CCW permit info for holders of AZ cards

[AZAndy]

I know there are at least a few of us here who live in AZ, and maybe even some out-of-state residents who hold an AZ permit, so thought I should pass this information along. My CCW permit was due to expire on 6/21 this year, and fortunately I'd learned that the renewal process had changed-- it used to be that you'd get a notice in the mail that included the necessary form to fill out and return if you so chose, but now you have to actively go to their website to download the form. I completed mine and sent it with payment the third week of April just to be on the safe side.

The expiration date came and went with no card, so on that day (06/21) I emailed a polite query to ask if there was maybe something else they needed from me. Just today, I finally got a reply saying that it was to be mailed on this coming Monday. I replied with a quick thanks for checking on it and got this auto-generated reply:

"Thank you for your inquiry regarding your CCW application. Due to sustained personnel shortages and unprecedented volume we have made some adjustments to our unit. As of April 5th we have created a CCW backlog task force and have contributed significant resources to reduce the backlog and return to the high standards of service which are expected. Please know, in order to focus on processing all of these applications as quickly as possible we will temporarily reduce our response to emails and phone calls. Our unit is currently entering applications from December. If your application was submitted after this date please check back for updates on when to expect processing. If your application requires additional documentation or follow-up you will be receiving a notification via US Mail indicating your next steps."

So if you're coming up on a renewal for your permit, keep it in mind...

The renewal form can be found at this link.

 

[plainsdrifter]

Wow thanks. Backlog to december?
I was thinking of getting one just so i could CC in New Mexico but that wont help this year. Lol

 

[jstert]

it’s always a good idea to have more than one nonresident ccw permit with varying expiry dates, beside your home state’s, to cover travel.

 

[ECVMatt]

Thanks so much for the update. I am out of state but keep an AZ card for my travels in the west. I will check my expiration and stay on top of it!

 

[captain awesome]

thanks, mine expires in a year. I might just send it in now so there is no lapse.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Utah has sent renewals, and made the process easy. Have to check the date on mine.
For the OP, thnx!
Moon

 

[CodeSection]

......."Thank you for your inquiry regarding your CCW application. Due to sustained personnel shortages and unprecedented volume we have made some adjustments to our unit. As of April 5th we have created a CCW backlog task force and have contributed significant resources to reduce the backlog and return to the high standards of service which are expected. Please know, in order to focus on processing all of these applications as quickly as possible we will temporarily reduce our response to emails and phone calls. Our unit is currently entering applications from December. If your application was submitted after this date please check back for updates on when to expect processing. If your application requires additional documentation or follow-up you will be receiving a notification via US Mail indicating your next steps."

So if you're coming up on a renewal for your permit, keep it in mind...

The renewal form can be found at this link.

Yes, the renewal process has changed and you can submit the renewal within 90 days of your expiration date. In my case, I submitted my renewal in January 2022 and received the new CCW permit roughly nine weeks later and well before my expiration date.

My wife's renewal application was sent 90 days prior to her expiration in June 2022 and she did not receive her new CCW card. They had cashed the cashier's check within a week of receiving her renewal application.

So, after waiting a couple of days after the expiration date, she called them and the lady cleared her while on the phone. The lady said it was good she called as they were backed up to December 2021. My wife received her new CCW card within a week of that call.

I'm not sure how they are really processing renewal applications as mine went through flawlessly within nine weeks and my wife's application didn't. They both were mailed and received after December 2021.....

My wife did send two emails inquiring via AZ's CCW website as to her status and both emails were never responded to. That is what prompted the phone call. Thus, you might want to try calling them as well....

 

[CodeSection]

thanks, mine expires in a year. I might just send it in now so there is no lapse.

If they receive your renewal application before 90 days prior to your expiration, they will not process it and will return it to you.....
https://azccwonline.com/arizona-ccw-permit-renewal-process/
https://azccwonline.com/arizona-ccw-permit-renewal-process/

 

[AZAndy]

... In my case, I submitted my renewal in January 2022 and received the new CCW permit roughly nine weeks later and well before my expiration date.

It's interesting to me that it took nine weeks for your renewal. I first got the permit in 2007, so this was my third renewal. The original application turnaround was less than two weeks and the two renewals after that also ran about two weeks. Their DPS division must be having serious difficulties, and I've been wondering what that's about-- I doubt that Arizona would do any foot-dragging intentionally, and other state agencies perform surprisingly well. Dealing with the DMV is a lot less frustrating than I've encountered in other states, and when I set up a business a few years ago I was able to do everything I needed to do in one day online, including researching and registering the trade name.

Could be that they just have hiring and staffing issues, I guess. But it's surprising to me that they're so inundated with work in that department, as AZ did away with the permit requirement in mid-2010. I mostly keep mine for being able to skip the gun-shop background check, as I don't travel out-of-state as much as I did when I was still working. (And having one seemed to have helped a bit on the two traffic stops I've had since I got the permit, so there's that too, not that I plan on getting stopped of course.) Fun to speculate about, even though I know how useless speculation is.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Thanks for the heads up! I’ll set a reminder on my calendar!!

 

[Nuclear]

My AZ CCW renewal took 4 months to the day. AZ is a “no permit required” state. If you are legal to possess a firearm, you can carry openly or concealed. It has been this way for many years. My guess is that a lot of people have moved here in recent years, and the “mostly peaceful protests” combined with unrestricted illegal immigration have convinced those new residents to get a handgun and a CCW permit.

 

[azrn]

My AZ CCW renewal took 4 months to the day. AZ is a “no permit required” state. If you are legal to possess a firearm, you can carry openly or concealed. It has been this way for many years. My guess is that a lot of people have moved here in recent years, and the “mostly peaceful protests” combined with unrestricted illegal immigration have convinced those new residents to get a handgun and a CCW permit.

I agree with you Nuclear. I had to renew my CCW last month and had sent the renewal 30 days ahead of time. I needed to send a second request into them to get my card . took an extra week.