January 10: I send the packet to the DPS via certified mail
January 11: USPS indicates that the packet has been delivered; DPS still shows "packet mailed to applicant"
February 11: DPS still shows "packet mailed to applicant". I call them, verify that they received the packet on Jan 11th, and that the days that they show "packet mailed to applicant" are counting against the 60 days they have. I also verify that I'll get my license within 60 real days as opposed to business days. The representative confirms this.
Late February: DPS starts showing "processing application".
February 26: I learn that my application was assigned to a "technician". All my attempts to reach her are unsuccessful: the call always goes to voicemail. Leaving a detailed voicemail didn't get any response even to this day.
March 5: I leave on a 5-day cruise. That day the application is still processing.
March 10: I return from the cruise, check the site, and find the magic words: "Application Completed - license issued or certificate active".
I don't know exactly on what day during the week the license was issued, so I'll assume worst-case and estimate the turnaround to be one day shy of two months. Considering that February was a short month, we can be even more generous than that.
Some specifics about my situation:
- I have a juvenile record for which I had to obtain and submit court-certified documents. I assume this is the reason that my application was assigned to a technician.
- I submitted manual (analog?) fingerprints, as opposed to the new reliable electronic method.
- I was not born in the U.S., though I am a US citizen, so I submitted a photocopy of my US passport.
- I listed five separate residences and five separate employments. The month that I moved in to my current residence was off by a month because of how their web form was designed.
Godspeed to those of you who are still waiting!
