March 2009 Applications

[quickdraw]

jumping ahead of me from March. If you are an April applicant and reading this, sorry, but it just isn't fair.

Line jumping? Not fair? I view it differently. DPS is consistently failing to meet its statutory requirements. Personally, I think that everyone who passes the 90 day mark - thereby receiving an implicit denial - should burn up the phones and start a letter-writing campaign. I don't think it's an attempt to "line jump" or "be unfair", it's an attempt to take some initiative and hold DPS accountable. We've paid for a service that DPS is obligated to provide within a specified time frame, and there is nothing wrong with rattling their collective cages until they fix the problem. Perhaps if enough of DPS management hears from enough irate legislators they'll shift staff around to fix the problem. I'd bet that if they assigned two additional officers for three weeks the Harris County backlog would disappear.

The bottom line is that the background checks need to be handled FIRST IN-FIRST OUT and that is NOT what is happening. I got a line of bull from DPS that some BG checks take longer because some people have more on their record,,I call bull! Either there is something on the record that will disqualify an applicant or not, a longer record means it would take a few extra seconds to print, not months like is happening. I am at 142 days and getting very tired of seeing people get plastic that applied two months after I did.

[Chip]

I was told that it was Harris, Galveston, and Montgomery county that had slowed down so much, and that it had to do a lot with the Presidential Election and Hurricane Ike. The Election causing "hundred's of thousands" more applicants than normal, which ok maybe I can see, but the Hurricane, I will throw up the bull flag on that. Things should be back to normal for that by now.

dwdog, I think I'd throw the bull flag on more than the hurricane if you've been told that. My wife received her plastic in about 10 weeks after a Montgomery County background check - I'm still waiting on Harris County (I work in Harris County, she's only in Montgomery County). So I don't think Montgomery County has slowed down. And, while it's true that they've seen a sharp increase in applications, I don't believe it's been in the "hundreds of thousands" - but if that is true, then they've received tens of millions of additional dollars and can afford to increase staffing. What it boils down to for me - I don't care why they are delaying. They are breaking the law. If I was months late on a project my manager assigned, and I said "gee, it's because we had a hurricane last year", I'd be fired. This is just another example of the lack of accountability in government.

edit:

I am at 142 days and getting very tired of seeing people get plastic that applied two months after I did.

You should be. I hope you're writing your state reps, the governor's office, and anyone else you can think of. But you should be mad at DPS, not at the folks who refuse to take whatever garbage they get from the guvmint.

[brad88gt]

I have been trolling around here for a while but just registered yesterday. I just wanted to let you guys know there may be hope.

I sent my packet on 3/23, had one photo sent back needing a signature at the end of may. I sent it back two days later, got my plastic in the mail yesterday. I guess 107 days is pretty good compared to what some people are seeing. Hope you guys still waiting aren't far behind.

[carbon-14]

Someone should make a generic letter so that anyone who wants to mail their Rep/senator etc can just copy/paste and fill in their info. I bet a lot more people would e-mail, & maybe we can see some 'change'

[LoneStarWings]

Greetings fellow CHL applicants.

Just thought I'd throw my status out there. I live in Austin so I thought I might get mine qucker

Sent the app on 3/24/09 and I've been "processing application" for a solid 100 days, even assuming it took 5 days for it to get across town to the DPS. My letter stating that DPS has recieved my application was dated 5/26/09.

So Travis county doesn't seem to be faster than anywhere else.

[joe817]

Welcome to the forum LSW! Hope you don't have to wait to much longer.

[jdwashburn]

day 105 in ector county and still waiting nothing on my background except a speeding ticket hope i get it soon

[LoneStarWings]

Uh oh, I might have a problem. Although I live in Travis county I work in Harris and just read that they do background checks where you work. Guess I'm only halfway there at 100 days

[dwdog]

I think they feel like, if they reassure us, they are working on it, then we won't complain anymore, and they can just chill even more, and take their time, so keep it up, somebody higher up will eventually crack, and stuff will start to get done. I had a thought, I wonder if they look at this sight, and then track down who the complainers are, and stall them even more just out of spite.

[Rigger 609]

I requested information as to why it was taking so long to get a background check done in Harris county. I asked who we could contact. This is the e-mail I got back

"Unfortunantly, there is no contact information to speed up the process. Due to the huge increase in applications the process for background investigations is taking longer than normal. " (I hope they buy this)

My reply

"Then maybe you should hire more people. If you increase the amount of applications, then one would think that you increase the amount of fee’s."

Sitting at 113 day's today.

[dwdog]

Day 107 "ish". Now I am told that they are working on hiring more people for the background checks. I wonder how many months it will take them to process the applications for new employee's.

[USA1]

I wonder how many months it will take them to process the applications for new employee's.

[sevens777]

Hi All,
Took the Class March 14.
Sent the packet in & got a confirmation of delivery in Austin March 19.
Received my permit in the mail July 6

[carbon-14]

Hi All,
Took the Class March 14.
Sent the packet in & got a confirmation of delivery in Austin March 19.
Received my permit in the mail July 6

what county? we sent our packet the same day; yet i'll be waiting for another month, AT LEAST :(

i sent them an email 10 days ago and this is the response i got back this morning...
"At this time we are awaiting the completion of the background investigation. Unfortunately, we do not have an estimated time of completion Thank you for your continued patience."

[shoeless]

The long wait is over...plastic in hand.