In more ways than one.
Almost 90 days ago, I applied for a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit. Normally, that would involve getting myself fingerprinted, taking a Handgun Carry Permit safety course, and filling out some miscellaneous paperwork. Then, the folks in Nashville get ahold of it, run a background check on me with the relevant authorities, and I get my license.
Depending on how you look at the situation, I either complicated that relatively straightforward process, or simplified it. Tennessee has a system where you can “renew” your reciprocal out-of-state permit into being a Tennessee permit without having to worry about fingerprints, and given that my Florida permit is honored in Tennessee, I went ahead and took that route. However, despite “renewing” my license, I would still have to provide evidence of having taken a safety course… and I went the route of providing a Navy DD214 documenting firearm training from my previous military service. Basically, I exploited two exceptions, where one was probably sufficient to confuse most bureaucrat.
The good news: The DMV took my paperwork with almost no trouble, and forwarded it on to the relevant agencies. The bad news: The Tennessee Department of Safety is required, by State Code 39-17-1351 section L, to issue the permit no later than 90 days after receiving the paperwork, and we are coming up fast on the frame around that window.
So, I went ahead and called the DoS today, to see how my application was going. After a little paperwork fumbling and fiddling, the clerk told me that my license had been issued today, and I could look for it in the mail in a week or two. Shiny!
Well, not quite.
Got home from work today, and I had a nice little letter from the DoS (sent about a week ago) waiting for me, letting me know that since I had not been fingerprinted, my license application was on hold, and would remain so until I provided certifiable fingerprints. Crud.
Another call to the DoS folks, and it seems that the letter was sent in error, and my license really was issued today, honest. Hm. “The check is in the mail,” right? Well, I am going to give it another two weeks, and if the little piece of plastic does not show up by then… yeah, I have no idea what I am going to do, apart from repeatedly calling them and possibly quoting state code at them.
Bleh. What kind of world is it where we have to ask to be able to effectively (and legally) defend ourselves?
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