Comments on: Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Issues

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:49:37 +0000

Though it does say no photocopies.

It says no photocopies, not no official copies.

By: larry Patty

larry Patty — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:48:33 +0000

Passports are acceptable. I turned in my application mid-June and the drivers license station made a photocopy. The big thing now is the wait. When I went thru the carry course I was told that applications are up 400% this year and the wait for a new permit is right at 90 days. It seems to be even worse for renewals. I’ve heard of people who sent theirs in March and April who still haven’t gotten it back. The website says you can apply for renewal up to 6 months in advance. You might not want to wait too long before your old permit expires.

By: Dave D.

Dave D. — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:05:11 +0000

I’m going to write them and ask them to clarify it. I suggest everyone else do the same. After a few hundred inquiries they might have enough sense to put something on their site that makes sense. I suspect that an official copy of a birth certificate or a notarized passport copy would work. However, the way their site reads it sounds like they expect to be given the original (which they won’t be returning).

By: ben

ben — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:55:21 +0000

In Texas, a person is limited to a lifetime maximum total of “official” copies of birth certificates. I think that number is less than 10. So if you need a few for passports and schools, then you will quickly run out when it is time for a carry permit. You are SOL if you can’t get the official document from the state, and the state won’t issue a new one, or return one they don’t need anymore.

If they keep an original copy, then why do you have to turn in another one when it is time to renew?

Seems that they should just not give any United States or state government ID to illegals, but what do I know.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:23:42 +0000

didnt you have to show proof of citizenship to get the original?

are they afraid that has changed since then?

By: Linoge

Linoge — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:19:02 +0000

Oh, and I guess passports are no longer acceptable as proof of citizenship? Funny…

By: Linoge

Linoge — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:18:13 +0000

Just a wonderful way to try and further support the notaries here in Tennessee. After all, as already has been stated, a “certified” copy is nothing more than a photocopy that was made and embossed by a notary.

Glad my paperwork is already in the pipeline…

By: Drake

Drake — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:53:57 +0000

This fucking sucks.

By: wizardpc

wizardpc — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:51:05 +0000

If I recall correctly, when I got my permit last year I had to do this. Also had to do it the last time I renewed my license about 3 years ago.

This was directly related to Sundquist’s policy of letting “undocument” persons obtain drivers licenses. Now they have to have everyone prove citizenship again since people where using the drivers licenses to obtain all sorts of things.

By: Nomen Nescio

Nomen Nescio — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:45:47 +0000

to clarify… a naturalization certificate is just a piece of paper with your photo and an embossed stamp. but it’s still one of those documents that, once you’ve got it, you’d have to be bloody daft to just give away if you couldn’t easily get it back, is what i meant.

By: Nomen Nescio

Nomen Nescio — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:39:47 +0000

no photocopies? documents will not be returned? have these people ever seen a green card? nobody in their right mind would give theirs away thinking they'd never get it back. any "certified copy" of it you could possibly provide would be a notarized, ahem, photocopy, by necessity. thing's a credit-card-sized piece of plastic with more holograms and magstripes and thingummys than you can shake a stick at. no photocopy can possibly reproduce all of a green card's security features, but the INS is damn sure not gonna give you a spare either. similarly for a naturalization certificate, except you can get official duplicates of those. takes ages to get the request for such a one processed, and they're not cheap, but at least i guess it's possible.

By: Ron W

Ron W — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:28:34 +0000

If this was re: your right to vote, the “civil rights” advocates would go crazy, but since it involves our RIGHT to CARRY ARMS for self-defense (Article I, Section 26, Tennesssee Constitution)…they don’t care nor do they care about those rights that are violated in the gun permit process and requirement (4th and 5th Amendments).! I think this is otherwise called discrimination, prejudice and bigotry.

By: SayUncle

SayUncle — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:23:27 +0000

Could be. Though it does say no photocopies.

By: Vance

Vance — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:20:25 +0000

I read this to mean they want a certified copy of your birth certificate, which you can get for $7-$12 from the Tennessee Department of Vital Statistics,which just makes it a little more difficult, not impossible. However, one would think the Tennessee Department of Safety and the Tennessee Department of Vital Statistics could work together to verify citizenship without the middleman (you and I)having to pay for a certified copy from one state bureaucracy and give it to another.