KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Monday, Kalamazoo County Clerk Meredith Place announced that she has purchased and implemented a fingerprint scanner during the Concealed Pistol License (CPL) application process to better assist Kalamazoo County residents.
Kalamazoo County Clerk Meredith Place. (Photo courtesy Kalamazoo County Government).
“The Concealed Pistol License application process has been extremely time-consuming and difficult for applicants, especially during the pandemic,” Place said in
a statement. “Instead of sending applicants to another location to complete their application, my office is now offering fingerprinting which streamlines the process making it more efficient for those qualified applicants seeking licenses.”
Currently, applicants must complete a training class compliant with Michigan’s Firearms Laws, fill out an application that includes signing a sworn statement with the Clerk’s office, and then have a set of their fingerprints taken to take the Michigan State Police (MSP) can conduct a background check. Applicants then receive either their CPL or a Letter of Explanation in the mail within 45 days from the day MSP obtained their fingerprints. In the past, the entire process could take several weeks.”
Place adds that there was a sizable backlog of CPL applications when she took office earlier this year.
“We have already processed a record number of applications – more than 3,700 – since I assumed office in January 2021, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Place said. “It has been a priority to get applications moving again, and this is the next step in not only improving but expanding our service. Our goal is to have an office that meets the needs of our community, and that includes innovative approaches and advancing the technology we use to serve the County.”
For more information, visit the Kalamazoo County Clerk’s website at www.kalcounty.com/clerk.
Comments