Revoked license over Change of Address???

[slap shot]

I didnt want to bring it up, but maybe his race/religion had something to do with it... He wasnt black and he wasnt white, and he wasnt spanish, or asian... I will let you draw your own conclusions.

NSF drop a dime?

 

[FrugalFannie]

After you submit these three certified letters, do you still have to reapply in the new town to get a new LTC with the new address?

No. You retain your LTC but the issuing town still has control over restrictions. When you renew, you renew in the new town.

 

[soam]

Also, if you move again, you still notify the issuing town's police chief. If you haven't renewed your LTC since the first time you moved, you still notify the first town.

So, if you move from Town A to Town B, you notify Town A, Town B, and the CHSB.

If you then move from Town B to Town C, you notify Town A, Town C, and the CHSB. You could also notify Town B as a courtesy, but it is not required.

 

[Billsail]

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140, section 131(l) states:
Any licensee shall notify, in writing, the licensing authority who issued such license, the chief of police into whose jurisdiction the licensee moves and the executive director of the criminal history systems board of any change of address. Such notification shall be made by certified mail within 30 days of its occurrence. Failure to so notify shall be cause for revocation or suspension of said license.

GOAL should consider looking into the unfairness and lack of due process contained in this statute.

EDIT: Because enforcement is rare, it goes pretty much unnoticed.

 

[Periphery]

Also, if you move again, you still notify the issuing town's police chief. If you haven't renewed your LTC since the first time you moved, you still notify the first town.

So, if you move from Town A to Town B, you notify Town A, Town B, and the CHSB.

If you then move from Town B to Town C, you notify Town A, Town C, and the CHSB. You could also notify Town B as a courtesy, but it is not required.

Holy shit, what a cluster****. This is one of the many things that needs to go away in MA gun laws. Why can't one department be notified? Why not just the CHSB? It's so dumb.

 

[71montess]

Yep, I just got back from a GOAL Mass Firearms Laws seminar at my club(Westwood). This was gone over and stunned most everyone . Just another example of Mass trying to railroad its honest citizens. John Green did a great job btw.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Have him transfer his firearms to a LGS,so they can hold on to it him.

Curiously enough, a revocation for failure to file a change of address leaves the protection one gets for having an expired LTC intact. The only penalty for possession or carry on the expired LTC is $100 (was $500 under the old law), with no criminal aspect to the case. Of course, you can't expect the police to know this and will have to hire an attorney to point it out to the court, or perhaps, convince Comm2A to take your case.

Filing pro-se is akin to stepping on your organ. Talk to Comm2A, even if you have retained private counsel, and especially if you have not.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

Holy crap, the amount of asking of how to do the change of address is rather frightening here. People need to start reading up, paying attention at their basic class, or something!

 

[knoxy]

Holy crap, the amount of asking of how to do the change of address is rather frightening here.

That's not what's frightening. The fact that you have to go through all that horseshit at all is frightening.

People need to start reading up, paying attention at their basic class, or something!

I honestly don't know how you live with that shit in MA. Get's me all worked up just thinking about it.

 

[Cero]

Does anyone have a clarification on this: is the 30 day a post mark thing ie i send a certified letter on day 29 to the cleo. or does it have to arrive at the po po station with in 30 days. I'm a procrastinator so these things are important.

 

[teaser452]

Curiously enough, a revocation for failure to file a change of address leaves the protection one gets for having an expired LTC intact. The only penalty for possession or carry on the expired LTC is $100 (was $500 under the old law), with no criminal aspect to the case. Of course, you can't expect the police to know this and will have to hire an attorney to point it out to the court, or perhaps, convince Comm2A to take your case.

Filing pro-se is akin to stepping on your organ. Talk to Comm2A, even if you have retained private counsel, and especially if you have not.

I understand that the penalty is just $100 as a civil violation. But how about the confiscation of all your guns upon being caught carrying or possessing on an expired LTC? That's what has to worry you.

 

[M1911]

what if you moved within the same town?

You are still required to do the change of address notification.

 

[M1911]

Holy shit, what a cluster****. This is one of the many things that needs to go away in MA gun laws. Why can't one department be notified? Why not just the CHSB? It's so dumb.

Because that is how the law is written. Don't go looking for logic in MA gun laws -- it isn't there.

- - - Updated - - -

Does anyone have a clarification on this: is the 30 day a post mark thing ie i send a certified letter on day 29 to the cleo. or does it have to arrive at the po po station with in 30 days. I'm a procrastinator so these things are important.

Don't procrastinate on this. Don't let it get anywhere near 30 days.

 

[Realtor MA]

Something stinks here, there had to be an event which precipitated his CLEO discovering the change of address or whatever. Doesn't make it right, but this doesn't happen every day.

-Mike

In spite of the fact that the law is utter nonsense I have to agree with Mike here. The first question that popped into my head - How did the COP know that the guy moved? Particularly because the OP infers that the guy only moved about a month ago.
I hope he gets his license back!!!!

 

[Mudfish]

You are supposed to notify the RMV if you move. Imagine the uproar if someone forgot and the cops showed up to their new house and not only revoked their license, but told them that they can never drive again.

 

[JGreen]

GOAL should consider looking into the unfairness and lack of due process contained in this statute.

EDIT: Because enforcement is rare, it goes pretty much unnoticed.

GOAL filed a bill addressing this:
An Act Relative to Change of Address for Firearm Licensing

Under current law a Massachusetts resident who possesses an FID Card or License to Carry who moves must within 30 days notify by certified mail the issuing authority, the local authority to where they are moving and the state. Failure to provide such notifications is cause for revocation or suspension of license. There is no logical reason for such an extreme penalty. This bill removes the harsh penalties for failure to file change of address. Click here for more information

 

[hillman]

Here's a question, I have several relatives who lived on a certain road out in western Massachusetts. They all used a shared driveway. The driveway just became a "road" and all three houses that use it now have a new address. Would they have to notify of a change of address also, even though they have not moved, and it was the town that changed their address?

 

[Noreaster]

Here's a question, I have several relatives who lived on a certain road out in western Massachusetts. They all used a shared driveway. The driveway just became a "road" and all three houses that use it now have a new address. Would they have to notify of a change of address also, even though they have not moved, and it was the town that changed their address?

Yes - its still a new address regardless of why its a new address.

 

[Noreaster]

He told me his LTC got revoked because he did not update his address! AND, the guy just changed his address a month ago!!

Umm, a month ago?

Only way i can see that going down so quickly is 1) the the chief didn't like this guy, and 2) he submitted the change of address on day 31 so the Chief did a happy dance and hit the revoke button.

It would be interesting to see the case details once this all is settled, because the timeline doesn't make sense.

 

[wolfenkraft]

While we're on the topic of certified mail... has anyone tried any of the online methods? Or does everyone just go to the physical postal office?

 

[Lone Wolf McQuade]

Years ago after a divorce and a move I simply forgot to change my address for my LTC for Hunting & Target, and Falmouth PD revoked it. Waited a couple of years and reapplied in Bourne started with a LTC-B then at the next renewal requested and received LTC-A.

I have to answer Yes on the question has it ever been revoked when ever I reapply, and a note is made that it was revoked for Administrative Reasons. Again this was a long time ago when Falmouth PD pulled it.

 

[Badcat22]

I went through something similar moving from one area in MA to another- Definitely did not meet the 30 day window. At first, I wasnt even going to send in the change of address, then got to thinking that Murphy's law would catch up with me. I sent certified letters to all parties, but left the date of move out of it. I simply put "I have moved from......, to ......."

Did not hear a peep from anyone (had no idea if the change had even gone through). Next time I went to buy a gun, I talked to the FFL beforehand to make sure my address was updated. Low and behold, it was- I think that is awesome that you do not even get a "welcome aboard" letter or post card saying a change has been made to your account. Maybe some edible arrangement or something from the new CLEO..IDK..

 

[Rider]

Wow. there it is in writing. I am going to be doing some serious reading tonight. The last thing I need is to lose my license over something so minor.

In my experience, they pretty much beat it into your head in the LTC class, in the paperwork when you apply, and when they actually send you the LTC. It is also fairly prominently displayed on many PD web sites.

I am not arguing whether it makes sense or not, or even whether the COP was over-enthusiastic, and I know that people are just living their lives, but I do think that it is hard to claim ignorance of the law on this.

Given how anti-freedom MA is, anyone with an LTC should be alert not to give the government the opportunity to take it away.

 

[Rider]

While we're on the topic of certified mail... has anyone tried any of the online methods? Or does everyone just go to the physical postal office?

The paperwork explicitly states that you have to send a certified letter to both the old PD and the new PD along with the FRB. I wouldn't risk it. I'd rather have my paperwork so that when BS happens I can prove I did the right thing.

Has this changed in the past couple of years?

 

[Rider]

Don't procrastinate on this. Don't let it get anywhere near 30 days.

What if your goal is to push your luck and see if the PD decides to **** with you, or you want to ask GOAL to waste their money defending you over something trivial?

 

[MA_Shooter]

Maybe there was some bad blood between the two officers.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I understand that the penalty is just $100 as a civil violation. But how about the confiscation of all your guns upon being caught carrying or possessing on an expired LTC? That's what has to worry you.

The MA SJC has ruled that the obvious smell is marijuana smoke at a traffic stop is not probable cause to search a vehicle, as the offense is only a violation with a $100 fine.

So, logic would dictate, that the police cannot enter or search your house on suspicion of a civil offense with a $100 fine. BUT.... the SJC tends to ignore the law and rules when it comes to gun cases.

 

[MALDENQB02]

Umm, a month ago?

Only way i can see that going down so quickly is 1) the the chief didn't like this guy, and 2) he submitted the change of address on day 31 so the Chief did a happy dance and hit the revoke button.

It would be interesting to see the case details once this all is settled, because the timeline doesn't make sense.

He said he got the letter from the police a month after moving into his new place. this is what blew my mind... almost like the PD was counting down the days to drop that letter in the mailbox.

- - - Updated - - -

While we're on the topic of certified mail... has anyone tried any of the online methods? Or does everyone just go to the physical postal office?

I called the FRB and changed my address. they tell you that you still need to notify the PD though.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

He said he got the letter from the police a month after moving into his new place. this is what blew my mind... almost like the PD was counting down the days to drop that letter in the mailbox.

What department? Sounds like Brookline (which is always looking for ANY reason to deny or revoke an LTC)

 

[MA_Shooter]

I called the FRB and changed my address. they tell you that you still need to notify the PD though.

Even though the form states you can call in the change, you still need to send a written notice via certified mail.