CHL fees

[dws1117]

It would seem as if the fees for a Texas CHL are among the most expensive in the country. From what I have read, even those behind the iron curtain in Kalifornia that are lucky to obtain a carry permit don't pay near the fees that we Texas are subjected to. with a CHL classe and the liscense fee it is at minium $240 and can be even more. Does anyone know why the fees are so expensive? When CHL legislation was enacted, did the law makers think that such cost would deter people from obtaining a liscense?

[one eyed fatman]

The fee's in Houston for the CHL are 100.00+ (classroom instruction). You pay less the farther from Houston you are. By up to 30.00 anyway. The 140.00 you pay to the DPS is used to pay the DPS for the time and paperwork they do. Which amounts to about 20 dollars more or less. The rest of that money goes to the Governor of Texas which he puts in his private (general) fund to do with as he wishes. This is the info I recieved from the DPS. The governor likes to eat well.

[Greybeard]

Fatman - While I'm not necessarily pleased either with the DPS fee for TX CHL, I'd request that you cite your individual source regarding the information posted, the bold print in particular ... Instructor here since summer of '95 and that is contrary to anything I've been told or learned on my own ....

[mec]

"wishes. This is the info I recieved from the DPS. The governor "

This is exactly what I read in the law back in 1995 before it went into effect. The program was designed to be self supporting with any excess revenue being seconded to the general fund. I don't know if it was intended to be a revenue producing programe but the prediction that it would add money to the general fund was clearly there. I didn't seen anything about the governor having direct control of it- only that the excess would go into the state money bin.

With such legislation, part of the bill as introduced includes an economic impact projection. In this case, they guessed that between one and two percent of the (adult?) population would participate.

[one eyed fatman]

Fatman - While I'm not necessarily pleased either with the DPS fee for TX CHL, I'd request that you cite your individual source regarding the information posted, the bold print in particular ... Instructor here since summer of '95 and that is contrary to anything I've been told or learned on my own ....

I emailed the DPS. They emailed me back that info. If you want you can email them and see what they say. Oh! They didn't tell me the governor likes to eat well. That was my political humor for the day.

[Greybeard]

Fatman - As an instructor having done multiple schools with DPS since 1995, I suspect there may have been some miscommunication/misinterpretation. Of the $140, we were told that the first twenty-something off the top goes to the FBI related to fingerprinting requirement of blue-lined card.

In addition to the admin. people in CHL unit, for each license, a trooper may be pulled off other duties to go down to the local courthouse to research records that may not have shown up in normal computer search(es). Granted, DPS folks are not paid big bucks, but there ain't no way their "cost" is only $20, even on simple applicants. Individual who have questionable or undocumented items in their "history" can be extrmeely time consuming.

At the outset of the CHL program, IIRC, any "overage" was to be put into the "Crime Victim's Fund". Not sure if that is still the case, but do know the cost is an issue that has been and will likely continue to be controversial.

[one eyed fatman]

The less money for the gov and the more money for the DPS the better. When it comes to money matters I trust the DPS much more than I trust the gov. The DPS can't afford to waste money the way the gov does.

[Warhorse545]

I agree that the cost is a bit high. I am due to renew and scraping together the cost of the course and the 70 dollar fee to DPS. I understand that CHL did involve setting up a new department in DPS, but it was my understanding that it was never supposed to be a revenue generating issue. Fees in place to pay for the department and that was it. Makes one wonder what their books look like currently. If they got all cost covered and running in the red I think the fees should be reduced. Interesting how many states cost lots less. Considering the reciprocity rules Texas has, same requirements, makes me wonder what drives up the cost. Seems a lot od states can do it cheaper.


Stacey

[Greybeard]

I believe the concept of the TX CHL program being financially self-supporting was one of the compromises that had to be made during drafting/passage of the law in the mid 1990s - with legal handgun carry previously being generally "prohibited" over 120 years.

Although I've not personally seen the "overhead" figures, I suspect that in the states that issue handgun carry permits (based upon similar requirements), their cheap fees (such as $25) are probably being subsidized by funds from other sources.

[mec]

Right. And the Texas license is quite a bit more complicated than some of the pre-Florida law States. With the program being self supporting to the point of actually raising revenue, we didn't have the flap over unfunded mandates like they did in Missouri. A lot of them have no provision for training or shooting qualification-or a much less stringent procedure. It seems that Texas became something of a model for the states that followed. The training, the child safety law that passed at the same time and a number of the restrictions were all used to make the law more "passable."

There was a provision for studying the feasibility of letting license applicants "test out" of the training requirement. I haven't heard anything about that since Sept. 1995.

[Walter]

Texas' cost of CCL license may be a little higher than other states.
But, heck, look at how much bigger place you get to "carry" in.

I wouldn't mind if the CCL was free. But being from the 'old school',
I know there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. And if it costs me
$125, $150, to have the license to carry for four years, I'll pay it.

I toted a .45 1911 around for years without a license. I like it
better this way.

Walter
:D

[dutchman]

This is a post from 'tx.guns', today.

<http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/79R/ ... I.HTM>[url]

It looks as though us oldfolks are gonna get a 50% break on renewals. $35 sure beats hell outta $70. Perhaps this is the 'camels nose' toward lowering all of the costs.

Dutchman

[one eyed fatman]

This is a post from 'tx.guns', today.

<http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/79R/ ... I.HTM>[url]

It looks as though us oldfolks are gonna get a 50% break on renewals. $35 sure beats hell outta $70. Perhaps this is the 'camels nose' toward lowering all of the costs.

Dutchman

HELL! I'll be dead by then.

[dutchman]

HELL! I'll be dead by then.

Those words are sorta my thinking also. Don't leave too soon, I might just go with you. I ain't getting no younger, just trying to get older.

Dutchman

[Bubba]

I toted a .45 1911 around for years without a license.
Walter
:D

OH NO !
How politically incorrect can you be ?
Trying to defend yourself without government approval !
Gasp !
Shock !
:)