San Luis Obispo County Specifics

[bpmitche]

OK, the county FAQ simply did not contain the information I needed.

I know that both Paso Robles and Atascadero have their own CCW licensing programs, in that you apply first to the chief(s) of police. In an ideal world, they chief would look over your application and give you the green light.

But what about a non-ideal world? Suppose I give it to Chief Jim Mulhall (who the website says is the new chief as of May 27) and he nixes it. What are my options then? Will they tell me why it was nixed? Is my only recourse to fix what I can and appeal the decision? To whom do I appeal? To the Sheriff? Or will the chief say "I don't want to give one to you" and I can then apply fresh to the Sheriff? How exactly does "first right of refusal" work?

Can I apply directly to the Sheriff if I live outside the posted city limits?

I invite anyone with answers to please share, or PM them to me, because I'm unsure of the if / then part of the process

[spc]

Originally Posted by bpmitche

OK, the county FAQ simply did not contain the information I needed.

I know that both Paso Robles and Atascadero have their own CCW licensing programs, in that you apply first to the chief(s) of police. In an ideal world, they chief would look over your application and give you the green light.

But what about a non-ideal world? Suppose I give it to Chief Jim Mulhall (who the website says is the new chief as of May 27) and he nixes it. What are my options then? Will they tell me why it was nixed? Is my only recourse to fix what I can and appeal the decision? To whom do I appeal? To the Sheriff? Or will the chief say "I don't want to give one to you" and I can then apply fresh to the Sheriff? How exactly does "first right of refusal" work?

Can I apply directly to the Sheriff if I live outside the posted city limits?

I invite anyone with answers to please share, or PM them to me, because I'm unsure of the if / then part of the process

I would start by inquiring at the Sheriff's office if you live in the non- incorporated area, the local PD if you live within the city/town. If there is a local gun store or CCW instructor you may wish to inquire as to their knowledge regarding the possibilities locally.

If you live within the incorporated city/town limits and they issue, you should start with your local issuing authority. You can ask the Sheriff first for an application, but if your local PD issues you will probably be asked to give your Chief the first right of refusal, as happened in my experience.

If you live outside of the incorporated area you should go straight to the Sheriff. Do you know which one offers the best probability of issue?

If you are nixed you should inquire as to why you were denied and file an appeal with the office you applied through. The PD may deny you and send you to the Sheriff where you will reapply with the mention of denial from your PD application.

There are so many different possibilities with California's 'May Issue' system because the issuing authority may use it's discretion and that is not a regular or steady thing.

I hope I have given you a direction to get started. Keep us posted of your progress and /or what you discover about the process in your locality.

spc

[Mad Geek]

D***ed California laws! (Rant Off)

I think the key here, bpmitche, it going to be like SPC mentioned, whether you live in the incorporated part of the city or the un-Incorporated. I would think that whichever department would normally respond to a call for law enforcement issues at your address would be your issuing authority, but those boundaries can overlap as I've seen over the years.

Unfortunately, I don't know the geography around Atascadero to offer an opinion in either direction. Maybe a call to the Sheriff's office business phone number asking if they or the Atascadero PD provide service to your address might give you the information you need. And the suggestion of checking with a local business or trainer is an EXCELLENT idea. Hopefully, in your case, it would be the Sheriff and that is where you'd submit your application since he is known to issue, but you need to discover that information first.

As a side note, is Templeton or Atascadero where my all-time favorite restaurant is? AJ Spurs, YUMM!

[bpmitche]

Mad Geek:

AJ Spurs is in Templeton. ^_^ Bon Apetite!

SPC: Thank you for the information. I do still have a question though: what is first right of refusal in the context and how does that work?

Thanks!

[CCWInstructor]

Originally Posted by bpmitche

Mad Geek:

AJ Spurs is in Templeton. ^_^ Bon Apetite!

SPC: Thank you for the information. I do still have a question though: what is first right of refusal in the context and how does that work?

Thanks!

First right is with the city. If you get rejected apply then to the SO.

[bpmitche]

Alright, thank you!

[bpmitche]

OK, I just got off the phone with Gail, at the Paso Robles Police Department, who is in charge of handing CCW applications. Here's the gist of our conversation, as I unfortunately don't have it in audio *laugh*

1. If you live within the city limits of Paso Robles, you must apply first to the City PD.

2. Per Gail, "We issue very few CCW permits", so I can only assume that living in the city limits somewhat restricts your chances, and Gail was unable to tell me much about the chief's issuance criteria other than "a compelling threat that can only be alleviated by carrying a weapon."

3. IF you are approved, there are some extraordinary hoops to jump through:

A) You must be Livescanned (duh) and play the approximately $250 to have it done, as they will cover none of it (DOJ fee, roll fee, processing fee)
B) You must complete an 8 hour CCW course offered by an approved instructor (also duh), $~300.
C) You must posess a valid certificate of insurance, for a personal liability insurance policy of no less than $100,000.
D) You must undergo a complete physical examination by a board-certified physician who will issue you a certificate stating that you are in good physical health with eyesight no worse than / correctable to 20/30 in each eye. Presumably, if you need corrective lenses to achieve this, your CCW will be noted that you must be wearing corrective lenses.
E) You must undergo a mental health / competence examinaion by a particular doctor (I didn't catch the name, it went by too fast) in the city of San Luis Obispo, who will certify you as competent to handle a weapon and comport yourself like a sane and rational person.

4. As noted above, Gail told me they issue "very few" CCW permits, and she cautioned that if your application was not approved, there was no appeals process. She didn't know if that meant I could "appeal" by applying to the Sheriff, but if there is absolutely no appeals process as she says then it leads me to believe that the police simply dont' want the responsibility and will allow / force you to apply to the sheriff as your appellate authority.

Just jotting my notes down here - I'm going to try to get the same information from the county and Atascadero PD, ie, What are the exact requirements and how is that done, because I think the information is very useful. I'm very likely moving to Paso Robles, so I'm checking up there first.

[Mad Geek]

Wow! I would have to agree, that prefer to NOT issue, but to apply through them, pay what it would cost to apply based on the "extra hoops" they have you jump through, then to apply through the SO... Geez! I thought that a PSYCH eval was only required IF something came up from the application or interview. Don't remember ever hearing of a physical exam being a requirement of the State.
Thanks for your note taking.

I'm interested is seeing what the SO has to say, and hope that they are a little more conducive to issue.

[bpmitche]

Mad Geek:

I admit, I was surprised. However, state law allows an issuing authority to demand a psych eval at any time as long as it is demanded of all applications. Presumably they are using that as the basis for asking for physical exams as well.

[bpmitche]

Sorry for the double post, but I can't seem to edit my previous.

I just got off the phone with, you guessed it, the Atascadero Police Department's Administrative person, who advised me that Atascadero has declared G, requiring only that an applicant come to their office and pick up a copy of the application along with a form letter that tells the Sheriff's office that you have followed proper channels. So, now you can guess, my next call is the County Sheriff. *laugh*

I hope this information gets added to the county FAQ at some point - this site has been INCREDIBLY helpful and I would love to see it become more so.

[spc]

Glad to hear you are weeding your way through the process. After trying to apply to the PD and they refuse to take your application because of the lack of a GC that suits their desires you can take that info to the Sheriff and go through the process in a more reasonable manner.

All good questions and you are making progress, keep up the good work and let us know how everything pans out.

spc

[hygyliac]

Working within the law to acheive your goal . . . thank you for doing the leg work. The information that you provide will be very enlightening to those that are from your neck of the woods and to the Forum in general.

[CCWInstructor]

You have the legal right to go to the Sheriff Department and apply. See P.C. 12050

[bpmitche]

Originally Posted by CCWInstructor

You have the legal right to go to the Sheriff Department and apply. See P.C. 12050

I'm a little confused - to what does this apply? Does this mean that I can skip the application to paso robles city, even if I live within the jurisdiction of their police department / city limits?

Thank you, I know you're very busy ...

[tango-52]

Originally Posted by bpmitche

I'm a little confused - to what does this apply? Does this mean that I can skip the application to paso robles city, even if I live within the jurisdiction of their police department / city limits?

Thank you, I know you're very busy ...

This has been explained by several members, but I will try to clear it up for you. In California, CCWs may be issued by city police departments or county Sheriffs. If a city issues, then you have to go to the city first, as they have first right of refusal. If you are approved by the city, then you are good to go. If the city denies you, you may then go to the Sheriff and apply there. If a city does not issue CCWs and defers to the Sheriff (declares G), then you don't bother with the city first. Go directly to the Sheriff. In your case, Paso Robles issues so you would go to them first (provided, of course, that you live in their city limits). If denied by Paso Robles, you may then apply to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department. If you live in Atascadero city limits, they have told you they declared G and you need to apply directly to the SLO Sheriff. Obviously, if you live in the unincorporated area of the county, you apply directly to the Sheriff.