My NH Pistol Permit....

[XTAV750]

Is in. It took 15 days to get done. Apparently, some of my references were difficult to contact. Who knew... Anyway, I'm heading to the PD to pick it up tomorrow. I got so used to carrying, then used to NOT carrying when we moved, I guess I'll have some training to do to get up to speed again. More time at the range... Twist my arm... really.

 

[Jamie]

Congrats!

 

[VARCHAR2]

Cool! They probably offered you that excuse because technically you have legal recourse if they exceed 14 days no matter how hard your references are to contact, and they know that.

 

[NHAtHeart]

Is in. It took 15 days to get done. Apparently, some of my references were difficult to contact. Who knew... Anyway, I'm heading to the PD to pick it up tomorrow. I got so used to carrying, then used to NOT carrying when we moved, I guess I'll have some training to do to get up to speed again. More time at the range... Twist my arm... really.

I bet if you check with your references none of them were contacted anyway, they only ask for addresses for references, no phone numbers, so how long does it take to snail mail somebody a sheet to fill out, then have them snail mail it back to you? They probably just do a background check, make sure you're not a crazy, might have taken them awhile to get around to it.

What town? Mine was 6 days from when I submitted my app (of course 2 of those days were a weekend so 4 business days)

 

[XTAV750]

I bet if you check with your references none of them were contacted anyway, they only ask for addresses for references, no phone numbers, so how long does it take to snail mail somebody a sheet to fill out, then have them snail mail it back to you? They probably just do a background check, make sure you're not a crazy, might have taken them awhile to get around to it.

What town? Mine was 6 days from when I submitted my app (of course 2 of those days were a weekend so 4 business days)

I'm in Hudson. Whats interesting is that they asked specifically for me to add phone numbers to the app, and then called every one them. In fact the det. spent a week playing phone tag with one of them. I was surprised. It all worked out in the end.

 

[NHAtHeart]

I'm in Hudson. Whats interesting is that they asked specifically for me to add phone numbers to the app, and then called every one them. In fact the det. spent a week playing phone tag with one of them. I was surprised. It all worked out in the end.

Wow, I don't know if I would have given them since it's not required on the nifty form put out by the state, I wonder if they are more suspicious being down on the border with the state who will not be named *shudders*.


PS. Mass really needs to get this clause worked into their conceal carry laws

"Applicants not prohibited under federal or NH law from possession of a firearm shall be deemed suitable
persons and the license shall be issued unless the applicant is so prohibited from possessing a firearm. The
burden is on the licensing entity to prove by clear and convincing proof that the applicant is so prohibited
from possessing a firearm."

 

[VARCHAR2]

Sounds like Hudson is overstepping by modifying the form and requiring additional information. From the 2nd page of the form itself: "No forms other than the one prescribed and issued by the Director of State Police may be used for the application and issuance of licenses."

and from RSA 159.6: "The director of state police is hereby authorized and directed to prepare forms for the licenses required under this chapter and forms for the application for such licenses and to supply the same to officials of the cities and towns authorized to issue the licenses. No other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns."

 

[06LemansC6]

I wonder what the AG would have to say about this.....

 

[XTAV750]

But what would have happened if I said, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to add phone numbers to the application because that information isn't required..." Maybe they would have let it go, or maybe they would have denied me. They clearly count on people not wanting to take that chance.

 

[ScottS]

But what would have happened if I said, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to add phone numbers to the application because that information isn't required..." Maybe they would have let it go, or maybe they would have denied me. They clearly count on people not wanting to take that chance.

They could not have denied you because you refused to put phone numbers on the app. It's not a discretionary license. The app specifically says "Name and Mailing Address of three (3) references." And, BTW, 15 days is too long. You could have showed up at 14 days and demanded the license.

Sounds like time for a note to GO-NH or NHFC for a little remedial training in Hudson.

 

[06LemansC6]

They could not have denied you because you refused to put phone numbers on the app. It's not a discretionary license. The app specifically says "Name and Mailing Address of three (3) references." And, BTW, 15 days is too long. You could have showed up at 14 days and demanded the license.

Correct.....This isn't MA. CLEOs here do NOT have discretionary power WRT pistol permits.

 

[VARCHAR2]

But what would have happened if I said, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to add phone numbers to the application because that information isn't required..." Maybe they would have let it go, or maybe they would have denied me. They clearly count on people not wanting to take that chance.

A valid concern, and you're right, they do count on people not wanting to take that chance. But they are also counting on people not realizing that the law is cut and dry.

With respect to License to Carry in NH, city and town officials are basically relegated to the duty of processing the paperwork for the state. Local officials have 14 days to determine whether or not one is a suitable person, but local officials do not have any say in what constitutes a suitable person (in fact, a suitable person in NH is anyone who is not otherwise prohibited under NH or federal law from possessing a firearm). The whole process is codified in state law and doesn't provide any room for local officials to do their own thing. They have 14 days to answer the basic question of suitability (in comparison, consider that NICS takes 15 minutes to determine the same thing).

From where I sit and given what I'm told, they are clearly trying to have their own say (15 days, additional requirements), and that's not how we do. If that's how they want to continue to play, they're going to find themselves in a lawsuit under RSA 159, which provides for special injunctive relief and recourse (including attorney's fees and costs of litigation) and under which the burden of proof (that one is not a suitable person) falls on the licensing entity.

Anyway, sorry to derail. I'm glad that we have one more licensed citizen in NH, but I am sorry to hear about the Hudson's overstepping behavior. It has a bad odor to it. If we, the citizens of NH, wanted the local officials to decide how it should be done, we would've written the law that way.

 

[TomH]

References? It's shall issue.. you don't need any references. They can't deny you... by law. Know your rights and exercise them!

 

[06LemansC6]

Local officials have 14 days to determine whether or not one is a suitable person, but local officials do not have any say in what constitutes a suitable person (in fact, a suitable person in NH is anyone who is not otherwise prohibited under NH or federal law from possessing a firearm). The whole process is codified in state law and doesn't provide any room for local officials to do their own thing. They have 14 days to answer the basic question of suitability (in comparison, consider that NICS takes 15 minutes to determine the same thing).

It took less than 4 hours for my local PD to issue mine. I seriously doubt they even looked at my references.

 

[Brin747]

It took my PD two days to issue mine, and that was because I submitted it on the Cheif's day off. None of me references were contacted. Further, when it was issued in November 2008, it was set to expire on my birthday in March 2012. I pointed out to the Chief that the law says it is to be valid for "Not less than four years" and he apologized, thanked me for correcting him, and re-issued it valid until March 2013.

 

[Gonzo]

Goffstown asks for phone numbers as well. I don't know if my references were called or not.

On a side note, my little brother and I picked ours up at same time. The officer handed them to us and said "Enjoy!"

I liked that little touch.

 

[soloman02]

It took Lee 14 to process mine, but they never contacted my references in any way (mail or phone) back at the end of 2007. My dad got his about 6 months ago and it took Lee 2 days to do it. They also never contacted his references. Neither of us have any criminal record so That may be why they never contacted the references. A friend of mine from Dover put me as a reference and I got a letter from the Dover PD asking if I knew if he was a felon, had had mental issues, etc. In case someone doesn't know you don't need to be 21 as I was not 21 when I got mine, nor does it mention age in RSA 159.

 

[Navy Moose]

I think Merrimack took three days and none of my references were contacted.

 

[Smiles1014]

Took 2 1/2 weeks to get my non resident permit, received it last week. I was reading on this forum that some are waiting months for theirs. Not sure if this had something to do with it but I had filled out the application back in June and so everything was dated 6/7/09 including my check. Had it sitting in a sealed addressed envelope for months on my desk at work, always forgetting to bring it down to the post office. Maybe they saw the date and pushed it through?

 

[BigWarden]

Hudson is currently experiencing some managerial issues … I think the C.O.P was fired or put on suspension for something or other … 5 Bucks said the guy that got your paperwork was some overzealous recent hire from across the Southern border who was used to the way things run in Mass.

ETA: Oh, by the way … the longer you're in Hudson, the more you'll realize the term "Overzealous" and "Hudson Cops" go hand in hand.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

but local officials do not have any say in what constitutes a suitable person (in fact, a suitable person in NH is anyone who is not otherwise prohibited under NH or federal law from possessing a firearm).

This is not exactly true.

There have been cases in NH where a police chief rejected an applicant as "unsuitable" even though he was not otherwise prohibited from possession under state or federal law. The cases in which the court upheld a rejection, or revocation, based on "suitability" involved specific and articulable reasons that go beyond the vague reasons sometimes offered in MA. Google for Bleiler v. Chief, Dover Police Dept 2006-426 for details of a case in which a NH carry permit was revoked for behavior that was never charged as, or alleged to be, a crime. The district court and state of NH supreme court affirmed the chief's decision to revoke the license on suitability grounds.

If one reads the entire case, the reasonable conclusion would be to not consider "shall issue" as the go-ahead to act like a jerk.

 

[XTAV750]

So I picked up my permit yesterday. No biggie. Whats interesting is that today I talked to one of my references to find out that he never ended up getting a hold of the detective working on my permit. So it took 15 days to get it done, clearly an attempt to reach my references, and then when the pd tired of playing phone tag, they gave up and issue the permit, as the law dictates. Weird.

 

[B1511]

I also just moved to Hudson from MA where I had my LTC for 10+ years and had "issues" with Hudson PD and here is my story.

I obtained the application for my license and completely filled it out and went into Hudson PD to submit my application. The officer at the window looked it over and said "I need phone numbers for each of your references" with a confused look on my face I searched through my phones contacts and added the requested numbers. He looked it over and said "Someone will call you in the next 14 days when it is ready". Fourteen days later there was NO call and I went into Hudson PD, check in hand, excited to pick up my license. Soon I was walking back out disappointed after the girl at the counter told me she had nothing for me and to call the next day. I called the next day leaving a message with my info and waited all day to hear back. Soon daily calls continued to the voice mail to nowhere and before I knew it 20 days had passed. Frustrated I decided to stop calling and visit the station to check the status in person. When I arrived I expressed my frustration and the laws of NH and the girl made a call to someone and told me to call someone from records the next day and it would be ready. The next day I called records and was told it would be ready by 4:30. The detective did talk to all of my references, some after a bit of phone tag.

I do admit 21 days is way better than the months it takes to get a resident LTC in MA and the $10 is much better than $100! I am not looking forward to going through the MA out of state LTC process.

 

[06LemansC6]

Sounds like someone needs to educate the Hudson PD. I'll bet the AG would be interested in hearing about it.

I have not been through the new MA non-resident interview process yet, but so far getting a MA non-res LTC hasn't been that bed as long as you have all your ducks in a row.

 

[flhri03]

My town also called my references, but I had it in 7 days.