Non-resident Maine CHL hassles

[RHenriksen]

I'm going round and round with the Maine state DPS people trying to get my non-resident CHL there. No reciprocity between Texas & Maine, so I'm out another $60 and lots of postage/photos/hassles. I'm there several times a year, and have grown accustomed to daily carry here - would like to continue when I'm out of town for several weeks a year.

The latest hurdle is that I'm supposed to get a "letter from a full time police officer on departmental stationary that you have sufficient knowledge of handgun safety for a Maine concealed firearms permit". Either that, or spend yet more money & time getting "a certificate from a recognized course that you completed for handgun safety within the last five years". The latter really chaps me - they admitted that they can't achieve reciprocity with Texas because their standards are so much lower. Yet they won't accept the Texas CHL's ten hours of classroom, testing, and range qualification as an acceptable demonstration of their safety standards, despite the language in their own statutes that is pretty damn plain.

As I'd feared, walking into an HPD substation & calling HPD downtown, HPD Academy, and Texas DPS for such a letter has turned out to be a huge waste of time. Judging from the reactions I got, you'd have thought I'd asked to sleep with their wives.

I've called the home of the $10 CHL class, Oak Ridge North, and they may hook me up after reviewing what sort of language they have to agree to. If that doesn't pan out, does anyone know of any sympathetic LEO here in Houston who could help out?

[rgoldy]

Out of curiosity, why would your cert of completion for Texas CHL not be sufficient for that ? How do they define "recognized" course ? How about an NRA safety course ? You should be able to find one locally pretty easy.

[RHenriksen]

Out of curiosity, why would your cert of completion for Texas CHL not be sufficient for that ? How do they define "recognized" course ? How about an NRA safety course ? You should be able to find one locally pretty easy.

They did not deign to explain why the Texas CHL wouldn't qualify. I think I've offended them by trying to get them to follow the letter of their own law, rather than their more narrow or funky interpretation of it, and now they're just trying to make life harder for me.

Yup, they'd accept an NRA safety course. I find it pretty offensive that in addition to having to get a non-resident CHL (and spend the $60) instead of having national reciprocity, or at least Texas/Maine reciprocity, they won't accept the Texas CHL even though they've acknowledge that Texas has higher standards than they do. So I'm digging in my heels & trying to take the path of least cost. Call it a bit of libertarian civil disobedience - I'm offended that the bureaucrats aren't following the letter of their own law. May wind up shooting myself in the foot in the process (shrug).

[cohiba550]

What's the latest update, did you ever get it?

[RHenriksen]

I *did* get my non-res Maine CHL about a week ago, just days before my current trip to Maine. More to type/share, will f/u on a full size keyboard later.

[RHenriksen]

Okay, so more detail (this is a copy/paste of my posts elsewhere on the topic, so the tense may not be entirely consistent):

The big hangup with getting a Maine non-resident CHL was satisfying their 'proof of handgun safety'. I'm a Texas resident, with a Texas CHL. We're required to take a 10+ hour course including classroom lecture on non-violent dispute resolution, when the use of deadly force is permitted, places where CHLs cannot carry, etc. We've got to pass a written test, and a 50 round course of fire. $140 fee to the state, plus $100-140 to a school for this class.

Due to all of the above, Maine cannot establish reciprocity with Texas because Maine's requirements are much lower. Yet Sgt Gomane of the Maine State Police won't accept the Tx CHL as proof towards the ME handgun safety requirement. Said I'd either need an NRA certificate or a letter from a full time police officer that I meet the ME handgun safety requirement. Yet when I had a full time police officer contact Sgt Gomane to verify just what sort of wording he wants on this letter. Sgt Gomane a) was non-responsive to the question, and b) actively tried to discourage the local LEO from writing such a letter!

{later}

My local LEO & I had a very pleasant visit today. He finally got through to Lt Bowler this morning; apparently Sgt Gomane has been unresponsive to emails because he's away on two weeks' vacation. I'll have my letter from local LEO testifying to my safe gun handling this week, and take a third stab at applying for the Maine non-resident CHL by Friday.

What was explained to my LEO by Lt Bowler that I've been obstinate in refusing to provide a certificate. This is definitely a mis-communication; I never heard that message. If I can't get a Texas CHL without the certificate, then the proof that I have a CHL (which was photocopied with my application) is proof that I went through the course & got the certificate. If that certificate hangup was the only flaw in my application, then it was all just a big "failure to communicate". I'll throw both the certificate & my local LEO letter in the packet, and we'll see what happens.

{later}

On the third try (including a copy of my Texas CHL, my TR-100 form ('certificate'), and letter from a local LEO, received my non-res Maine CHL in about 6 weeks. :D

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(5) Demonstrates to the issuing authority a knowledge of handgun safety.
The applicant may fully satisfy this requirement by submitting to the issuing authority, through documentation in accordance with this subparagraph, proof that the applicant has within 5 years prior to the date of application completed a course that included handgun safety offered by or under the supervision of a federal, state, county or municipal law enforcement agency or a firearms instructor certified by a private firearms association recognized as knowledgeable in matters of firearms safety by the issuing authority or by the state in which the course was taken. A course completion certificate or other document, or a photocopy, is sufficient if it recites or otherwise demonstrates that the course meets all of the requirements of this subparagraph.

As an alternative way of fully satisfying this requirement, an applicant may personally demonstrate knowledge of handgun safety to an issuing authority, if the issuing authority is willing to evaluate an applicant's personal demonstration of such knowledge. The issuing authority is not required to offer this 2nd option.