Santa Clara

[scootle]

No updates on Permitium or the company providing the psych eval either?

About to reach a week. Still checking daily including the spam folder

Rest assured, it's gonna take more than a week for them to do anything.... best to just be patient at this point and not worry about it. When it's time, they will email, afaik.

Previous folks had ~2 weeks to psych eval step.... my interview person told me with this huge influx of applications after the interview "clinics" expect it will be more like 4-6 weeks or longer. So figure probably at least a month from interview at this point if you're lucky.

[Impatient Protector]

4/12/2023 Interview, still waiting

I think they said something like it would probably be 2 weeks before we received the next communication (which if you are approved for the next step is the Phych interview scheduling link).

If anyone who interviewed on 4/12/2023 or after gets an interview email I would love to know. Also, what the subject looks like in the email so we can more confidently keep an eye out.

Currently my application has not been updated to even say the interview is complete.

[cyfr_cg]

Reading the posted docs on the SCC CCW page to try and get some more insight into the process...

Two relevant docs are the Policy Schedule and the 207 Policy itself.

The filename of the schedule document says 4-11-23, so it suggests that this is the most up-to-date document we have from the SO about how processing works. The 207 Policy itself is dated 2-15-23, so it seems like it was written right before Permitium went live.

In the schedule doc, Step 1, Item 5 says that:

"Once the interview and initial review of your application submission is complete, you will be notified in writing. Notification will be provided within 90 days of the application submission date."

The two bullet points list the possible outcomes of this step:

A: (i.e., that your application is complete, you meet the residency
requirements, and you are not disqualified from owning a firearm based on
the information in your application form) -> scheduled for psych eval

B: If the Sheriff determines your application does not meet the State
requirements, a denial letter will be sent to you providing the reason(s) for
denial and advising you of your right to appeal.

The psych eval approval / denial is also listed within Section 1, happening immediately after initial application approval and prior to the livescan.

There's no mention of any background check being conducted at all until Step 2, which describes a Livescan being conducted for DOJ / FBI info while a local background check is conducted by the sheriff's office.

So it seems like the local background check is not run until you pay the next part of the application fee (another $66) and submit your Livescan - implying that the only thing being done right now for most applicants is validating that the info provided on the application / interview is not in and of itself disqualifying via GMC.

So the more up to date process flow would be:

Application -> Interview -> Psych Eval -> Livescan / Internal Background Check -> Committee Review -> Training -> Final Review -> Issuance


The current infographic on the aforementioned SCC CCW page implies that the internal checks happen prior to the interviews, but I cannot imagine that they somehow ran 450 checks in the span of a few weeks prior to the interview clinics, so I think that it is still out-dated. Other counties seem to do it that way, where the interviews take a long time to be scheduled due to the background check being run first. For example, from what I can tell in the Los Angeles SO thread, you submit your app and then have to wait for them to call you to schedule the interview; you don't just automatically get to schedule it after application submission like we did.

However, I imagine that for SCC, putting the internal background check with the livescan after the psych eval lets the psych eval sit between the most substantial / time consuming parts of the SO's obligation, namely the interviews and the local background checks. Delays / capacity limits from the psych provider will also likely spread out the concurrent background check workload for the CCW unit. Additionally, every denial via the psych eval saves one more background check + application validation against it, and with the number of applications in the pipeline currently I bet every one counts.

[Impatient Protector]

Good info, thanks for looking into that.

"Once the interview and initial review of your application submission is complete, you will be notified in writing. Notification will be provided within 90 days of the application submission date."

I got the impression that the written form would only be if you are denied buy you may get both. The person I spoke with said the next thing should be a scheduling email. I would imagine 90 days is the policy max for targeting purpose. They definitely indicated that it would happen sooner.

The psych eval approval / denial is also listed within Section 1, happening immediately after initial application approval and prior to the livescan.
\

I think you can do the livescan closer to the psych eval. They have a timeframe they want it in though (e.g., livescan can't be too old but i forgot what the cutoff was (at least as was verbally represented to me). Last time i did a livescan it was like 20$ though so not a big expense (it may be different for this one though as that scan was for work).

"Additionally, every denial via the psych eval saves one more background check + application validation against it, and with the number of applications in the pipeline currently I bet every one counts.

That may be the case. However, the company doing the background checks is a 3rd party. So they may have less control over that then you might think. But, then again who knows, not me.

[cyfr_cg]

I got the impression that the written form would only be if you are denied buy you may get both. The person I spoke with said the next thing should be a scheduling email. I would imagine 90 days is the policy max for targeting purpose. They definitely indicated that it would happen sooner.

I am unsure about this, because the folks on this thread who have progressed to the psych eval have said they only received a scheduling email, but the officer who I interviewed with as well as the officers who interviewed other folks have said that we'll receive an approval notification prior to the psych eval scheduling.

If it's true that they don't send any approval notification to you, and instead the next communication is the psych eval scheduling email, I wonder if they approve internally and send your name to the psych eval provider and you just don't know about it until you get the scheduling email?

I think you can do the livescan closer to the psych eval.

Probably, although the schedule page suggests that you won't be sent the livescan scheduling info until you have completed the psych eval. I bet you can get away with it but it might be risky if there are unexpected delays from the psych eval provider's end.

That may be the case. However, the company doing the background checks is a 3rd party. So they may have less control over that then you might think. But, then again who knows, not me.

If this is the case, that makes even more sense - there is a $66 fee that you pay after the psych eval, but prior to the livescan. It makes sense that this $66 fee at least partially covers the cost of the 3rd party doing the background check.

However, the scheduling document says:

"A LIVESCAN criminal background check will be run through the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine your criminal history and whether you are eligible to possess a firearm. Concurrently, Sheriff?s Office personnel will conduct a check of all local records systems for relevant information on the applicant."

Do you have any info about the 3rd party doing the background check?

Regardless, it seems to me to be pretty clear at this point that the background check happens after the psych eval, meaning that the delays between interview and psych eval should not be too bad. Seems like the only thing they're reviewing in this first initial period is the application / interview info itself to make sure that you satisfy their GMC requirement - e.g. if you disclosed recent arrests / convictions / tickets / etc. that they want to use to disqualify you, now is the time they'll do it.

[so314]

The filename of the schedule document says 4-11-23, so it suggests that this is the most up-to-date document we have from the SO about how processing works. The 207 Policy itself is dated 2-15-23, so it seems like it was written right before Permitium went live.

The 04/11/23 update was just changing the URL of a training provider's website. No material changes to the application process compared to the version released 2/22/23.

02/22/23 Version: https://countysheriff.sccgov.org/sit...%202.22.23.pdf
04/11/23 Version: https://countysheriff.sccgov.org/sit...%204.11.23.pdf

So it seems like the local background check is not run until you pay the next part of the application fee (another $66) and submit your Livescan

I don't think the policy schedule is necessarily completely accurate. The $66 fee + $6.33 Permitium processing fee was already collected when the application is submitted. I don't think you need to pay this again.

Probably, although the schedule page suggests that you won't be sent the livescan scheduling info until you have completed the psych eval. I bet you can get away with it but it might be risky if there are unexpected delays from the psych eval provider's end.

Given the LiveScan form is posted on their website, you can just download it and take it to any independent LiveScan operator. During my interview, the interviewer implied that the only reason why you wouldn't want to do the LiveScan early is that the $100+ fee will be wasted if you get denied from the interview or psych eval. There was no mention of any time window the LiveScan needs to be completed within.

I did my LiveScan early on the assumption that it would take several months to complete. However, it seems like LiveScan now only takes around a week, so it might be better to delay this until closer to the end of the psych eval.

[cyfr_cg]

The 04/11/23 update was just changing the URL of a training provider's website. No material changes to the application process compared to the version released 2/22/23.

Good to know, thanks. However even 2/22/23 is still a week newer than the policy PDF itself, so I would say it's still the most up-to-date information we have from the SO about their process.

I don't think the policy schedule is necessarily completely accurate. The $66 fee + $6.33 Permitium processing fee was already collected when the application is submitted. I don't think you need to pay this again.

Interesting, so do you think they are running the background checks right now between the interview and psych eval?

The thing I keep coming back to is that the schedule, in Step 1, Item 5 it says:

If the Sheriff determines that your application does meet State requirements (i.e., that your application is complete, you meet the residency requirements, and you are not disqualified from owning a firearm based on the information in your application form), you will receive information for scheduling a psychological test.

Meaning that the only thing they are checking right now (prior to psych eval scheduling) is that the info on the app / interview is not disqualifying for GMC.

The next step says: "A LIVESCAN criminal background check will be run through the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine your criminal history and whether you are eligible to possess a firearm. Concurrently, Sheriff?s Office personnel will conduct a check of all local records systems for relevant information on the applicant."

The implication there is that all the checks (Livescan / internal background) happen after you finish the psych eval, which means that it should not take that long between interview and psych eval.

IIRC a couple folks on here who have already received their psych eval scheduling were told during their initial interviews that their app would be reviewed by a sergeant and then they'd be scheduled for psych eval. I think the implication is that they are only reviewing the app / interview info itself, which lines up with the info mentioned on the scheduling page and also on the policy document - where the criminal background check / livescan are both in one step in the application process that will be reviewed by a committee, and this will happen after the psych eval approval.

Doesn't seem like there are individual reviews of any kind of background info prior to the psych eval's completion. Presumably the increase in delay from 2 to 4-6 weeks in the psych scheduling is due to the fact that they now have upwards of 450 applications to review for GMC and send to psych eval, or maybe the provider has been so inundated with folks that they are not even reaching out until a later date.

[haw1144]

I finally got an email for scheduling my psych eval! 2 weeks and 1 day from my interview at the Sheriff's Office.

Hope that helps people waiting. My email was titled:
**Action Required - Schedule CCW Appointment**

from
LEPS <records@lepsinc.com>

[Muffinnuts]

Just got an approval email to schedule psyche!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ericw111]

Got the same email. 3 weeks after my interview.

Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

[jjexpat00]

Looks like I'm a part of this scheduling email wave as well. Meetings are scheduled for a 5 hour duration + log in 10 min before meeting start.

4/04 - Initial Interview
4/19 - Received email to schedule psych eval ($150)
4/28 - Psych eval scheduled

[Impatient Protector]

Thanks Haw1144 et. al. for the updates on the scheduling. I suspect there may be further delay with the amount of people that participated in the clinic but it is nice to know that they are otherwise normally around 2-3 week for the scheduling email.

[cyfr_cg]

Saw a post on the reddit forum from someone who interviewed on 4/11 and received their scheduling email on 4/19 as well.

I think they presumably have finished reviewing all the applications from before the interview clinics, so those of us who interviewed during the clinics should be receiving an update hopefully soon.

[NeilDown]

Interviewed on the last of the clinic dates on 19th.

Officer said the clinics created a backlog of 500 applications so expect the next email to be 8 weeks out.

Very happy that they are doing the best they can with the limited resources and surge of backlog applications.

[yhlin84]

Interviewed on the last of the clinic dates on 19th.

Officer said the clinics created a backlog of 500 applications so expect the next email to be 8 weeks out.

Very happy that they are doing the best they can with the limited resources and surge of backlog applications.

You are giving SCC too much credit. Almost 1 year after Bruen, they issued only a few licenses. In 4-6 months they will still only have issued a few licenses.

Completing your interview is like running the first 10 feet in a mile.

Psyche test is a law enforcement level test. First session requires consistent answers (and right answers on your character). Second session is a review with a doctor. If you fail, you are done. There is no second chance.

After that, the livescan is done within sheriff department. Backlog will be 2-3 months at least. If you fail, you are done.

Then comes the 16 hour training (2 days of your time) to be completed within 90 days on a limited calendar of availability and few viable trainers unless you drive 1-2 hours to attend. If you cant complete or qualify live fire, you are done.

The interview only confirms who you are and makes you feel like you are making progress when it is just passing you off to the next of many filters and long wait.

Wish you all the best, but this optimism is unfounded.