A few years
ago, I spoke with a gentleman at the Florida Department of Agriculture Firearms
Licensing Division about the need to have a firearms license in Florida when
transporting guns from the home to the range in a locked container. Being from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
where so many members of our state legislature do not see any difference
between lawful gun owners and criminals with guns, my questions seemed odd to
him as Florida has a very different attitude towards gun ownership. He actually said something like “here in
Florida, we have the Second Amendment”.
In that discussion, the difference was that in Florida, you can have
firearms on the basis that you are a law abiding citizen and it is your
constitutional right while in Massachusetts, you have to first demonstrate to
the satisfaction of the local police chief (or designee) that you are law
abiding enough to be entrusted with firearms even if you are not carrying them
and they are in locked containers during transport. Being able to carry a loaded firearm(s) on
your person is an entirely different thing.
You need
government’s permission in both states if you want to carry. Getting said government permission in each
state is as different as the winter weather is each state. Writing this document, I am sitting in my
Boca Raton condo in mid-January with the windows and doors all open, enjoying
the awesome 77-degree breeze which is gently providing a heavenly feeling while
back in the Bay State (we reside there 9 months per year) it is 15 degrees
today with a nasty, artic, bone chilling wind blowing. Did I mention that we are taking the dog to
the beach in an hour? Oh, the ocean
water is a big chilly at 82 degrees, but we will suffer through it.
Ok, back to
business. One year ago, I renewed my
Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC). On Thursday, I renewed by Florida Concealed
Weapons of Firearms License (CWL). The
differences in the process are remarkable.
Fair warning, if You are from Massachusetts or any similar state (you
know who your are: California, New York, New Jersey ……), you might not want to
hear this as your blood might just hit 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Massachusetts: Might get a post card indicating that your license is up for
renewal. If you don’t get the post card
and you don’t renew there is a grace period.
You have to download a new application and complete it. You must go to the local police department in
order to renew.
Florida: Receive a letter with the renewal application which
has the information already filled out, you just have to make corrections. Instructions are included and you can renew
in person, online or by mail.
Massachusetts: Call and make an appointment with the local police chief or
his/her designee. In my case the first
appointment was two months away. I live
in a town that is supportive of gun owners.
I know that in a nearby city, the next appointment is nine months away. Personally, I think that waiting nine months
for an appointment to ask permission to exercise a constitutional right is outrageous
less that acceptable.
Florida: Went online, the next appointment available was the
next week, however I chose to select a date in a couple of weeks as it was more
convenient for me.
Massachusetts: Complete the application which includes an affidavit that you have
not lost or had guns stolen. Note that
the law requires that you report any lost or stolen guns so the inclusion of
this affidavit is sort of insinuating that you are not trustworthy. Go in for an interview at the appointed time,
get a new picture taken, pay the fee of $100.
Leave and wait patiently for your license. By law, the process can take no more than 37
days, however, don’t count on it. The
local police have 7 days to process your application and forward it to the
Colonel of the State Police who has 30 days to process your application,
totaling 37 days. Historically it has
taken much longer in some communities.
In my town, I received my license in less than 37 days, but there are
many horror stories. In the days of
COVID, there is a built-in excuse (pandemic) for feet dragging of applications. I have friends who have waited 4 months or
more.
Florida Go to the appointment. Show your renewal application at the counter,
go to a desk in the office where you application is brought up on a computer
and you verify all the information.
Electronically sign and pay the fee of $42. Have a new picture taken and wait for your
new license to the printed. Be handed
your new license with a receipt, then be escorted to the door and thanked
repeatedly for coming in. You leave with
your renewed license in hand. Total time
in the office – 15 minutes.
Note that
this discussion has been about the firearms license renewal process and not the
initial application. These follow
similar paths, however, in Florida they have the Second Amendment, and any
law-abiding citizen has the right to own firearms without government permission
which is only required if said law abiding citizen wants to concealed
carry. In Massachusetts, you need the
state’s permission just to own a firearm or ammunition or a stun
gun/taser.
So, there
you have it. Two states that both
required its law-abiding citizens to get government’s permission to exercise
their constitutional rights to carry firearms, are completely different. In Massachusetts the law-abiding citizen who
has previously been granted the state’s permission to carry firearms must
complete and application and an affidavit that he/she has not previously lied
about having guns lost or stolen has to be interviewed and then must wait from
one-to-many months before receiving a renewed license. While in Florida, the entire renewal process
is accomplished in the time it takes to complete the Massachusetts LTC
application.
One Final
Comment: As of publication time,
Florida’s legislature and governor are beginning the process to make Florida a
constitutional carry state. That means,
if you are not a prohibited person then you do not need government’s permission
to own and possess firearms. Currently
there are 25 states (That is half of the states!) have
constitutional/permitless carry. Massachusetts
– NO!