POTTSVILLE - The Schuylkill County Sheriff's Office should be a busy place today for "License to Carry Firearms Day," which allows people to apply for a firearms license or renew one.
Applicants can visit the Schuylkill County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The application can be found online at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/Offices/Sheriff/index.asp. Current license holders can only renew up to 60 days before their expiration date.
New applicants must be at least 21 years old to obtain a license and need the following:
- Primary identification -A current and valid Pennsylvania driver's license or a current Pennsylvania identification card, and be prepared to have two references (Must include full name, address and phone number. References cannot be family members. IDs must have current address.
- The fee for the license is $20 and must be paid by check or money order. No cash will be accepted. Checks and money orders should be written to "Schuylkill County Treasurer."
- Applications will be processed and permits will be mailed to the home address.
Groody said the number of firearms licenses processed each year has grown tremendously.
"It keeps getting bigger every year," said Groody. "When I first got into office, we were giving out 3,000 to 3,500 licenses. Now, it's anywhere between 3,500 and 4,000. It's overwhelming."
Groody provided application statistics. He said in 2000, there were 520 applications; in 2005, 828, in 2008 (when Groody became acting sheriff), 2,718; and in 2010, about 3,000; and in 2011, almost 4,000.
Firearms licenses are good for five years. Reminder notices are sent within 60 days of the expiration. With about 4,000 applications/renewals per year, Groody said there are about 20,000 active firearms licenses in Schuylkill County.
When an application is completed, Groody's office will contact the Pennsylvania State Police's "Pennsylvania Instant Check System" (PICS), which is a state-of-the-art system that provides instant access to background records on an individual to determine if the person is eligible to acquire a firearm or a license to carry a firearm.
"Sometimes it could take 10 to 15 minutes to do a PICS check on someone. Sometimes it takes a couple of hours," said Groody. "We try to expedite it as soon as possible. It is a laminated license with a photograph. It also works as a good secondary ID, too."
Groody said that men are not the only ones getting firearms licenses.
"We're seeing a lot more women applying for a license to carry," said Groody. "The way the economy is and the way crime is now, you really can't blame them. I've seen this in the years of being a cop and this job that as the economy gets worse, crime goes up."
Chief Deputy Brian K. Tobin spoke of the convenience of getting the application at the website. The application can be filled out on the computer, but it must be printed and brought to the courthouse. It cannot be submitted online to the sheriff's office.
"Generally, we'll have the license mailed back to them in about three weeks," said Tobin.
Tobin explained that the license to carry is different from applying for a hunting license.
"You can go through the treasurer's office and get a permit just for hunting, which requires a hunting license and the permit from the treasurer's office," said Tobin. "But what that means is the only time you can carry it (rifle) is when you're hunting. Our license will cover you for hunting, protection, target shooting and for whatever you wish to carry a license for."
For more information, call Tobin at the sheriff's office at 570-628-1440.
Tobin said there is some consideration of having special hours in the evening, as well, though nothing is planned at this time. He said the results of Saturday's registration will be a determining factor.
"We will do an after-action review after Saturday and see how it went and see if it's worth the time to do the license to carry firearms applications," said Tobin.
Across the hall from his office, Groody showed the room where the photos are taken for the license. Sgt. Barbara Szczyglak operates the computerized system used to take photos.
"We process all the information, take the photo, have the applicant pay at the treasurer's office, and then process it," said Szczyglak. "On an average day, we have about 20 to 25 people coming in, which has increased quite a bit over time. It really has jumped."
For more information, call Tobin at the sheriff's office at 570-628-1440.