San Diego CCW

[Rob1559]

I'm currently scheduling both a 1-on-1 private handgun training session with William (Bill) Desy at CCW USA for next week, as well as the required 8hr CCW (group) class with him the week after that.

My friend who was also approved for his CCW took his required class with him, said that he was good, and referred me to him.

I'll report back with my experiences.

So you got your e-mail approval for training in August? Or did you get the email earlier?

Rob

[random_user]

Has anyone gotten the go ahead for training this month so far?

Rob

I'm currently scheduling both a 1-on-1 private handgun training session with William (Bill) Desy at CCW USA for next week, as well as the required 8hr CCW (group) class with him the week after that.

My friend who was also approved for his CCW took his required class with him, said that he was good, and referred me to him.

I'll report back with my experiences.

[random_user]

That was a great post. Appreciate you taking the time to put that together (and for GUC for posting it).

No worries man. I've gotten a lot of great information from this thread, thought I'd give some back.

[Casual_Shooter]

Looks like I'm able to post now.

Thanks @GlockUnCut for posting that message for me.

I'm happy to answer any questions you guys may have regarding the process.

That was a great post. Appreciate you taking the time to put that together (and for GUC for posting it).

[baranski]

Amen

[Rob1559]

Anybody get approved for training in August?

Has anyone gotten the go ahead for training this month so far?

Rob

[random_user]

The following is from:

random_user

A new user who can't post yet. At his request, I am posting his experience with the process. Hopefully, others will find this in-depth report useful.

....

Looks like I'm able to post now.

Thanks @GlockUnCut for posting that message for me.

I'm happy to answer any questions you guys may have regarding the process.

Im at day 47 with no email or letter :/

The timeline seems to be different for everyone (not really sure how/why that is). I'm fairly certain that they must respond to you within 90 days with their final determination, whether approved or not (penal code 26202). Hopefully you get approved. But you will know one way or the other soon enough.

If you think you had a decently written GC statement, don't have any criminal record/other disqualifying attributes, and didn't said anything that raised any red flags with the interviewer, then it seems to me you'll have a decent shot of being approved.

Good luck!

[D16er]

Im at day 47 with no email or letter :/

[Paladin]

I was a lobbyist in a previous life and still run a majority of the Gov Affairs for my company. Know all the SD politicians and influencers. Issue is the county is turning more and more blue. Next mayor almost certainly Dem. Having fundraisers for a couple. Will feel them out on guns

CCWs are the #1 2nd A issue people care about. Issue CCWs liberally and more non-gunnies become handgun owners and defenders of their CCWs.

Eventually they branch out into shotguns and/or rifles. Then they become full fledged 2nd A activists, regardless of their party!

[GlockUnCut]

The following is from:

random_user

A new user who can't post yet. At his request, I am posting his experience with the process. Hopefully, others will find this in-depth report useful.

------------------------------------

I recently went through the CCW process and was given an approval. Here's what my experience was like:

*1st phone call:* Called the sheriff's office to set up the appointment. The woman on the phone scheduled me for about 8 months out. But, about ~45 days later, I got a call saying there were earlier openings and I could get in within the next couple of weeks. This seems to mirror the experience that 2 of my friends who have gone through this process also had. So even though they say it'll be many months out, you may likely actually be able to get in within just a couple of months.

*1st interview:* Brought in my completed application (even though the application itself says not to fill out beforehand, I was instructed by the woman on the phone to just go ahead and fill it out), along with a printout of my Good Cause statement, and a few other pieces of identifying information.

My GC was related around crime around my home neighborhood, as well as my work neighborhood. I outlined a few instances of first hand (a couple of sketchy situations I’ve been in) and second hand experiences (from friends and coworkers that have been in sketchy situations in the same areas) of crime manifesting around those areas.

Regarding the GC statement, in my estimation (from my own experience, the experience of 2 friends who have been approved, and from reading the examples on the SDGCO website), they don't seem to be extremely rigid about it. They just want you to put some sort of honest effort into describing your situation, as opposed to just writing a sentence that says "I want to exercise my 2nd amendment right, give me a permit." You/I may not agree with that, but it is what it is, so my advice is to put in some effort, and just follow the process, if you want a chance of being approved.

During the first interview, the woman that I was interviewing with asked me some general questions as she typed out some stuff on her computer. When going over my good cause, it seemed like she was really trying to ask me details in a way that she knew would sound good on the application (that is, it seemed like she was genuinely trying to help me out/word my situation out in a way she knew would give me the best chance possible of being approved). She was a clerk, not a deputy.

At the end of the first interview, she scheduled me for a 2nd interview, and gave me a list of what I'd need to bring with me (last 2 pay stubs, employers contact #, 2 proofs of residency, fees, etc). She had me take my application/GC statement/etc home with me (they get submitted on the 2nd interview, not the 1st). My 2nd interview was scheduled about a month later.

Regarding the employer contact — she explicitly asked, and I told her that my work was not asking/requiring me to get a CCW. Regardless, they are going to call your employer, but they’ll ask you for the contact. I gave her the contact of one of my higher-ups that I know, and know isn’t an anti-gunner/scaredy cat. And I asked him before hand if he’d be okay with me giving his number to the sheriff/if he was willing to confirm my employment. You probably don’t want to just put in your main office line and have the sheriff call your HR representative when they aren’t expecting it. They did call him and he confirmed my employment.

*2nd interview:* For the 2nd interview, she (I had the same woman as the 1st interview, but I don’t think this is guaranteed) basically just went back over everything to make sure all of the information was correct, and copied all of the documents that I brought in. She then took my fingerprints to start the LiveScan. Afterwards, I went to back to the front counter to pay my initial fees. Finally, after paying, she took a few photos of me. After that, she said to wait 90 days and I'd hear back via email as to whether or not I was approved.

*After 2nd interview:* During this time, I received an email from a deputy asking me for crime statistics for the areas I outlined in my GC (home and work). I went to crimemapping.com and shot him over a couple of the “shareable” links for the areas in question. He said that was adequate and he’d let me know if he needed anything else (I never heard from him again after that).

Also, an officer/license staff visited my apartment to confirm my address. I wasn't home at the time and she left a business card in my door. I gave her a call once I came home and found it, and the return phone call was adequate proof for her.

I know 2 people who have gone through this process successfully, who never sent crime maps / were never asked about them, nor did they ever get a home visit. I think I was under a little more scrutiny because I'm fairly young compared to what I imagine the average applicant's age is, and they were doing a little more due diligence to make sure I wasn't some dishonest little pisser. But that's just my speculation.

Beyond those 2 instances, I never heard from them again.

About 40 days after my 2nd interview, I was emailed with an approval letter. Attached to the email is the list of approved trainers in the area, in which you have 30 days from the approval email's date to take the class and qualify with your firearms. They ask that you respond to the email once you get it to verify that you received it and understand your responsibility to take the class.

And that's where I'm at. I've got a class scheduled. Once I complete it and successfully qualify with my firearms, I just need to call and set up a final time to come in with my certifications, pay the final fee, and retrieve my permit.

Overall, the process wasn’t that bad. Obviously I’d prefer if it was as simple as just going in, paying a fee, and getting a permit like a lot of other states. But the fact is that we are all well aware we live in a state with an overall anti-gun sentiment, and so the fact that we still have viable means of being approved to legally carry — if you put in some effort and wait time — … hey man, it’s better than nothing.

I’d also like to give some kudos to the San Diego County Gun Owners (and it’s supporters) for largely making this positive shift possible.
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[CessnaDriver]

I was a lobbyist in a previous life and still run a majority of the Gov Affairs for my company. Know all the SD politicians and influencers. Issue is the county is turning more and more blue. Next mayor almost certainly Dem. Having fundraisers for a couple. Will feel them out on guns

Honestly, where in America has CCW ever been the problem critics claim it will be? Wild West!!! Just not the case.


I would think by the time that happens if it happens, there will have been many more issued without any high profile negative incidents.
Plus there has been no public outcry against of note.

[AfricanHunter]

I was a lobbyist in a previous life and still run a majority of the Gov Affairs for my company. Know all the SD politicians and influencers. Issue is the county is turning more and more blue. Next mayor almost certainly Dem. Having fundraisers for a couple. Will feel them out on guns

[Nachoman]

This. I don't mind paying an extra few bucks to have a legit looking card as opposed to a laminated piece of paper.

Yup, Arizona's is a good example. Normal looking card with a little hologram thingy. Looks like a real permit. This one reminds me of my laminated pool pass that I used to have back in the 80's.

[AfricanHunter]

[GlockUnCut]

Sheriff Gore is a friend. If there’s anything you guys want me to advocate for let me know.

How about more than 3 firearms on the permit?

If you could pass along this along, it would great. Because the number of different weapons has nothing to do with the need for the permit.

Those circumstances vary from person to person and their individual GC situations. There is no reason to limit it to only 3. Riverside County allows 6 and Orange County has unlimited firearms on the CCW.

Just quantify for the firearm. That's all that should matter.