CHL a crock

[Skiprr]

Given how CHL applications have spiked the past few years I believe that, all in all, DPS does pretty good job. Now that the 2014 calendar year information is posted, this may be a good place to show the number of active CHL holders by year:



Year one, 1996, Texas ended the year with 113,640 licensees. We stayed relatively flat between 2000 and 2006, moving up fairly slowly from 215,836 to 258,162 licensees, respectively. The real growth started in 2009 when we ended the year with a count of 402,914. In the intervening five years, the numbers have more than doubled. We ended 2014 with 825,957 active CHL holders.

I'd sure like to see us cross the 1 million mark by year-end 2016.

[joe817]

What an incredible graph! Thank you Skiprr! If I were a mathamatician I'd say that slope is right at 1(going back to high school.) Can't get much better than that!

Maybe 1 million by year's end? Entirely possible!

[RonW956]

I took the class & emailed all supporting docs on Feb 19th, still waiting.....

[Texsquatch]

I'm confused whether the OP actually applied to DPS and had fingerprints done, or simply took the class and thought that was the whole process.

That would be an interesting twist to the story.

[txtaxman]

I took the class & emailed all supporting docs on Feb 19th, still waiting.....

There is no mention of submitting your fingerprints. DPS will not begin your background check without the fingerprints.

Did you receive an email confirming DPS received your documents. Usually there is an automated, immediate response that says "Thank you for contacting the Texas Department of Public Safety" followed a few days later by an email that says "We have received your .....".

I see where many people have trouble uploading documents, and I had problems uploading documents in the past. Therefore, my recommendation to people who take my CHL class is to get a flat rate envelope at the US Post Office and mail the CHL-100 form and other supporting documents, if any, to DPS. That way there is a tracking number, if an issue arises.

Sometimes people receive their license a couple of weeks after submitting the paperwork, but they are people who submitted an on-line application and fingerprints before taking the class. It is not unusual for the whole process to take 30 to 60 days.

[RonW956]

I am in no big hurry and I have faith in the system. If there is no change in the online status by the end of this month then I'll call and ask about the status of my app...

[RonJeanJr]

All the feedback is very appreciated! Luckily, I paid online, so there should be no digging for receipts or anything like that. Now I'm just "pending" until further notice. My rep said to call him back after a few months if I still haven't received it yet. As for the federal holdup / delay...that's the most contradictory thing I've heard in a while. What good does it do?! If somebody's going to be a violent criminal, they're NOT going to get a license to do it! LOL, Uncle Sam. I'll keep calling them once every week or two and see what's going on.

[RonJeanJr]

Well....a month later, and still no response, not by phone, email, or mail. I think it's official: the whole CHL thing is just a cash scam after all, to gain free tax money. I sadly regret trying to pursue my constitutional right for self defense, since even the most descent state left in this country has produced only pure failure in that regard. I know am speaking with an attorney about how to get potential refunding of my {in}voluntary tax paid out without return. Remember, I moved to TX from Chicagoland - I know government fraud & scams from birth as such an area is *openly corrupt. No judgement over here, and I'm not even mad or anything....I just want my money back. I work too hard to just throw money into a bonfire for no reason like I'm Donald Trump on a bored day or something. I found some legally acceptable alternative ways of defense which don't include fake things, so I'll pursue those since the 2nd amendment is permanently destroyed.

[Keith B]

Well....a month later, and still no response, not by phone, email, or mail. I think it's official: the whole CHL thing is just a cash scam after all, to gain free tax money. I sadly regret trying to pursue my constitutional right for self defense, since even the most descent state left in this country has produced only pure failure in that regard. I know am speaking with an attorney about how to get potential refunding of my {in}voluntary tax paid out without return. Remember, I moved to TX from Chicagoland - I know government fraud & scams from birth as such an area is *openly corrupt. No judgement over here, and I'm not even mad or anything....I just want my money back. I work too hard to just throw money into a bonfire for no reason like I'm Donald Trump on a bored day or something. I found some legally acceptable alternative ways of defense which don't include fake things, so I'll pursue those since the 2nd amendment is permanently destroyed.

Well, did you contact your State Representative again? They will help you find out what the issue is.

I will tell you it is not a scam since there are over 800,000 licenses issued in the state. Yes, there are times that licesne applications seem to get lost in the ether, but if you work with them they will try to work with you.

[RonW956]

I'm gonna go on a limb here & just call Troll post because this sound's like a person who doesnt even want to understand how the process works & is trying to sow discord among those waiting for their CHL's

[RonJeanJr]

I do apologize: not trying to upset anyone here or create discord for those whom are waiting. I've been unsuccessful in contacting my rep, but I work 7-7 lately m-f, so I'm stuck waiting on the automated version of the system. The DPS website still just says the same generic 'keep waiting' statement, meaning it's not mailed out yet or anything.

[Keith B]

I do apologize: not trying to upset anyone here or create discord for those whom are waiting. I've been unsuccessful in contacting my rep, but I work 7-7 lately m-f, so I'm stuck waiting on the automated version of the system. The DPS website still just says the same generic 'keep waiting' statement, meaning it's not mailed out yet or anything.

OK, you really need to get in touch with your Rep and find out why it is taking so long. They can get usually get an answer when others can't.

As for why it's taking so long, there is one possibility that it is Illinois/Chicago holding up the progress. DPS must receive background check info from your previous 5 years of residency you list. If Illinois, Cook County, or Chicago has not responded to the background check requests, then they can't move forward with the license.

[RonW956]

I do apologize: not trying to upset anyone here or create discord for those whom are waiting. I've been unsuccessful in contacting my rep, but I work 7-7 lately m-f, so I'm stuck waiting on the automated version of the system. The DPS website still just says the same generic 'keep waiting' statement, meaning it's not mailed out yet or anything.

It's ok, I'm in the same boat I guess... Going on my 2nd month of waiting.... I did finally get hold of someone at customer service after being put on hold for 45min...

[RonJeanJr]

As for why it's taking so long, there is one possibility that it is Illinois/Chicago holding up the progress. DPS must receive background check info from your previous 5 years of residency you list. If Illinois, Cook County, or Chicago has not responded to the background check requests, then they can't move forward with the license.

Yeah, I could see that. Illinois still one of the few on the list that doesn't accept TX CHL throughout the United States, so I would find it not hard to believe they'd just simply stall to prevent any of their previous state citizens from getting one. They've always been notoriously anti-gun [at the gov't level]

[RonJeanJr]

To amend: Illinois stalled me getting my federal taxes while living in TX for last year's return because IL owed ME money!! No joke! I fought it for 6-8 months until the IRS place here just overrode Illinois' block cuz they were being douchebags and let me have my money. After that, along with seeing how things work up there, it's probably them that's holding up the process.