9+months for an FID Card????!!

D

DocMuller

Inactive
Hey guys. I am just curious. My wife has been waiting over 9 months(applied mid December) for her FID card. this is in the glorious state of NJ. I am not thoroughly read up on the laws just yet. But this can't be conventional.
 
I have I at the same time applied a change of address and for 2 handgun permits, then subsequently renewed those handgun permits. I recieved the "the feds are backed up" retort.
 
I don't know anything about NJ or the processes you have to go through, but I do know 3 people that received their permit to carry in Iowa last month and had to pass a federal background check. Their applications were approved in 1 day.
 
I had the best results after following the advice of another NJ gun enthusiast when I first started out: Call the police in your town and ask for the detective who is handling the application (investigation, background checks, etc). Talk to him or her. Usually this works to unjam the log jam, but I found it best to go down to the station and ask to speak with the detective. In my case, seeing me in person and talking briefly with the detective seemed to do the trick, and I received my pistol purchase permits within 2 weeks. This was after waiting several months first.

Note that this is the exact same process for FPID cards as well as for the pistol purchase permits. Not for a carry permit, which you can't obtain without a federal lawsuit in NJ (at least I have never heard of one being granted to the average resident without one).
 
DocMuller said:
I have I at the same time applied a change of address and for 2 handgun permits, then subsequently renewed those handgun permits. I recieved the "the feds are backed up" retort.
Click to expand...


Well, I put in for two pistol permits in April, and got them back in June.

Did she do an $18 money order or the online background?
 
I recieved the "the feds are backed up" retort.
Click to expand...

Bs. There is no federal FID card. At most NJ might use the NICS but that's returned almost instantly for all practical purposes. If there is a delay it's on the state side.
 
The OP is most likely referring to the New Jersey Firearms Purchaser ID card, NJFPID, as FID. The NJ police do both a criminal background check and a mental health records check. I believe the criminal background check includes a request to the FBI, in addition to any records from within the state. Thus the reference to "the feds are backed up", which may or may not be true.
 
Doc, it's not conventional. Something's screwed up somewhere. The process is supposed to take about 30 days but mine and everyone else I know took a couple weeks more.

You didn't say if you're covered by local PD or if you're rural and have to go direct to state police, but if you're going through local PD call them up or go see them. Just ask nicely if they'll help you track it down. State police, I don't know.
 
All these kinds of permits are about making getting into the shooting sports as much time and money consuming(costs roughly $500Cdn up here) as possible for law abiding voters. Nonsense like criminal background and a mental health records checks are a huge waste of time. Criminals and loonies don't get licences.
 
The OP is most likely referring to the New Jersey Firearms Purchaser ID card, NJFPID, as FID. The NJ police do both a criminal background check and a mental health records check. I believe the criminal background check includes a request to the FBI, in addition to any records from within the state. Thus the reference to "the feds are backed up", which may or may not be true.
Click to expand...

I get that, my point is the delay given here is longer than I have waited for NFA items. No way it's all the fault of the ATF.
 
Get out of New Jersey! I did and it's like another planet. I had an eerie feeling, as if I were doing something wrong the first time I bought a gun from Bud's. New Jersey is just bad for the soul.
 
Correct Nj Firearms purchaser Id. she also applied for her handgun permit as well. Im baffled as how I was able to change my address and apply and renew handgun permits and she's had to wait
when I initially applied a few years ago it took 4months.
 
Last edited:
Doc, each town in NJ is different, and handles the applications independently. My town was Bloomfield in north jersey, and they generally took 3 months. Statute says 30 days max but common law in NJ was established long ago in the vein of "how ever long it takes". Thus those who read just the statutes do not have the entire picture.

My town was pretty good by all accounts - for north jersey somewhat near NYC. In the more gun tolerant sections of the state, down south etc, I heard of people getting their permits in 3-4 weeks or even less. It really depends on how the local constabulary feels about gun ownership, + workload + actual investigation times. In other towns, so I have heard, the applications will be sat on and not processed unless people demand it and in some cases get a lawyer. But this is not the norm, only the worst cases, and I have no personal experience with that.

Also for those who are not aware, to get either kind of permit, two references must be supplied, to whom the investigating detective sends out forms for them to fill out and sign. Questions on the applicant's suitability, in a nutshell. Very intrusive if you ask me, and it leaves new residents who don't know anyone out in the cold. It is always best for the references to be aware the form and or a call from the police is coming before they happen. I have heard of references being blamed for delays also, but I know for certain in my case they turned them around same day for me :)

Oh, and police are forbidden to be references.

About the only good thing I can say about the ID card is that once you have it, it stays good forever unless you move (or become disqualified, obviously). It lets you buy any NJ legal long gun and any normal ammo (no, despite repeated claims to the contrary, hollow points are not illegal there, just highly restricted).

The pistol purchase permits live for 90 days (+ 90 more with approved extension), so with the required 30 day wait between purchases, effectively you can get 4 at a time that are useful, but the timing is critical (felony if violated I believe) so most people would opt for only 3 permits in a batch. I have never done an extension, so I can't say anything about that.

Some folks who shoot together continually apply for pistol purchase permits and use each other as references - this way they keep permits available at all times in case they run into a must-have. The cost is $2 per permit as I recall.
 
DA/SA Fan said:
Get out of New Jersey!
Click to expand...


Kind of hard when you have a job that requires you to be here. If pay was identical, and job availability was good in "better" state, then I also have family that I'd be leaving/uprooting. While it is nice to just go to a "good" state, that doesn't help fight for rights. While Christie is not a savior for gun rights, current NJ gun owners have done a lot of fighting that did stop more restrictions. Hell, we currently are pushing for becoming shall issue, which nobody would think it even come up. And with the fervor of previous fights, we may have the chances up to 50/50.

So, I say stay and fight. Gun ownership is way up in the state, and still growing. If it ever gets to the point that NY or CA restrictions come up, then consider moving.

unclenunzie said:
Doc, each town in NJ is different, and handles the applications independently. My town was Bloomfield in north jersey, and they generally took 3 months. Statute says 30 days max but common law in NJ was established long ago in the vein of "how ever long it takes". Thus those who read just the statutes do not have the entire picture.
Click to expand...


While that is correct, NJ has moved towards stopping extra requirements for FID and permit applications. NICS is also something that has gone online, and you send it to the agency (some are live with that). Nine months is a little excessive, since I've submitted for two pistol permits, received them, picked up one pistol, waited 30 days per state law, and picked up the second... all in about half of the time.

unclenunzie said:
My town was pretty good by all accounts - for north jersey somewhat near NYC. In the more gun tolerant sections of the state, down south etc, I heard of people getting their permits in 3-4 weeks or even less. It really depends on how the local constabulary feels about gun ownership, + workload + actual investigation times. In other towns, so I have heard, the applications will be sat on and not processed unless people demand it and in some cases get a lawyer. But this is not the norm, only the worst cases, and I have no personal experience with that.
Click to expand...

Being on the L/E side of that, 30 days may seem like a lot of time... but it is not. Backgrounds, especially during times of a lot of calls for weapon bans, are in high demand. Let's not forget we are coming up to a big election for gun rights.

No town that I know of has a specific firearms investigator, so your firearms investigations are done when you aren't investigating X other crimes. References don't respond, which takes up even more time.

unclenunzie said:
Also for those who are not aware, to get either kind of permit, two references must be supplied, to whom the investigating detective sends out forms for them to fill out and sign. Questions on the applicant's suitability, in a nutshell. Very intrusive if you ask me, and it leaves new residents who don't know anyone out in the cold. It is always best for the references to be aware the form and or a call from the police is coming before they happen. I have heard of references being blamed for delays also, but I know for certain in my case they turned them around same day for me :)



Oh, and police are forbidden to be references.
Click to expand...

Investigations vary by town. Mine, actually has a basic form with two questions; how long have you know the person in question, and do you feel they are competent enough to own a firearm. There is also a spot for additional comments.

In regards to references, only family members are not allowed. I've used fellow L/E officers... and have done references for others.

unclenunzie said:
About the only good thing I can say about the ID card is that once you have it, it stays good forever unless you move (or become disqualified, obviously). It lets you buy any NJ legal long gun and any normal ammo (no, despite repeated claims to the contrary, hollow points are not illegal there, just highly restricted).
Click to expand...

In regards to hollow points, there really aren't major restrictions. Non-L/E (including retired) are not allowed to carry a pistol with them. Other than that, it is only another charge to be added during a larger crime (locking someone up for dealing drugs, and they have a gun with hollow points... can be another 2-3 years).
 
I am sorry to hear of a 9 month delay. I live in a township where the police like the residents of the community and the community residents like the police.

Permits are usually done within the 30 day time range which is what the law calls for. When you drop off your paperwork, they usually say we will be done in 30 to 40 days. They are always quicker that that though.

If you live in an area that uses the State Police to issue the permits, then that just stinks, because the State Police have been known for delays. One resident had got the Governor's office involved.

Unless there is a real issue ( problem in the background) there is no reason it should take so long.

Sorry for your pain
 
I did the training and submitted by fingerprints and paperwork for the Texas License to carry on 6/4/16 electronically. On 7/2/16 I had my license. It sounds like the jurisdiction you are in is controlled by people who don't believe the 2nd Amendment applies to everyone.
 
Screwball, I would just want to warn folks that transport of hollow points is treated pretty much the same as transport of pistols in the state. If for whatever reason a person winds up having a hollow point rolling around in their car or trunk, and are not engaged in exempted activities, they can be prosecuted on mere possesion (in car, on person, etc) alone. The state police web site addresses hollow point transport specifically: http://www.njsp.org/firearms/transport-hollowpoint.shtml

People from other states (even other highly restrictive states like california) are shocked by the convoluted mess of gun laws and unreasonable restrictions in NJ. I mean people publicly debate stopping for gas or to use the toilet on the way home from a range trip.

I'm no lawyer, I just read a lot about the subject when I lived there and it was of direct concern for me. I've been gone over a year from NJ, and it is still of interest, but I do not keep up on all the discussions anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top