What is the process AFTER DPS receives packet?

[Cajundude]

After they officially note that your application is processing, what exactly happens?

Fingerprints to FBI
Fingerprints to ? County you reside?

What else?

[seamusTX]

No one who really knows is talking.

We do know that they rip open the envelope like a starving wolf as soon as they get it, take out the check, and cash it (assuming that you sent a check instead of paying by credit card online).

When they actually start processing your application, they send you a PIN for the web site (again, unless you signed up online).

The next step seems to be checking the application for completeness. At this point, if you forgot to sign something or didn't fill in some space, or your photo is unacceptable, they will notify you.

One set of prints goes to the FBI.

The other set of prints is checked against some state database.

They request a background check by DPS personnel in each county where you have lived or worked in the past five years. This seems to be the bottleneck, especially for Harris County.

Presumably someone checks for defaulted child support, state taxes, and student loans.

I don't know what they do with arrest records and dispositions. I suspect they just look at them to see if they meet some standard.

When all the boxes have been checked off, they print and mail your license.

All of the above is my understanding based on experience and several thousand reports posted to this forum.

- Jim
[Edited to correct typo]

[Cajundude]

Thanks for the post! I lived/live in Galveston and Brazoria, so not sure if that is good or bad.

[seamusTX]

Galveston and Brazoria seem to be quicker. Both counties have small populations compared to Harris.

Good luck. Don't sweat the wait. However old you are, you made it this far without a CHL.

- Jim

[Cajundude]

I'm in no hurry at all, just curious. I've made it 37 years without one so I can wait as long as needed.

[Bart]

After they officially note that your application is processing, what exactly happens?

Fingerprints to FBI
Fingerprints to ? County you reside?

What else?

I think there's a slow boat to China somewhere in the process.

[dleewo]

They request a background check by DPS personnel in each county where you have lived or worked in the past five years. This seems to be the bottleneck, especially for Harris County.

I'm curious, I've lived the last 3 years in Tarrant County, but prior to that, I lived in FL. and I even had a few months at the start of the 5-year period where I lived in England Do you think that might cause a delay if they try and get some kind of background check from another state or even another country?

Derek

[Lodge2004]

They request a background check by DPS personnel in each county where you have lived or worked in the past five years. This seems to be the bottleneck, especially for Harris County.

In my experience; name changes, very common names and multiple addresses tend to slow things down more than where you are trying to get the information from. Unless you are asking for a manual check of the records, most places have their information in some type of on-line database, especially large cities. Having a name like "James Smith" will really slow it down because they have to default to DOB or SSN and some records may be missing that information...so it winds up being a manual check anyhow. It's suprising how many people switch their names around; swapping middle and last, using maternal AND paternal last names, combining maternal & paternal for new last name, etc...Throw in multiple marriages/multiple addresses and you get a lot of roadblocks to a fast check.

[seamusTX]

I'm curious, I've lived the last 3 years in Tarrant County, but prior to that, I lived in FL. and I even had a few months at the start of the 5-year period where I lived in England Do you think that might cause a delay ...?

I have no idea how DPS checks against other states and countries. Having lived out-of-state does not seem to be a particular problem.

If I had to, I would guess that they rely on the FBI background check. States are supposed to report convictions to the FBI, and other countries are supposed to report arrests and convictions of U.S. citizens to the U.S. State Department.

- Jim

[oldguy]

In the world of computers this check should take no more then 2 hours on each application other then checking some counties that do not have enough manpower. I am of the opinion (and certainly I've have not seen the operation) that
CHL's are at the bottom of the man hours budget list so that is where we reside at the bottom, just an opinion not based
on facts.