Military Members Getting Fast Tracked Concealed Weapons Licenses

September 21, 2015

The state has fast-tracked 7,549 concealed-weapons licenses for active-duty members of the military and honorably discharged veterans since Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced July 27 that those people would be moved to the front of the line when seeking licenses.

“If we get a complete application and a clean background, we’re turning it over roughly in six days,” Grea Bevis, director of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Licensing, told members of the House Military and Veteran Affairs Subcommittee this week.

Another 900 applications are pending, Bevis said.

The goal when the fast-track program started was to get the licenses application completed within 30 days, Bevis added.

“So we’ve made great strides to meet that mark,” he said.

The fast-tracking was part of Florida’s reaction to a shooting rampage at a military-recruiting center and a Navy Reserve facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., that left four Marines and a sailor dead in July. Gov. Rick Scott called for the state to expedite processing of new concealed-weapons licenses for members of the National Guard. Putnam expanded that to all active-duty military members and honorably discharged veterans.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

6 Responses to “Military Members Getting Fast Tracked Concealed Weapons Licenses”

  1. Lee on October 1st, 2015 1:56 pm

    All active-duty members of the military and honorably discharged veterans should AUTOMATICALLY get the permit – Across the board – across the nation!

  2. Derek on September 24th, 2015 7:51 am

    From someone that lived in Texas before. I can tell you people tend to mind their manners a heck of a lot more when they know people carry. I know I would feel a lot more comfortable in our community if the people that got to carry we’re already proficient in firearms. Unfortunately you do not have to take a training course to own a handgun I do believe that should be required but army Marines Navy and airforce already are if they carry we will all be a lot safer

  3. Cyberats on September 22nd, 2015 7:10 pm

    Six days is 5 days, 11hrs. & 45 min. Too Long in a computerized age.

  4. Bob C. on September 22nd, 2015 11:59 am

    Tax Collector Office — in ALL Counties — which issues other licenses should be able to Process, Validate, Issue a Concealed Weapon License in a single setting and time.
    This is done in Alabama and other states but for Florida the process is in Tallahassee which makes no sense at all.
    Local office — Same Day Issuing is the way this should be handled and in a single visit.

  5. Sedition on September 22nd, 2015 9:26 am

    It’s nice to see the Florida government finally admit that we regular citizens are second class citizens.
    I’ll be sure to remember that when they beg for donations and come election time.

  6. shelton on September 21st, 2015 9:54 am

    This is a very true statement. I am military and The Division of licensing processed my application and it was returned to me very promply. My license was issued in Six days.. I was very pleased to see the process worked!!