My experience renewing my FOID

C0untZer0 · June 7, 2011, 04:20 PM

So I sent my renewal out April 12th. And on June 6th I still hadn't received my FOID so I called Illinois State Police.

I did check my bank account and they cashed my $10.00 check for the processing fee on April 20.

The ISRA site gave me a warning that there would be a message telling me that if I hadn't waited 56 days then I should call back when 56 days have elapsed. Actually the canned answering message says that if I had not waited 57 days.. then I should call back when 57 days have elapsed. I was also told that I would have a 19minute wait time to speak to a representative.

After 19 minutes I did speak with a live person, she told me that since 68 days had not elapsed I should call back in the future. I said "wait a minute, you mean 57 days right? She said no - that the current processing time for a FOID was running 68 days, and she also told me that they hadn't received my application until May 3rd.

I said "Wait a minute - I have a bank statement that shows that you cashed my check on April 20th" to which she replied "Our department, the department that actually processes the FOID, didn't receive your application until May 3rd. She strongly hinted that the 68 day timer only started on May 3rd - in which case I probably won't have my FOID until July 10th !!!

Patriot86 · June 7, 2011, 04:42 PM

Welcome to Illinois, be glad if they don't come into your home and lock you up for illegal firearms possession if your FOID is expired for one day because of the bureaucratic nightmare that is the FOID process.

Seriously though, if you think this is bad try appealing a mistake with your property tax's in cook county or pulling building permits, its not just the FOID process its the state of Illinois.

bitttorrrent · June 8, 2011, 12:29 AM

Yep, took me 3 months to get mine. A one page form and 10 bucks.

No wonder Illinois is broke. The length of time to process should be a quick background check which is fine with me, but if Illinois State Gov. was the real world it would be costing at least 500.00 because they are so slow.

Either that or they have one person with a pile on his/her desk and a typical worth ethic of 9-3:30 with plenty of breaks and no will at all.

Pathetic. And this is what i pay taxes to support - what a joke. My 7 year old could run the state better than the pile of useless people pretending to work at a job.

Oh, have some patience, cause the person on the phone has no power.

C0untZer0 · June 8, 2011, 08:05 AM

Well, it's another way of gun control really. When I first applied in 1987, I got my FOID in around 40 days total from the time I mailed it to the time I received it.

I didn't think it could possibly take this long.

I wish they would beef up funding for this - for the background check part of it, and also off load the picture taking / card issuance to the DMV. I think it should be abolished completely but barring that... you should be able to send your stuff in, get something back a week later telling you that you have been approved and you can stop by the DMV for your card.

maybe half the problem is that they have one person working one machine creating all the cards.

I think I'd like that job... it's lifetime employment, sitting in front of a laminator feeding paper cards in the front of it...

The obvious 2A/SD questions come up - what about someone who is being stalked - can they survive the stalking for 90 days while waiting to be issued their FOID - not to mention the waiting period on purchasing.

I personally don't think Chicago is being taken over by flash mobbers but the ISRA seems to be playing it up like that - OK, I know the anti-guners radicalize everthing and fight dirty, if the ISRA needs to capalize on the flash mob thing, then so be it. Can someone go through the FOID process and then the Chicago process and hopefully not get beaten during that long long wait... ???

NJgunowner · June 8, 2011, 08:41 AM

Jeez, they make NJ look good. NJ has been making thing more difficult, but at the same time trying to make it faster

(they outsourced all the finger printing so the local police don't have to do it, said they were too slow)

Wagonman · June 8, 2011, 01:38 PM

Quote:

I personally don't think Chicago is being taken over by flash mobbers but the ISRA seems to be playing it up like that - OK, I know the anti-guners radicalize everthing and fight dirty, if the ISRA needs to capalize on the flash mob thing, then so be it. Can someone go through the FOID process and then the Chicago process and hopefully not get beaten during that long long wait... ???

Speaking as a Chicago Cop they are NOT radicalizing anything! There has been dozens of incidents. This activity has been ignored for two years by local media. Thank god for the internet....

http://www.secondcitycop.blogspot.com/

monstercat · June 8, 2011, 01:55 PM

mine took a whole 30 days back in 2009. It all depends on the time of year you do it. In the fall it takes longer because of the hunting seasons.
Also id you have a common name it might take longer. I have a very uncommon name so that might have halped.

bitttorrrent · June 8, 2011, 04:20 PM

Well, FOID is just an application and waiting.

I never knew my hands and fingers could be fingerprinted/scanned in so many ways as when I went down to get my Chicago Firearms Permit application submitted.

If i even walked by a crime, the CSI people would have some part of my prints show up cause my hand grazed a light pole or something.

Actually, one guy was having a discussion about his name, and they said they did not really care because they did not trust names - just prints. You can change your name, but not your fingerprints.

Webleymkv · June 8, 2011, 05:04 PM

The system could be backed up because of new applications from Chicago. Remember, prior to Mc Donald, about 20% of the population of Illinois could not legally own a gun because they lived in Chicago and thus would have no reason to bother applying for a FOID card.

C0untZer0 · June 8, 2011, 05:57 PM

I've had my fingerprints on file for decades, from service in the military and from working at a bank.

I'll give them hair folicles and I'll even **** in a cup if that will get me my FOID quicker...

Here - I'm gonna hi-jack my own thread. Another thing that bothers me is how many illegal aliens get handguns.

I was fricken born in Chicago, I've been here my whole life, but when I go to renew my FOID it takes like 3 months. What exactly are they checking? I don't think they have any way of checking or proving whether someone is a citizen or they are an illigal alien.

Standing Wolf · June 8, 2011, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Well, it's another way of gun control really.

Yep. The more expensive and/or bothersome and/or annoying and/or time-consuming you make it for the commoners to exercise their rights, the more likely they are to forget about them.

If the new mayor of Chicago wanted the genuine official form, how long do you suppose he'd have to wait?

langenc · June 8, 2011, 08:45 PM

I've had my fingerprints on file for decades, from service in the military and from working at a bank.

I'll give them hair folicles and I'll even **** in a cup if that will get me my FOID quicker...

Here - I'm gonna hi-jack my own thread. Another thing that bothers me is how many illegal aliens get handguns.

I was fricken born in Chicago, I've been here my whole life, but when I go to renew my FOID it takes like 3 months. What exactly are they checking? I don't think they have any way of checking or proving whether someone is a citizen or they are an illigal alien. --QUOTED FROM POST #10

Dont give the fools any ideas of other "infringements."

Write to your local elected reps/senators or whatever ther are called in IL.

June 7, 2011, 04:20 PM	#1
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	My experience renewing my FOID So I sent my renewal out April 12th. And on June 6th I still hadn't received my FOID so I called Illinois State Police. I did check my bank account and they cashed my $10.00 check for the processing fee on April 20. The ISRA site gave me a warning that there would be a message telling me that if I hadn't waited 56 days then I should call back when 56 days have elapsed. Actually the canned answering message says that if I had not waited 57 days.. then I should call back when 57 days have elapsed. I was also told that I would have a 19minute wait time to speak to a representative. After 19 minutes I did speak with a live person, she told me that since 68 days had not elapsed I should call back in the future. I said "wait a minute, you mean 57 days right? She said no - that the current processing time for a FOID was running 68 days, and she also told me that they hadn't received my application until May 3rd. I said "Wait a minute - I have a bank statement that shows that you cashed my check on April 20th" to which she replied "Our department, the department that actually processes the FOID, didn't receive your application until May 3rd. She strongly hinted that the 68 day timer only started on May 3rd - in which case I probably won't have my FOID until July 10th !!!

June 7, 2011, 04:42 PM	#2
Patriot86 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2010 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,293	Welcome to Illinois, be glad if they don't come into your home and lock you up for illegal firearms possession if your FOID is expired for one day because of the bureaucratic nightmare that is the FOID process. Seriously though, if you think this is bad try appealing a mistake with your property tax's in cook county or pulling building permits, its not just the FOID process its the state of Illinois.

June 8, 2011, 12:29 AM	#3
bitttorrrent Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 703	Yep, took me 3 months to get mine. A one page form and 10 bucks. No wonder Illinois is broke. The length of time to process should be a quick background check which is fine with me, but if Illinois State Gov. was the real world it would be costing at least 500.00 because they are so slow. Either that or they have one person with a pile on his/her desk and a typical worth ethic of 9-3:30 with plenty of breaks and no will at all. Pathetic. And this is what i pay taxes to support - what a joke. My 7 year old could run the state better than the pile of useless people pretending to work at a job. Oh, have some patience, cause the person on the phone has no power.

June 8, 2011, 08:05 AM	#4
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	Well, it's another way of gun control really. When I first applied in 1987, I got my FOID in around 40 days total from the time I mailed it to the time I received it. I didn't think it could possibly take this long. I wish they would beef up funding for this - for the background check part of it, and also off load the picture taking / card issuance to the DMV. I think it should be abolished completely but barring that... you should be able to send your stuff in, get something back a week later telling you that you have been approved and you can stop by the DMV for your card. maybe half the problem is that they have one person working one machine creating all the cards. I think I'd like that job... it's lifetime employment, sitting in front of a laminator feeding paper cards in the front of it... The obvious 2A/SD questions come up - what about someone who is being stalked - can they survive the stalking for 90 days while waiting to be issued their FOID - not to mention the waiting period on purchasing. I personally don't think Chicago is being taken over by flash mobbers but the ISRA seems to be playing it up like that - OK, I know the anti-guners radicalize everthing and fight dirty, if the ISRA needs to capalize on the flash mob thing, then so be it. Can someone go through the FOID process and then the Chicago process and hopefully not get beaten during that long long wait... ???

June 8, 2011, 08:41 AM	#5
NJgunowner Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 1,254	Jeez, they make NJ look good. NJ has been making thing more difficult, but at the same time trying to make it faster (they outsourced all the finger printing so the local police don't have to do it, said they were too slow)

June 8, 2011, 01:55 PM	#7
monstercat Member Join Date: March 26, 2011 Posts: 22	mine took a whole 30 days back in 2009. It all depends on the time of year you do it. In the fall it takes longer because of the hunting seasons. Also id you have a common name it might take longer. I have a very uncommon name so that might have halped.

June 8, 2011, 04:20 PM	#8
bitttorrrent Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 703	Well, FOID is just an application and waiting. I never knew my hands and fingers could be fingerprinted/scanned in so many ways as when I went down to get my Chicago Firearms Permit application submitted. If i even walked by a crime, the CSI people would have some part of my prints show up cause my hand grazed a light pole or something. Actually, one guy was having a discussion about his name, and they said they did not really care because they did not trust names - just prints. You can change your name, but not your fingerprints.

June 8, 2011, 05:04 PM	#9
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	The system could be backed up because of new applications from Chicago. Remember, prior to Mc Donald, about 20% of the population of Illinois could not legally own a gun because they lived in Chicago and thus would have no reason to bother applying for a FOID card.

June 8, 2011, 05:57 PM	#10
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	I've had my fingerprints on file for decades, from service in the military and from working at a bank. I'll give them hair folicles and I'll even **** in a cup if that will get me my FOID quicker... Here - I'm gonna hi-jack my own thread. Another thing that bothers me is how many illegal aliens get handguns. I was fricken born in Chicago, I've been here my whole life, but when I go to renew my FOID it takes like 3 months. What exactly are they checking? I don't think they have any way of checking or proving whether someone is a citizen or they are an illigal alien.

June 8, 2011, 08:45 PM	#12
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	I've had my fingerprints on file for decades, from service in the military and from working at a bank. I'll give them hair folicles and I'll even **** in a cup if that will get me my FOID quicker... Here - I'm gonna hi-jack my own thread. Another thing that bothers me is how many illegal aliens get handguns. I was fricken born in Chicago, I've been here my whole life, but when I go to renew my FOID it takes like 3 months. What exactly are they checking? I don't think they have any way of checking or proving whether someone is a citizen or they are an illigal alien. --QUOTED FROM POST #10 Dont give the fools any ideas of other "infringements." Write to your local elected reps/senators or whatever ther are called in IL.