way in order to slow the process down as much as humanly possible. Especially since they already have the ability to complete all of those searches ONLINE AND ALMOST INSTANTLY through the NY NYSPIN (New York State Police Information Network) DATABASE (That's what police officers use when they traffic stop you, and run your information, - and it doesn't take them months to check!) Checking with your local references would be separate as they are not going to be in the NYSPIN database, but those checks could be run simultaneously as you submit your references at the time you apply.
When I applied, the Erie County Pistol Permit Office told me that it was taking them about 6 months to complete my background checks, and yet, when I FOIA'd my PPO file, I discovered that my checks were done electronically within 2 days of applying while they continued to lie to me.
There is some hope that now that Wilmer Fowler has finally retired that they may straighten things out there, but only time will tell. As it stands currently, most people that I know of are in fact waiting between 12-18 months for their permits in Erie County. And that is NOT the fault of the judge.
The whole process can be extremely frustrating. Seriously, - imagine if you had to wait that long to apply for a driver's license. Everybody would be screaming about it. But pro gun people grin and bear it for the most part, - because as studies have shown, - concealed carry holder are significantly MORE law abiding than even the police. Seriously -look it up!
Lastly, they could also improve things by keeping applicants informed of where they stand in the process, and notifying you by email if they run into a problem with your application. That would eliminate the time they take answering calls from people asking where they stand. Florida does this: with their CCW applications, each one has a tracking number that the applicant can log onto the website to see how their application is progressing. And coincidentally, they tend to issue their permits in 30-60 days total. Amazing!
Last edited:
FINALLY!!!!!
It took 8 and a half months, (for my target permit), but I finally got my approval letter!!! I never thought this day was coming. LOL
Congratulations. Train and be safe.
Thank you. I definitely plan on getting some training. Haven't been around guns since I used to hunt, and that was rifles. Not too familiar with handguns living in the city. Only had the opportunity to shoot when we used to go upstate to my friends property. Luckily, I have a club/range literally around the corner from my house on Staten Island that I'll be joining the week.