Montgomery County Sheriff processing CCW applications faster

Montgomery County processing Conceal-Carry permits faster than other counties

Conceal-carry permits are taking less time to process in Montgomery County compared to surrounding counties, thanks to more staff and an emphasis on customer service.

Sheriff Phil Plummer said he made it a priority to process conceal-carry (CCW) gun permits faster in the county during 2014, and hired an additional full-time staffer to make it happen. In 2014, the department processed nearly 3,000 new permits and renewed more than 2,000. Now with two employees handling paperwork and background checks, the sheriff’s office cut wait times from about two weeks to 48 hours. Montgomery County also accepts walk-ins and does not require an appointment to apply, Plummer said.

“It was a priority of mine that if somebody wants to go to training and follow the law and they want to be able to carry a weapon, that we make it a priority to get them their certificate or their permit back right away,” Plummer said.

The sheriff’s office pays for the additional employee using funds from the CCW program. In 2014, the sheriff’s office brought in roughly $300,000 from CCW permit processing fees. That does not include the additional cost to applicants for photos and additional background checks required by the state for those who have not lived in Ohio for five years. New CCW permit applicants pay $67 to apply, while renewals cost $50, according to the sheriff’s office.

Ohio law allows the sheriff’s office to take up to 45 days to complete CCW permit processing. In Greene County, the wait is about one-and-a-half weeks to receive a permit back, while in Clark County the average wait time is one week, those offices reported.

Residents in counties adjacent to Montgomery County — Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Preble and Warren — can apply for a CCW permits at Plummer’s office.

A 12-hour course is required to get a permit. Given all the work it takes to get a CCW, Titus, an applicant who lives in Dayton whose last name is not being released to protect his privacy, said he would travel to another county if it meant getting his application processed faster.

“It’s definitely a plus because faster is better these days,” he said. “Once you go through all that stuff and get to this point (of applying) it should be a quick process,” he said.

The sheriff’s office accepts CCW applications from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, at their Dayton office, 345 West Second St. Competed permits can be picked up 24-hours at the records window. For more information, call (937) 225-4216.

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