Guide to gun rights in your Massachusetts town

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One of my students just reported to me. Unrestricted A in Bridgewater with no extenuating circumstances in either direction.
 
A few days ago, my friend in Lexington just received her LTC-A with no restrictions after a 3 month and 1 week wait.

Wait, let's see: 30+30+31+7=98 days.
That is 58 DAYS OVER THE LEGAL LIMIT!!!!!

Weston ... 11-Weeks (77 Days) - Class A, no restrictions

37 DAYS OVER THE LEGAL LIMIT!!!!!
 
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14 March: Took the requisite class at MFS & got the cert.
21 March: Dropped off form FA-25, with 2 letters of recommendation & the cert. @ local PD ot the way home from work
22 March: Received call with processing appointment for 8 April from licensing officer @ 1547L
08 April: Processing appointment @ local PD

Paid my $100, got printed and pictured last night. The window for processing applications is 4 pm -7 pm on Monday nights. Got to the local PD just before 4 and was the 5th person in line. About 7-8 more showed up while I was there. The officer started processing promptly at 4 pm and was averaging < 10 minutes per applicant. Licensing is just one of the additional duties this officer is responsible for. She's also the domestic, elder and child abuse officer. Busy girl. Very efficient, but pleasant. There was no "interview", started with prints, then index finger scan, happy snaps and signatures From start to finish, the whole process took me 45 minutes. She said that it's been crazy busy lately and that it's been taking roughly 3 months for licenses to come back. This on the Commonwealth, not my town

Perhaps I'm being a bit naive, but I see the increased timelines indicative of a surge in permitting. Hell, I had to take a number just to be waited on @ Four Seasons in Woburn!

Regardless of whether you live in a Green town or otherwise, ultimately you're dealing with a government bureaucracy. Those of us who have served in the military are quite familiar with the term "hurry up and wait". It's not used on the battlefield, just everywhere else. Bureaucrats (whether a paymaster or supply clerk) move at their own, torpid pace with their eyes ever on the clock. The only time they move with alacrity is when headed to breaks, lunch or out the door at quittin' time.

Don't ascribe to malice that which can be attributed to indifference and indolence.

All the same: tick... tick... tick...

UPDATE 07/01/2012
Received my Unrestricted Class A LTC on 28 June: 99 days after dropping off the application; 81 days after the processing appointment. So roughly 14 weeks from the former, 11 weeks from the latter.
 
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Just received my Class A Unrestricted license from Andover, MA. My timeframe was:

January 12 - Took my Mass firearms certification course. Afterward I brought my application and handed it in at my towns police station.

January 30 - Met with the Police Sargent and had fingerprints and photos taken as well as paid the $100 license fee.

April 9th - Received a call from the station and picked up my firearms license.

In all it took about 12 weeks but only 10 from when I had my meeting at the station.
 
I will be applying for my Class A, LTC in the town of Fall River. Gross, I know. I understand that they are red, and rarely will authorize a license without "sporting" restrictions. I have no interest in that. Fortunately, I was just told that I will be endorsed (reference) by a long-time Fall River Detective who knows the issuing officer. He knows my family, and says I should be "fine."

I will drop my application, letters, and whatever other nonsense they need on Tuesday, and let you all know how it goes.
 
I will be applying for my Class A, LTC in the town of Fall River. Gross, I know. I understand that they are red, and rarely will authorize a license without "sporting" restrictions. I have no interest in that. Fortunately, I was just told that I will be endorsed (reference) by a long-time Fall River Detective who knows the issuing officer. He knows my family, and says I should be "fine."

I will drop my application, letters, and whatever other nonsense they need on Tuesday, and let you all know how it goes.

Nice to know that "the system" is all about whom you know (or who knows you).
 
Hanover (Green Town) LTC renewal
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - Applied, Photo & Prints taken.
Thursday, March 21, Local approval
Wednesday, April 3, called FRB and told that it was approved, printed, and mailed out on March 28th.
Friday April 5, & Monday April 8th called local PD to check, not there...
Tuesday, April 09, called to check, ready to pick-up.

12-Weeks (84 Days) - Class A, no restrictions

There was plenty of company - other folks participating in the process.
 
Guess I will post this here even though I posted in a couple of other threads.

You now must call for an appointment in Westford to submit your app. I called last Tuesday(IIRC) and had my appointment to renew yesterday. My 15 year old also had his appointment last night. New apps and renewals are different because of having to take your prints on the 10 card for new applicants.

While I had my appointment, Tim was explaining to me how Westford has 'streamlined' the process. They submit everything on Wednesday nights. So if you went in last Friday you weren't submitted to the MSP for background check until last night with me and the kid. So you lost a couple of days. But the law says within 7 days they have to submit so they are within the law. He also submits your name to the Dept of Mental Health at the same time and anyone else he has to send it to. Then he just waits for it all to come back. When it comes back, someone (chief?) reviews the file which takes 24-48 hours and approves it. Tim then does something in the computer to the FRB (I believe) to say you are approved. Then FRB has to print and mail it to the PD. According to Tim, they had been trying to implement this 'process' for some time. When he took over from Michelle (maternity leave) they had about 220 apps in process just a couple weeks ago (normal is about 50 for Westford) and now has only about 100. So the process is moving. He says the state is taking about 3 weeks with the background checks. I will check back with him and let you guys know.
 
Nice to know that "the system" is all about whom you know (or who knows you).

Yeah, it's total crap. Not to mention I "need" a letter stating why I want to exercise my constitutional right, plus two letters of reference. What a joke. It's all crap: The Chief of Police can unilaterally approve or deny anyone.
 
Yeah, it's total crap. Not to mention I "need" a letter stating why I want to exercise my constitutional right, plus two letters of reference. What a joke. It's all crap: The Chief of Police can unilaterally approve or deny anyone.
Wow, I thought NB was the worst. At least I don't need reference letters, just the letter to the CoP. Perhaps the few people that I talked to that said FR wasn't too bad were full of crap.
 
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Wife just did her finger printing, etc at the Worcester PD this morning. Everything went good, but they told her not to expect her LTC for at least 12 weeks.
 
just applied today. officer there told me that i'd be issued a sporting restriction the first time, and then next time they bump you up to no restriction

in new bedford, ma

- - - Updated - - -

just applied today. officer there told me that i'd be issued a sporting restriction the first time, and then next time they bump you up to no restriction

in new bedford, ma
 
just applied today. officer there told me that i'd be issued a sporting restriction the first time, and then next time they bump you up to no restriction

in new bedford, ma

- - - Updated - - -

just applied today. officer there told me that i'd be issued a sporting restriction the first time, and then next time they bump you up to no restriction

in new bedford, ma
Well that's disappointing.
 
Fairhaven

No wait time for appointment, Officer LaSerta even sees people after 5pm a few nights a week. He was quite friendly, the town only issues Class A unrestricted licenses. He did say applications have gone from 7 a week to 7 a day and that the state is very backed up. Whenever it arrives you can pick up the license at dispatch anytime.
 
This thread doesn't get much attention these days.

Anyone else get licensed in Worcester recently?? I am wondering what the real wait times are, if they are in fact issuing unrestricted, etc.

My wife was told not to expect anything for at least 12 weeks. That's close to 40 days, right? [thinking][rolleyes]
 
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I dropped off my app in Waltham on 3/29. Finally received a call this morning to schedule an appointment for an interview. First opening was on 5/1.
 
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It is updated a little bit, just don't want people to forget about this page.

I think this post brings more new people to NES than any other. I know when I searched to see if I could find any info on my town before I ever heard of NES this is the one that dragged me in.
 
I think this post brings more new people to NES than any other. I know when I searched to see if I could find any info on my town before I ever heard of NES this is the one that dragged me in.

+1, at the time, I was asking my friend about getting an LTC in my area and he showed me this thread. I then began browsing around and finally joined up.
 
My girlfriend and I took our safety course at MFS at the tail end of February, procrastinated a bit called Bellingham PD Monday 3/18 left a voicemail for the LO, he called back within an hour and had appts set up for us thursday 3/21. I had no idea what to expect, kinda felt like we were doing something wrong by even applying for a LTC and thought maybe we'd be in for a big interrogation. Sergeant Lemon was awesome to deal with. He was genuinely friendly and polite, we made small talk the whole time about this and that. He's about as pro 2A as it gets which is awesome. I asked if they'd gotten a spike in application since Newtown, he said yes it's been crazy, he's doing 10 apps a day sometimes. I'm not sure if that's a lot but it's a hell of a lot more than I would have guessed. Whole process was quick (relatively speaking) and painless.

Anyway tomorrow will be 5 weeks and haven't heard anything yet, he said it usually takes 5 or 6 weeks. I didn't ask about restrictions but I'm crossing my fingers. Will update.
 
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I can provide the follow wait time update for Plainville:

- 12 weeks since I dropped off my application materials
- 3 weeks since I went in for fingerprints
- No update on when I will be able to come in for photos, payment, etc.
- The licensing officer won't take my calls and doesn't return my voicemails.
 
I can provide the follow wait time update for Plainville:

- 12 weeks since I dropped off my application materials
- 3 weeks since I went in for fingerprints
- No update on when I will be able to come in for photos, payment, etc.
- The licensing officer won't take my calls and doesn't return my voicemails.

If you haven't had a photo session and haven't been asked for payment you may not even be in the system yet. Have you called the FRB directly and asked for a status on your application?

On the other hand, if you haven't paid, your application might not even be complete.

Maybe you should call the chief or talk to your selectboard, or maybe you should prepare to file suit. If you decide you need to file suit to force a decision, you need to do it between 40 days and 130 days after your application. You have no remedies outside of that window.
 
I called the FRB about 4-5 weeks ago and then again today. There is no evidence of me being in the system.

I may try calling the Chief next. I'm not sure what else to do at this point.
 
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