I sent my CHL back to DPS; what happens?

[Former CHL Holder]

I sent my CHL back to DPS, I no longer want to carry. Does anybody know what is done when a CHL holder returns the license? I cannot find anything in Texas laws & statutes that addresses a valid license returned by a former CHL holder. To be certain, this is a voluntary relinquishment; no other reason or request is involved.
For example, law enforcement can request that DPS provide a list of CHL holders in the LEO's jurisdiction. How soon - if ever - is the list updated?
I am only curious - not concerned - however there is nothing on this or any other Texas forum that addresses the subject, that I can find.

[anygunanywhere]

Some of the long time instructors on here might know the answer to your question and I am certain they will be along shortly.

What drove you to your decision? Inquiring minds want to know.

Anygunanywhere

[SewTexas]

I would imagine it's handled as though you had moved and had to send it back. you are removed from the system. but I would give them a few months.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Welcome to the Forum. I don't have a firm answer, but it may depend upon how you worded your letter. If you said you wanted to surrender or cancel your CHL, that was probably done. If you didn't state clearly that is what you want, then DPS has no basis upon which to cancel or void your license and they probably threw the license in the trash.

Chas.

[nightmare69]

So you canceled your Chl so you wouldn't be on a list? I don't see why law enforcement would request a list on Chl holders to begin with. All I'm concerned with is criminals with firearms, not law-abiding citizens.

[Former CHL Holder]

nightmare69: Some LEOs consider an armed law abiding citizen to be an oxymoron. Not the majority, by a long shot, but they exist and I crossed paths with one.
I also recall reading about two Houston cops who were recently sent to prison (over the last 2 years or so) for raping innocent women; one a vehicle passenger involved in a wreck whom the LEO cuffed and held until wreckers, vehicles and witnesses were gone (turning him in took guts) and another who detained suspected illegal aliens, cuffed them and drove them in his marked unit to remote areas to sexually assault them. They're the rare exception but they exist, even as respects firearms.
I am on "the list" permanently; and didn't return the CHL expecting to get off one. All CHL holders must assume they're in a gun database for perpetuity. Naive to think otherwise.

[Former CHL Holder]

@ anygunanywhere:[/color][/i][/b] I decided I'd hesitate at the worst moment, given my growing LE paranoia. I had a bad encounter with an off duty, out-of-uniform Constable's Deputy doing a mall security job 7 some odd years ago. 1st degree felony charge, GJ dismissal, written expunction, suggestion that I file an IA complaint (no thanks) and the GJ gave me back the pistol & CHL. Ever since, I get nervous every LEO I see, a PTSD like effect that's grown, not faded away.

[anygunanywhere]

@ anygunanywhere:[/color][/i][/b] I decided I'd hesitate at the worst moment, given my growing LE paranoia. I had a bad encounter with an off duty, out-of-uniform Constable's Deputy doing a mall security job 7 some odd years ago. 1st degree felony charge, GJ dismissal, written expunction, suggestion that I file an IA complaint - no thanks) and gave me back the pistol & CHL. Ever since, I get nervous every LEO I see, a PTSD like effect that's grown, not faded away.

I have had bad encounters too although not as recent as yours. I will admit that I have never forgotten the bad experiences but like you alluded to in a previous post, there are vastly more very good professional LEO than bad ones, and I venture to say especially so here in Texas. Whenever I have an encounter I always give them respect first and try to make the encounter as positive as possible. I also am very aware of what my constitutional rights are and will nt give any of them up.

I certainly hope you are a able to resolve your issues and put everything behind you. Your giving up a tool that allows you to further exercise your rights (with the state's permission, of course) should concern you a lot.

Did you consult with your attorney about your experience?

Anygunanywhere

[Mike.B]

If you mailed it to DPS without any explanation, I bet they assumed you're one of those people who return the old card after an address change, so they disposed of it without any fuhrer action. However, if you followed the process for people who surrender their CHL before being convicted to avoid the extra two years if DPS revokes it, then they probably voided your license as requested. However, you're in the database forever, no matter if it's active, expired, surrendered, or revoked.

[Former CHL Holder]

@ anygunanywhere:[/color][/i][/b] I decided I'd hesitate at the worst moment, given my growing LE paranoia. I had a bad encounter with an off duty, out-of-uniform Constable's Deputy doing a mall security job 7 some odd years ago. 1st degree felony charge, GJ dismissal, written expunction, suggestion that I file an IA complaint - no thanks) and gave me back the pistol & CHL. Ever since, I get nervous every LEO I see, a PTSD like effect that's grown, not faded away.

I have had bad encounters too although not as recent as yours. I will admit that I have never forgotten the bad experiences but like you alluded to in a previous post, there are vastly more very good professional LEO than bad ones, and I venture to say especially so here in Texas. Whenever I have an encounter I always give them respect first and try to make the encounter as positive as possible. I also am very aware of what my constitutional rights are and will nt give any of them up.

I certainly hope you are a able to resolve your issues and put everything behind you. Your giving up a tool that allows you to further exercise your rights (with the state's permission, of course) should concern you a lot.

Did you consult with your attorney about your experience?

Anygunanywhere

Yes. Not worth it and finally sending back the CHL resolves things the best they can be. It's been a slow burn, getting worse over the years, always worried what a LEO might do, even though I'm very good at concealed carry, nobody ever knew I was wearing a 1911. Your comment appreciated about rights but I don't believe we really have them, just an illusion that somehow when they're infringed, somebody might help secure them. Not likely I'm sad to say, our elected officials in the vast majority see themselves as our betters, NOT our employees temporarily chosen to represent us in an efficient manner of organization. They don't see public service as that; it's a profession and career and they will trample rights to secure their place. Look at the President of the USA's recent comments on gun legislation failures as his biggest frustration. Obamacare broken right out of the box after how much money and time? Unemployment how high for how long? Real income at what level for how long? None of that frustrates him as much as gun confiscation's failure? Gun crime and gun ownership facts don't register there? Of course they do, BUT...he and his calculate that his position on guns gains more ground for his political interests than it loses, and so they attack a constitutional right that's supposed to be ABOVE politics. Disarming a population is ALWAYS beneficial to government. ALWAYS. Has the POTUS ever read the Nat'l Firearms Act of 1934, Gun Control Act of 1968, The Texas CHL laws, the Federalist Papers, Militia Act of 1903 and if so, from where do they extract the comments that America needs "common sense, reasonable gun legislation"? From their backsides, it seems. LEOs are their agents and too many I am afraid, will succumb to infringements of our rights. California and New Jersey have recently introduced both national and state bills to allow a family member to report a mentally impaired gun owner and allow LE to take them away. This is bald faced attempt to circumvent the Fourth Amendment because a family member is ALREADY in the house; it would chip a big hole in 2A rights. Look at these federal attempts to limit campaign donations; so free speech has a price tag? I didn't see that in my copy of the Bill of Rights, but it's a federal law now.
So, returning to topic.... I still support CC for anyone willing and know I have many good, fellow Texas citizens with a point-of-view more favorable than mine; collectively there will be enough to continue the deterrence effect we now enjoy.

[Former CHL Holder]

If you mailed it to DPS without any explanation, I bet they assumed you're one of those people who return the old card after an address change, so they disposed of it without any fuhrer action. However, if you followed the process for people who surrender their CHL before being convicted to avoid the extra two years if DPS revokes it, then they probably voided your license as requested. However, you're in the database forever, no matter if it's active, expired, surrendered, or revoked.

Thank you, Mike.

[jbarn]

Just curious... what do you hope to accomplish by sending it back?

[Jim88]

Be aware that sending back the license with the belief that you'll be taken "off the list" may or may not happen. I'm a software engineer and database analyst and we NEVER really delete data. It may get archived or it may just get a simple flag on your record to make it appear deleted. For example, we have several million records for various people. Each person has a field on their record named isDeleted. We simply set that from 0 to 1 if it gets "deleted". If someone really wanted to know if you've EVER carried, they could probably pull that off.

[Texsquatch]

If I were worried about lists related to guns, I wouldn't join a public forum about CHL and guns, nor would I post my opinions about the government on such a forum.

[cb1000rider]

Just curious... what do you hope to accomplish by sending it back?

My guess - get off lists that can be used by law enforcement. It's a good indicator that you're armed. Some LEOs treat armed people differently. Differently bad, not differently good.