Refusal to administer FSC test

[A-J]

All right you FFLs, school me here. I've looked at several places recently, and I'm seeing a theme:

WE WILL NOT ADMINISTER AN FSC TEST IF YOU ARE NOT BUYING A GUN

Is that even legal? In ordinary circumstances, I maybe wouldn't mind a whole lot, but these same stores HAVE NO GUNS TO BUY. So, how is it legal for them to refuse to administer the test?

[ronlglock]

[9Cal_OC]

Post location as you’ll get results near you on who can assist.

[A-J]

I'm in the 818 area. I don't need one, I'm just trying to understand the situation I ran into multiple times yesterday. My FIL is going to be getting his soon, fortunately my LGS is doing them no problem, and that's why they get my business.

This I did not know. Looks I need to find out how to become "that person" so I'll never have to think about it again.

[A-J]

Thanks again for this. It looks like it's not terribly hard to get certified to issue FSCs if one is willing to spend the $$ to go through the COE and certification process, along with the annual renewal of the COE and the every 5 years renewal of the instructor cert, on top of having to renew the FSC every 5 years. I gotta think this one through a little.

[ronlglock]

Refusal to administer FSC test

Thanks again for this. It looks like it's not terribly hard to get certified to issue FSCs if one is willing to spend the $$ to go through the COE and certification process, along with the annual renewal of the COE and the every 5 years renewal of the instructor cert, on top of having to renew the FSC every 5 years. I gotta think this one through a little.

[OCArmory]

Yes you now need a COE to administer the FSC exam.

[BarrelProof]

No. Need COE and signed off by an instructor

https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/hscsg.pdf

[9Cal_OC]

Looks like that changed. COE required as of 2015.

Another way for the state to suck a yearly fee out of you.

https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/fscinfo

[ugimports]

The question is why does a person need an FSC without a firearm purchase? There are only a few circumstances where this would apply. A vast majority of people taking the FSC think they need it ahead of being able to purchase a firearm. I explain to them this is not required. We will only do a standalone FSC test right now if the person meets one of the exceptions on why they would need it without transferring a firearm through us. The few that I know of are:
a) loan
b) intrastate intrafamilial transfer

There may be a few others, but b) is the only one we've run into where I've done a standalone test in the past 2-3 months.

Why you ask? Because the people that come in for standalone tests consume time (money less important) that I need to spend on getting background checks started and pickups completed for the firearms in our safes before we run out of the little space we have. A good 99.9% of what we have stored right now was not sourced by us. People are still finding stuff on the internet.

Not sure how this compares to retail stores, but I am sure their staff face similar issues.

If you're in a pinch I've heard most Big 5 Sporting Good locations that carry firearms do not have this policy right now and they will still issue FSC tests. You may need to call ahead since I think typically there's only 1 or 2 employees that can do it.

However, I don't see the need to get the FSC ahead of time unless it's needed for one of the exceptions.

[ronlglock]

The question is why does a person need an FSC without a firearm purchase?

[ugimports]

For the PPT of a lifetime when the FFL can make an appointment for one but not both. Best to be prepared. We’ve seen a customer come in one week for their FSC and a couple weeks later for a PPT. We’re a pawn shop so our stock of guns which can be sold in CA are few and far between.

Our PPT appointments have time built in for the test if needed.

In your example you allocated 2 time slots for the same customer. I would have had them come in for 1 appointment for the PPT and done their FSC in that same appointment. Otherwise, I would have days where all I'm doing are FSC tests back to back.

ETA: Ron does your shop do the standalone FSC tests right now? If so I can start referring customers to you. I don't remember where you are, but you can either post or PM name of pawn shop. I get requests everyday asking for the FSC test that I am turning down.

[TKM]

Many years ago I went to Fine Firearms in La Mesa to renew my HSC/FSC. Despite having been a regular customer the owner looked over and shook his head.

Talk to me or talk to my back, I'm gone.

Fine, drove to the next LGS and took care of business.

Haven't been back to Fine Firearms since.

One of us used to work there but moved to Ohio.

[ronlglock]

Our PPT appointments have time built in for the test if needed.

In your example you allocated 2 time slots for the same customer. I would have had them come in for 1 appointment for the PPT and done their FSC in that same appointment. Otherwise, I would have days where all I'm doing are FSC tests back to back.

ETA: Ron does your shop do the standalone FSC tests right now? If so I can start referring customers to you. I don't remember where you are, but you can either post or PM name of pawn shop. I get requests everyday asking for the FSC test that I am turning down.

We have first timers who need 30 minutes to complete the FSC test — sometimes twice — which is why we started to separate them. I’d take you up on your offer but we’re booked a month out as it is. Some folks can't even pick up their PPT until the "latest delivery" date because that's our first opening.

[MacFly]

I went to Turners in Chino Hills 2 weeks ago to renew my FSC. Got there an hour early to be first in line. When they opened, Mgr at the door asked me if I was buying a firearm. Since I was only there to take the FSC, he didn’t have time. There was 5 ppl behind me in line.

I was doing a PPT the next day and wanted to speed up the process.