Pennsylvania NR license

[Misfitmike63]

took me about 25 minutes in Lackawanna County, there was a line. I filled out the form, showed my MA license, took the picture, talked with a sheriff for a few minutes, and left about 10 minutes later with my PA license. very friendly people at the sheriffs office in Lackawanna (Scranton)

 

[cockpitbob]

The good people at the PA Firearms Owners Assn have a list of the counties that will issue out of state permits.
Many counties on the list are "unknown", so if you get/got your non-resident permit in one of those counties, shoot the PAFOA an email so they can update the list.

Update: Between the time I wrote the above and the time I walked into the Lancaster County Courthouse they changed their policy. Taped to the wall just before going through security is a printout of their web page saying they don't issue licenses to people outside their county or out of state. I'm on the outskirts of Lancaster and after that wasted trip need to find a neighboring county that will do it.

 

[cockpitbob]

Final update: Screw Lancaster county, but Berks County Sheriff's office is amazing. They have a substation at the Reading Airport that is open 3 weeks of the month just for permits and licenses. The week they are closed they are staffing 5 different remote locations around the county that are open 1 day a month. I had the form already filled out so the whole process was "Driver's license, home state LTC, form and $20 please. Stand in front of the web cam and smile. OK, it will take me 2 minutes to enter this and 5 or more minutes for the background check to come back." I was in and out in 15 minutes with my laminated LTC. Yeah, $20 for a 5 year LTC. I walked out kind of bewildered and blinking. The whole process was so....so....normal.

 

[amm5061]

The whole process was so....so....normal.

Such a culture shock for so many people around here. That's why people in the rest of the country don't truly understand just how awful it is in MA.

But welcome to the club! Glad you found a place that would issue, and sucks that Lancaster has fallen. I suppose the moonbats are spreading out of Philthydelphia and Harrisburg.

Lots of Amish around those parts, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're getting squeezed out.

 

[MrOrdinary]

took me about 25 minutes in Lackawanna County, there was a line. I filled out the form, showed my MA license, took the picture, talked with a sheriff for a few minutes, and left about 10 minutes later with my PA license. very friendly people at the sheriffs office in Lackawanna (Scranton)

Same as my experience December of last year, with one exception -

I'm third in line, guy at head of line turns in his paperwork to the deputy behind the window and is asked to wait. Minute later, deputy observed to make a phone call, and a minute later a second deputy comes out of locked door to the "back offices" (not the out-front office behind the glass), walks over to combo-lock door to the glass office, lets herself in, and looks at screen of first deputy. I stand up and move away, towards the door to the hallway where I entered.

A minute later 3 more deputies come out, surround the guy at the head of the line, cuff him and inform him that there's an open warrant on him from the city of Scranton, and he's marched out.

Could have been a paperwork mistake, could have been a case of someone with an outstanding warrant deciding "they'll never know" when he applies for his LTC.

Walked away with my LTC before the parking meter ran out of the 30 mins I put in it.

 

[cockpitbob]

Same as my experience December of last year, with one exception -

I'm third in line, guy at head of line turns in his paperwork to the deputy behind the window and is asked to wait. Minute later, deputy observed to make a phone call, and a minute later a second deputy comes out of locked door to the "back offices" (not the out-front office behind the glass), walks over to combo-lock door to the glass office, lets herself in, and looks at screen of first deputy. I stand up and move away, towards the door to the hallway where I entered.

A minute later 3 more deputies come out, surround the guy at the head of the line, cuff him and inform him that there's an open warrant on him from the city of Scranton, and he's marched out.

Could have been a paperwork mistake, could have been a case of someone with an outstanding warrant deciding "they'll never know" when he applies for his LTC.

Walked away with my LTC before the parking meter ran out of the 30 mins I put in it.

That cost you some time, but you got a nice story out of it.

 

[MrOrdinary]

That cost you some time, but you got a nice story out of it.

And a second follow-on story.

About 2 weeks after getting back from Scranton, I'm updating a secure application that I use to track passwords, credit cards, and important ID's like drivers license and LTC's. So I pull out the PA non-resident to enter the data, and I see the address listed as "Milford NY" with the zip code from my actual residence in Milford MA.

I call the sheriff's office and explain what I'm seeing. Deputy pulls up the card I was issued and compares it with the paperwork I filed. "Looks like our mistake, we'll send you a replacement with the correct information via US mail."

I refrain from telling her that's exactly the way it would be handled here in Massa2sh*ts, because, well, it wouldn't.

Within 3 days of the phone call I received my correct PA non-resident LTC.

For anyone considering a PA non-res, I recommend the Lackawanna County office in Scranton. (And if you like steam trains, the Steamtown national historical site is within a half-mile of the sheriff's office.)

 

[JRT]

A PA non-resident license is a state license good throughout the state regardless of which county issues it.

You could get a NH out of state license. It has reciprocity with PA so you can carry in PA with it. It also removes some gofy exceptions to NH's constitutional carry law. If I recall, you can't carry on a snowmobile or ATV in NH without a NH license.

PA does not recognize NH non resident.

 

[JRT]

Philadumpia, as an entity, is effectively more anti gun than most of MA is. They only even issue licenses to people that live there because they are forced by law. Even if you're licensed there's no f***ing way I would OC there. Its definitely a "fly low and below the radar" kind of deal.

-Mike

I live in Philadelphia and this statement is mostly bullshit. As an example, I carry my AR from my truck to my house uncased frequently and I’ve never been looked at twice. The LTC process is a bit more annoying but everthing in philly is more annoying. It’s a huge, poorly run city. The only exception is the OC comment, I suppose. I know people who OC in philly but it’s less common. You do need an LTC to OC in Philadelphia.

 

[ProGun]

I live in Philadelphia and this statement is mostly bullshit. As an example, I carry my AR from my truck to my house uncased frequently and I’ve never been looked at twice. The LTC process is a bit more annoying but everthing in philly is more annoying. It’s a huge, poorly run city. The only exception is the OC comment, I suppose. I know people who OC in philly but it’s less common. You do need an LTC to OC in Philadelphia.

And a thousand times better than across the Delaware River! Pretty much no Second Amendment in NJ!

 

[drgrant]

I live in Philadelphia and this statement is mostly bullshit. As an example, I carry my AR from my truck to my house uncased frequently and I’ve never been looked at twice. The LTC process is a bit more annoying but everthing in philly is more annoying. It’s a huge, poorly run city. The only exception is the OC comment, I suppose. I know people who OC in philly but it’s less common. You do need an LTC to OC in Philadelphia.

It's not bullshit, ask anyone whose had to stand trial there for using or even displaying a gun in self defense. The prosecutorial tenor of the city there is 110% anti. Not to mention in the past philly has been caught turtling on carry licenses and placing unlawful requirements. It might be better now than it was years ago, but if so, it's only because gun owners have beat up the city in court or other legal action.

-Mike

 

[AHM]

I live in Philadelphia and ... I carry my AR from my truck to my house uncased frequently and I’ve never been looked at twice.

Pro-tip: if you keep that up, you're not gonna have an AR to carry.
Because someone that only needed to look once will liberate it from your house.

 

[cockpitbob]

PA does not recognize NH non resident.

I believe the state quit recognizing all out of state non-resident licenses.
(Thanks to racenet for the correction.)

 

[Racenet]

I believe the state quit recognizing all out of state licenses.

Out of state NON RESIDENT licenses.

 

[cockpitbob]

Out of state NON RESIDENT licenses.

Yes. Worded mine poorly. Fixed it. Thanks.

 

[Garys]

Some counties have changed their policies due to Covid. Some will allow mailed in applications, but still require in person pick up. Berks county will not accept non county resident new or renewal applications.

Wyoming County allows mail in applications from non residents. Once approved, they will call you to make an appointment for in person pick up.

They do check references, but they processed everything in about a week.