Sheriff's office prepared for concealed weapons applications

Friday, October 10, 2003

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Missouri's new concealed weapons law will go into effect. Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman is anticipating a substantial number of applications for this program and reports that the sheriff's office will be open at 9 a.m., Saturday, to take care of hopeful applicants. "We'll just start at 9 o'clock in the morning and just go until we're through," he said. Peckman said that to ensure processing for a concealed weapons permit the candidate must have several things with them when they apply: a certificate of a firearms safety training course; a valid Missouri drivers license, non-drivers license or military I.D.; a check made out to the Missouri Highway Patrol for $38 and cash in the amount of $62. The concealed weapons permit application asks the applicant to affirm that they are citizen of the United States who is at least 23 years old and has lived in the state of Missouri for at least six months, or are stationed in Missouri with the armed forces. In addition, the hopeful applicant cannot have been convicted of, or be currently charged with, a felony. Applicants who have been convicted of a violent crime within the last five years or had two or more misdemeanor driving while intoxicated offenses are also ineligible for a concealed weapons permit. Also, the application will be denied if the applicant has been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, if the applicant is someone against whom a valid order of protection has been issued by the court and is still in effect; or if the person has been judged mentally incompetent in the last five years. In addition, two sets of fingerprints will be taken and given to the Missouri Highway Patrol and the FBI. This is paid for with the $38 check and will take about 45 days for the results to get back. If the application is approved, the holder of the certificate will have to apply for a new drivers license or non-drivers license state identification in order to get the concealed/carry endorsement on it. The $62 collected will be put into a fund that will provide equipment and training for sheriff's office employees. However, Peckman reports that he does not foresee a lot of income being gained by his department because of this collection. "Well, they've come out with a software program that will do all the CCW and the permits. So we went ahead and purchased that. Most of that money has gone back to pay for that software," said Peckman. The concealed weapons bill also allows a person who is 21 years old or older, to carry a firearm in the glove compartment of a vehicle if the person has a permit for that firearm. "Please obtain a copy of the bill and read it. This will explain the do's and dont's, when's and where's you can carry and cannot carry," said Peckman, when asked what advice he would offer to citizens considering applying for a permit. However, a St. Louis judge plans to decide today whether to issue a temporary restraining order that would delay Missouri's new concealed weapons law from taking effect until the state's Supreme Court can determine if the measure is constitutional under an 1875 provision in the state's Constitution. Peckman said, "Barring a court ruling , we will be starting at 9. If there is a court ruling, we won't be doing it."

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