• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

MA State Auditor's report on firearm license issuance

T

thorin

NES Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
785
Likes
287
Location
Western MA
Feedback: 7 / 0 / 0
Didn't see this after searching; hope its not a dupe.
http://www.mass.gov/auditor/docs/audits/2017/201608573s.pdf

DETAILED AUDIT FINDINGS WITH AUDITEE’S RESPONSE
1. The firearms licensing process is not always completed within the mandated timeframe. Our analysis of the 114,522 approved applications that were completed through the Massachusetts Instant Record Check System (MIRCS) during our audit period showed that the firearms license permitting process took the Commonwealth an average of 65 days to complete, which is 25 days longer than the state-mandated 40-day timeframe. Of the 347 local licensing authorities that used MIRCS during our audit period, only 38 (11%) had completed the process within the required timeframe.
Additionally, 65 different licensing authorities averaged 80 or more days to complete the firearms license permitting process. As a result of the processing delays, applicants who needed a firearm for their employment or desired one for protection may have had to wait for extended periods.
 
+1 - Thank You!.

The firearms licensing process is not always completed within the mandated timeframe.
Click to expand...
No shit Sherlock! Comm2A did a public records request for application data a while back and came to the same conclusions. Remember, the time frame reported here only counts from when the PD entered the application into MIRCS. People may have waited six months or more just for the 'privilege' of submitting their application.
noxin said:
So, what the **** are they going to do about it besides writing a report?
Click to expand...
The auditor has to authority to do anything other that draw attention to the problem.
 
The legislature's response will be to change the 40 day time frame to something north of the 80 day mark to make the number appear as a 90%+ compliance rate.
 
Waher said:
The legislature's response will be to change the 40 day time frame to something north of the 80 day mark to make the number appear as a 90%+ compliance rate.
Click to expand...

You know that's a scary thought but probably true, and as for the people who were stuck waiting for months for their licenses? Oh well, sucks to be them.
 
The easiest solution would be to take the CONTROL out of the local PD's. hands and have the State Police be the licensing authority under "shall issue" and no restriction B.S. One step of the process will be eliminated, hopefully speeding up the process, so that the systems in place will allow the licensing authority to be compliant with the law. But then again, I think I saw a unicorn the other day.
 
The easiest solution would be to take the CONTROL out of the local PD's. hands and have the State Police be the licensing authority under "shall issue" and no restriction B.S.
Click to expand...
One needs to proceed carefully with such things. It would be all to easy for the state to take over, and have the "shall issue" part get lost .... just like how the "de novo" for LTC appeals was in the last law rewrite and quietly pulled at the last minute. This had profound impact for LTC appellants.
 
noxin said:
So, what the **** are they going to do about it besides writing a report?
Click to expand...

Well, you could write your local chief, selectmen or Town Manager and ask them what they're going to do to come into compliance with the law. In my town the best approach will probably be some low-key inquiries to the selectmen so they can ask the chief about it before they all go in front of the public access TV cameras at the selectmens meeting. No one likes to look stupid, if they're not surprised in public they'll come with some kind of answer. Your mileage may vary in your town.
 
glide said:
You're asking the wrong questions.

Why do you have licenses to begin with?
Click to expand...

Let's not pretend that MA will ever go Constitutional Carry. Fact is, the state legislators don't give a shit about gun owners and will never do anything to punish PD's for inhibiting our 2A rights. Why? Because they see it as a privilege, not a right.
 
Wow. My town sucks. 108 Days, not even close. 12 days at the state and 15 days to issue after aproval. What the F do they do for the other 81 days?

This should be like the background check. If they don't finish in 40 days you get an automatic approval.
 
ddraper said:
Wow. My town sucks. 108 Days, not even close. 12 days at the state and 15 days to issue after aproval. What the F do they do for the other 81 days?

This should be like the background check. If they don't finish in 40 days you get an automatic approval.
Click to expand...

Road details to pad their pensions.
 
Pretty funny. The PD always tells everyone it's the STATE that takes so long to process! Guess we can put that one to bed.

I will send this report to my Reps and ask why it's OK our Police Departments don't follow the law......
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
No shit Sherlock! Comm2A did a public records request for application data a while back and came to the same conclusions. Remember, the time frame reported here only counts from when the PD entered the application into MIRCS. People may have waited six months or more just for the 'privilege' of submitting their application.The auditor has to authority to do anything other that draw attention to the problem.
Click to expand...

I decided I wanted a license during the summer of 2012. I searched around for the requisite class but there wasn't a local one until October of that year. Then my local PD only has the licensing officer available like 2 days per month so I had to wait another few weeks to even submit my papers. Got my license the 1st week of January 2013.
 
Waher said:
The legislature's response will be to change the 40 day time frame to something north of the 80 day mark to make the number appear as a 90%+ compliance rate.
Click to expand...


Nothing will change.

Even so.....the state was the delay and don't the towns collect the 100% of the fee? State gets nothing from the $100.00? So what penalty can there really be? They could probably do this on time but state workers an all...anti-gun and all....what is the incentive to comply? The workers doing this are probably union....so we can complain all we want. The only ones who care are gun owners and it's been shown over and over again we have zero weight in this state.

"showed that the firearms license permitting process took the Commonwealth an average of 65 days to complete, which is 25 days longer than the state-mandated 40-day timeframe."
 
Last edited:
"Of the 347 local licensing authorities that used MIRCS ..."

My licensing authority is one of those that did not, and would likely push that failure rate a few points higher if it'd been included.
 
Al-Jim19 said:
I decided I wanted a license during the summer of 2012. I searched around for the requisite class but there wasn't a local one until October of that year. Then my local PD only has the licensing officer available like 2 days per month so I had to wait another few weeks to even submit my papers. Got my license the 1st week of January 2013.
Click to expand...

I remember applying in early July 2013 and got the call to pick it up mid January 2014. I didn't know how bad that wait was until I read up on the 40 day "rule."
 
robjax said:
Nothing will change.

Even so.....the state was the delay and don't the towns collect the 100% of the fee? State gets nothing from the $100.00? So what penalty can there really be? They could probably do this on time but state workers an all...anti-gun and all....what is the incentive to comply? The workers doing this are probably union....so we can complain all we want. The only ones who care are gun owners and it's been shown over and over again we have zero weight in this state.

"showed that the firearms license permitting process took the Commonwealth an average of 65 days to complete, which is 25 days longer than the state-mandated 40-day timeframe."
Click to expand...

Sorry, you are showing your ignorance with this reply.

Per MGL, the city/town "collects" 100% of the fee ($100) but is billed by the state for $75/application, so the city/town keeps just 25% ($25) of the fee and that all goes into the city/town "general fund" (70-80% typically goes to schools), so essentially the PD gets NOTHING out of the application fees. It's not the state that is the problem, it is the PDs which treat this as a "when I have spare time" task at best.
 
Len-2A Training said:
Sorry, you are showing your ignorance with this reply.

Per MGL, the city/town "collects" 100% of the fee ($100) but is billed by the state for $75/application, so the city/town keeps just 25% ($25) of the fee and that all goes into the city/town "general fund" (70-80% typically goes to schools), so essentially the PD gets NOTHING out of the application fees. It's not the state that is the problem, it is the PDs which treat this as a "when I have spare time" task at best.
Click to expand...


Yeah, it took my town around 10-11 weeks just to send it to the state. Once it got up to the State level they turned it around incredibly fast and had it printed and mailed out within a couple days. I was actually very impressed by that turnaround time. Local PDs not giving a crap about doing it in a timely fashion is definitely the problem from what I've seen.
 
Application entry and payment through a system like the FA-10 portal would go a long way toward time, and cost, reductions.
Enter your info and payment then immediately receive a receipt and then time to renewal wouldn't matter much - you would only need to visit the PD if a first time applicant.

Doesn't address the base problem of needing a license but would help with the timeline and aggravation.
 
Last edited:
Len-2A Training said:
Sorry, you are showing your ignorance with this reply.

Per MGL, the city/town "collects" 100% of the fee ($100) but is billed by the state for $75/application, so the city/town keeps just 25% ($25) of the fee and that all goes into the city/town "general fund" (70-80% typically goes to schools), so essentially the PD gets NOTHING out of the application fees. It's not the state that is the problem, it is the PDs which treat this as a "when I have spare time" task at best.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that correction. I had reversed it and then copped it up some after. My apologies.
 
Len-2A Training said:
Sorry, you are showing your ignorance with this reply.

Per MGL, the city/town "collects" 100% of the fee ($100) but is billed by the state for $75/application, so the city/town keeps just 25% ($25) of the fee and that all goes into the city/town "general fund" (70-80% typically goes to schools), so essentially the PD gets NOTHING out of the application fees. It's not the state that is the problem, it is the PDs which treat this as a "when I have spare time" task at best.
Click to expand...
Yep, they bitch about not having the resources, then fight like lions to ensure that they remain in charge of licensing.

They can't have it both ways.

Easy solution, get rid of gun licensing all together, as our northern neighbors, and many states across the country have shown, gun licensing is a huge waste of valuable resources.
 

Similar threads

MA Out of state LTC
Replies
19
Views
359
drgrant
drgrant
State Dems accused of pushing ‘backdoor gun tax’ on lawful firearm owners
Replies
13
Views
566
SS1
SS1
Washington state high-capacity magazine ban remains on books for now
Replies
1
Views
114
pastera
pastera
Buying more than one firearm
2
Replies
43
Views
1K
Rob Boudrie
Rob Boudrie
Firearm Legislation? This is how it's done in a "free state"
Replies
13
Views
563
APFSDS
APFSDS
Back
Top Bottom