Pistol purchase permits and concealed carry permits in Guilford County – like many other things in 2020 and 2021 – have taken a lot longer than usual thanks to the pandemic.
However, on Thursday, Aug. 5, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department announced that, after taking a host of actions to address the issues, the gun-permitting process is back on a relatively timely track.
The Sheriff’s Department reported that, since Thursday, April 22 of this year, the department has completed the processing of 2,593 concealed carry handgun permits. Officers in the gun permit office completed 709 concealed carry permits by early June and added another 1,884 by Tuesday, August 3.
The long processing times for gun permits have become a sore spot for many county gun owners over the last year and a half. County residents have addressed the Guilford County Commissioners and expressed their dissatisfaction, and some have complained in the media and on social media. Some of those people especially wanted protection during the pandemic, but, instead, saw the pandemic march on and on while experiencing permit delay after delay.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, while new concealed carry permits are submitted to the gun permit office each day, the number of pending concealed carry applications has been reduced from 6,337 in early June of 2021 to 5,203 this week. So, the number is still large, but shrinking.
Also, as of Tuesday, August 3, new concealed carry permit applicants should be able to schedule a fingerprinting appointment in about two or three weeks. Some gun owners during the early days of the pandemic found out that that one step in the process could take months.
Also, since April 22, the department has finished processing 2,337 pistol purchase permits. Currently, the number of those pending applications has been reduced from 420 in April to 116 as of this week.
Sheriff Rogers is next in line to be sued, just like Sheriff Baker in Wake and Sheriff McFadden in Mecklenburg for not following State law on issuing these permits! Imagine that! A duly elected Sheriff that cannot follow the law. Sheriff Baker had to pony up $30,000 out of his own pocket and his lawsuit was recently settled. McFadden’s was just recently filed. I suspect Rogers and then Kimbrough will be next on the list.
One solution would be do lobby legislators to do away with the “Jim Crow” pistol purchase permit all together since the FBI does a NICS check when a gun is purchased from a licensed dealer. When the cops don’t follow the law, then there is no law.
Agreed. Bring on the lawsuit in Guilford County. I had to renew my concealed handgun permit in February 2020. Normally the time between the in-person renewal appointment and the time the permit is mailed out is fairly short, but it was just under 90 days this last time. When I called the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department to inquire about the holdup they said that they’re sending out information requests to a number of medical groups throughout the state and they don’t issue the permit (even a renewal) until they hear back on every single one of their requests. There was one hospital they had to contact multiple times to get a response. I asked what they do if they continue to not receive a reply, and the deputy told me there just don’t issue it. I tried to argue that this is not in compliance with state law and he just blew me off telling me that they will issue it when they issue it regardless of how long it takes.
I tried explaining to him the difference between being in a “shall-issue” state vs a “may-issue” state & told him that they’re acting like this is a “may-issue” state when it is in fact a “shall-issue” state, and that if they do not find good cause to deny the permit then they are obligated to issue it. It was like talking to a wall.
Pistol permits, concealed carry permits, and all these feel-good gun laws are 100% unconstitutional.
2nd Amendment:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
…THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. There’s my permit.
I agree 100%. Reality is different when confronted by the Police.
If some bad person is threatening my family I won’t be fretting about permit delays.I’ll be doing what has to be done.
I had to wait 5 months just to turn in my paperwork to GCS, now they have had my paperwork over 90 days and still nothing from GCS Department. I have no negative history or negative medical in anyway shape or form, 50 plus year resident of Guilford County, this is complete nonsense! DWM
I just waited 370 days for a renewal on my CC in Guilford county. Rogers is a complete lying POS. Good luck to anyone dealing with this BS. Be patient and you’ll hopefully get it before the end of time.
I applied for a renewal of my concealed carry permit in the middle of May 2021 due to my permit expiring in August. As of today. 10/23 my status online says waiting to assign to a processor!