Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

Here is the current procedure:
1) Make appointment and attend a full-day course to receive the training certificate.
2) Go to one of the full-service Driver's License offices to fill out application and have photo taken.
3) Make appointment and go to have finger prints taken.
4) Wait 90 days.

This is a bizarre process. It takes no less than two full days, one of which will be a work day. It requires you to make three separate trips to complete the process. It seems to have been designed to make the process as painful as possible. There is absolutely no reason that the application, photo, and fingerprints cannot all be accomplished upon completing the training session.

As for the training, it is a typical government solution to a problem. It is geared towards those who have no experience with handguns. Everyone else has to sit through four hours of instruction in handgun basics and nomenclature. Why not have the option to 'test-out' of the training class with a five-minute handgun safety and carry test and go straight to the range? Police, ex-military, and other trained shooters would thus save everyone time and money. Why not also have an 'equivalent experience' option instead of the range test? Let's face it, anyone who has gone through military, police, or armed security qualification, or participated in any handgun competition such as Glock, IPSC, IDPA, or 3-Gun matches can easily complete the TN handgun shooting test. Why not allow current successful qualifications and match performance to satisfy the shooting requirement?

I propose that we enlist our state Legislators' help in making the Handgun Carry Permit process sane and rational. I believe that there may be many people who would acquire the permit if it was not for the requirement to devote at least two full days to the process.

Also, why should it cost $115? A drivers license is only $19.50 for five years. Granted, it doesn't include a criminal background check. But I fail to believe that a background check costs $95.50 per person. Many states manage to provide the license for $35-40 dollars. Perhaps we should require an actual accounting of the costs to show that this is a fee as opposed to a tax.

I don't see why the Legislature should have trouble with these proposals. We are still requiring the same standards of proficiency and safety. We are making the process less expensive and troublesome both to the citizens and employees of TN.

I imagine the liberals in the legislature want the high fees to limit the number of HCP's. If they made them more reasonable, say $65.00 or less, the number of HCP's would jump drastically. We know that would be a good thing but I doubt the liberals agree. The process, as you point out, is Rube Goldberg like in nature. Typical of our Government's method of doing things.

Part of why the class is required is to cover TN law of what/ where, etc the permit allows. Those topics are not covered by the experience you mentioned, yet are extremely important as each States permits are quite different. And military training does little to discuss the responsibilities of civilian use, concealed carry, liabilities.
The expense issues are valid, but I would like to know about speed as my permit expired yesterday and a renewal applied for 2.5 months ago as soon as they sent the renewal form (I had already picked up an application at the DMV).

Why cant the HCP run concurrent with your drivers license? Due renewal every 5th birthday? That at least makes the price spread out over time so it is a little more cost effective.

The film is outdated,the class could be better without a doubt, and the cost is high because they want to make it more difficult and cost restrictive, this is the computer age, do we really think they put out foot soldiers and beat the pavement to discover your past? the wait time doesn't bother me, there are lag times ,for all different reasons. the state should however update all the material.