In Pittsburgh there have been so many people trying to get their concealed carry permits that they’re backed up to the end of 2020. The Allegheny County Sheriff has decided to do something about the backlog by offering drive-thru concealed carry permit services. This is a solid plan and one that could help streamline things in a lot of cities and states (so take notes, people).
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office is set to hold two more drive-thru events where people can fill out paperwork for a ‘license to carry’ permit.
The first of these events will be held in North Fayette on August 15 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The second event will be held in Forward Township on August 29 from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM.
An appointment will be required for these events.
Appointments can be scheduled on the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office website.
Applicants who show up for their appointments will be asked briefly to exit their vehicle for a COVID-19 screening that will consist of temperature checks and a questionnaire.
After the temperature check and questionnaire, Sheriff’s Office personnel will then process their paperwork.
Upon approval of the paperwork, a license will be printed and delivered to the applicant’s vehicle.
You can visit the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office firearms page here for more information. License to carry questions can be found here.
This is my favorite part of the Sheriff’s FAQ page:
Q: I was told that it takes weeks to obtain a license, is this true?
A: Allegheny County transitioned to a one-step process in late 2014. MOST applicants are in and out in about five minutes and leave the same day with their license. However, in some circumstances, the PA Instant Check System (PICS) can return a status of “RESEARCH”. This means that the state is researching something and they have 45 days, by law, to return a status of either “APPROVED” or “DENIED.” So, it is possible (but not likely) that you won’t get your license the same day you apply.
It would be great to see the permitting process handled better across the board. With all of the COVID-19 drama going on, the process has crawled to a standstill in many areas.
Why not do more drive-thru applications nationwide? Wouldn’t it be faster (assuming people do as they’re supposed to and fill out the paperwork in advance)?
Now if only they gave away ammo like a prize to go with your shiny new license….