On January 29, 2021, Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners Foundation sent a letter to James Rovella, Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in Connecticut.

Commissioner Rovella is the official responsible for the state concealed carry permitting process in Connecticut.

GOA and GOF have been hearing from members in Connecticut that they have been having trouble scheduling appointments to turn temporary 60-day permits into 5-year permits issued by the state.

Due to COVID-19 extensions, a temporary permit is currently good for 150 days, however state police appointments have only been available between 149 and 153 days out, depending on the day.

That is a huge problem, because once a temporary permit expires, a person cannot get a state permit, and cannot even apply for another temporary for a full year.

In its letter, GOA and GOF explained that the Commissioner has a duty under state law to issue state permits promptly, and suggested that the Commissioner either increase the number of appointments, or take other steps to mitigate this seemingly self-created backlog.

On February 5, 2021, Commissioner Rovella responded to GOA and GOF’s letter, promising that the state police will be adding almost 25% more hours of appointments per week — with the additional appointments being scheduled on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Hopefully, these actions will ensure that the state police are able to issue all state permits before expiration of temporary permits.

We encourage our members and supporters in Connecticut to keep us informed.  If you are a Connecticut resident who experiences delays in the permitting process, please let us know by contacting us here.

GOA and GOF have a legal team standing by, and if we continue to hear from people who cannot schedule appointments to turn temporary permits into 5-year permits, we are ready to take legal action to force Connecticut authorities to abide by their statutory duties.

Thank you for your assistance.