Some County Gun Boards are ridiculously slow in their processing of CPL applications. In fact, just yesterday a person who applied for one back in March of this year contacted me on Facebook to ask my opinion on the timeliness of the Gun Board.
I told her that her application may have been already approved and her notification got lost or wasn't sent out; it happens a lot. Accordingly, I told her to do what many others had done - go down to the County Clerk's Office and inquire about her status. In cases such as this in the past, the applicant was given the CPL on the spot.
However, sometimes the County Gun Board is embarrassingly slow in the processing of the application. If contacted, the Gun Board will just tell the applicant that there is nothing that can be done but wait. In reality, PA 381 of 2000, states that if the Gun Board does not render an answer in a reasonable period of time under certain circumstances, the applicant shall be issued a temporary CPL. Of course, applicants don't know this fact and Gun Boards don't like to follow the statute which states:
If the fingerprint comparison report is not received by the concealed weapon licensing board within 30 days after the fingerprint report is forwarded to the department of state police by the federal bureau of investigation, the concealed weapon licensing board shall issue a temporary license to carry a concealed pistol to the applicant if the applicant is otherwise qualified for a license. A temporary license issued under this section is valid for 180 days or until the concealed weapon licensing board receives the fingerprint comparison report provided under subsection (11) and issues or denies issuance of a license to carry a concealed pistol as otherwise provided under this act. Upon issuance or the denial of issuance of the license to carry a concealed pistol to an applicant who received a temporary license under this section, the applicant shall immediately surrender the temporary license to the concealed weapon licensing board that issued that temporary license.
If the County Gun Board balks at issuing you a temporary CPL, you can force the issue by filing a civil suit in the local Circuit Court and have a judge interpret the law or you can just wait. The choice is yours.
If you are ever pulled over for a traffic stop, the law enforcement officer will know that you were issued a CPL, if he looks up either your Driver's License or your vehicle's license plate in the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) System.
Despite this fact, a person with a CPL who is actively carrying a concealed firearm "on or about his person" still has a duty to inform the officer of his CPL status and the location of his firearm.
In counties where the local Gun Board delivers questionable service, it is not uncommon for law enforcement officers on a traffic stop to inform the driver that he was issued a CPL.
Despite this fact, a person with a CPL who is actively carrying a concealed firearm "on or about his person" still has a duty to inform the officer of his CPL status and the location of his firearm.
In counties where the local Gun Board delivers questionable service, it is not uncommon for law enforcement officers on a traffic stop to inform the driver that he was issued a CPL.
The State of Michigan has Concealed Carry Reciprocity Agreements with 35 other states. In Michigan, those agreements are negotiated by the Attorney General. The complete list is maintained by his office and can be viewed on his official web site.
The key thing to know about visiting other reciprocal states with your concealed firearm is that the laws are probably different than Michigan's. So before you go, jump on the Internet and do your research. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for running afoul of it.
The key thing to know about visiting other reciprocal states with your concealed firearm is that the laws are probably different than Michigan's. So before you go, jump on the Internet and do your research. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for running afoul of it.
It is a felony, punishable by four years of imprisonment, a $2,500 fine, or both to knowingly present a fraudulent Basic Pistol Safety Training Class Certificate to a County Gun Board. If this offense is discovered, the CPL of the named person is null and void retroactive to the date of issuance. In short, in the eyes of the law the CPL was never issued and could result in criminal charges for the Carrying of a Concealed Weapon -another felony.
Michigan Attorney General Opinion #7097 penned by Jennifer Granholm on January 11, 2002 states in part:
By its express terms, section 234d prohibits certain persons from carrying a firearm in the enumerated places but explicitly exempts from its prohibition "[a] person licensed by this state or another state to carry a concealed weapon." Thus, any person licensed to carry a concealed pistol, including a private investigator, is exempt from the gun-free zone restrictions imposed by section 234d of the Penal Code and may therefore possess firearms while on the types of premises listed in that statute.
Do keep in mind, however, that private property rights over-rule a CPL-holder's right to Open Carry in a state of Michigan enumerated Pistol-Free Zone. Thus, the owner of a bar or a church, for example, can tell you to take a hike if they object to your openly carried handgun.
A CPL simplifies the handgun buying process, as a licensee does not need to go to his/her local law enforcement department to obtain a 10-Day Pistol Purchase Permit by undergoing a background check and completing a 15 question Basic Pistol Safety Training Questionnaire.
Instead the buyer can just go to either a gun dealer or find a private seller. If the seller is a private party, the buyer would be wise to visit the state of Michigan's web site to download a Michigan Pistol Sales Record Form to lawfully document the transfer of ownership of the handgun. Additionally, the buyer has to complete the process by having his pistol purchase documented with his local law enforcement within five days.
Instead the buyer can just go to either a gun dealer or find a private seller. If the seller is a private party, the buyer would be wise to visit the state of Michigan's web site to download a Michigan Pistol Sales Record Form to lawfully document the transfer of ownership of the handgun. Additionally, the buyer has to complete the process by having his pistol purchase documented with his local law enforcement within five days.
If you have a desire to learn more about Michigan firearms law, the Michigan CPL, and personal protection, sign up for our Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit Newsletter. It's published weekly, free of charge, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I do most of my blogging and article writing in coffee shops because there are too many distractions at home.
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