Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- Over the last few years many localities have lowered their CHP fee from $50 down to $15 (the lowest it can be under current law). (Unfortunately, Northumberland has quietly raised their fee to $50 from $15.)
Some localities have lowered their fees by various other amounts.
To see what your locality charges, click here.
ACTION ITEM
If your locality is charging $50 for a CHP, then you can start the process of getting that fee reduced. The fees are usually set by the Board of Supervisors or the City or Town Council.
Contact your Board of Supervisor or City or Town Council member and ask that the CHP fees be reduced to $15. If they agree to introduce a motion to do so, let me know (president@vcdl.org) when the hearing will be so we can get people in the area to turn out. I might also be able to come and speak on the matter.
Here are some talking points to justify the reduction:
The maximum fee was set at $50 in 1995 by the General Assembly. It broke down as follows:
- $5 for the Virginia State Police to run the background check
- $10 for the Circuit Court Clerk to cover costs of paperwork and making the permit
- $25 for the FBI to cover fingerprinting fees
- $10 for the local law enforcement office running the background check
The fee was only meant to cover the cost of the permit to the government (break even). It was NOT to be considered either a tax or funds to be put in some slush fund by the locality
The fingerprint requirement was repealed in 2012 and, thus, the $25 fee allocated to the FBI was no longer needed. As of 2012 the CHP fee could be dropped from $50 to $25 and the locality would see the same amount of money as they did between 1995 and 2011. Unfortunately, many localities hung on to the extra money and used it for other things and they now feel entitled to it.
They are NOT entitled to it.
Because self-defense is a constitutionally protected right, CHPs should be free (16 states don’t require a permit to carry a concealed handgun). However, since there is a CHP fee in Virginia currently, it should be minimal.
About Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL):
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
For more information, visit: www.vcdl.org.