Expect hurdles in Oahu concealed-carry processing

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Concealed-carry gun permit applications can start to be processed on Oahu as soon as Monday, Nov. 21. That is after the mayor approved rules submitted by the police chief last week. The rules take effect 10 days after that sign-off.

A gun-rights advocacy group tells KHON2 there is a major issue with the rules that could mean hundreds of pending applicants have to start all over again.

“It says you have to have taken the shooting class within 90 days preceding your application, which means that you can’t retroactively do the shooting class for people that have already applied,” explained Andrew Namiki Roberts of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition.

“So the way the rules are written, the chief has basically written it so he has to deny everybody. So right now that puts us up more than 500 people that would have to be denied and have to start the entire application over again,” added Roberts.

KHON2 asked Roberts: Have you clarified with the city or the police department that that is what they intend to do?

“So I did reach out to the police department to ask when they’re going to start sending those denial letters out. And, they said they won’t send any letters out until after the [Nov.] 20^th,” Roberts said.

KHON2 asked Roberts: Do you feel that that was intentional, in order to buy time, or that it was an oversight in language of the rule?

“So, we feel that in conjunction with the city ordinance that they’re proposing with the sensitive places, we feel it’s a delaying tactic,” Roberts said. “We feel that this has been intentionally done. We addressed this directly with the police chief when we sat down with him in a private meeting to talk over these rules. And, it looks like they’ve deliberately gone ahead and decided not to do that.”

We’re told HPD has been working to revise its forms and processes, will be ready to process applications Monday, and intends to send a letter to each applicant Monday indicating that the application is pending and directing them to the revised rules and forms.

Meanwhile here where you can find the 21 pages of rules.

A City Council hearing on proposed “sensitive places” legislation Bill 57 takes place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Here is where you can submit testimony on the proposed legislation.

Late Friday night, HPD posted to its website an “Application for Verification to Administer Firearms Course” along with a “Checklist for Minimum Requirements to Verify Instructors for License to Carry Course“