TexasCHLforum.com

San Antonio CHL holders, where did you get your prints taken? The only electronic site is downtown (what a mess), and I was hoping to get mine done at the Sea World substation, since they're close to home. Of course they never answer their phone number on their web site, but I called the East substation and they said they don't do prints.

What other locations are available besides the jail? Anyone?

Call Sammy Miller @ 210.520.3710. If he can't help you, he will point you in the right direction. I took his class and he is one of the nicest guys you can ever meet!

Another source is Hoot Gibson at Firearms Training Pluss (correct spelling) on Bandera Rd. Good people. Tell him Dome semt you.

I'm a little hesitant to ask an instructor to do prints for me that I didn't take a course from... just seems kinda rude?

You can use the FAST system here:
SAN ANTONIO - EAST
EDUCATION SUPPORT CENTER
1314 HINES AVENUE
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78208

It's the only FAST site that does fingerprinting for CHL applications.

You can schedule on line here:

http://www.l1enrollment.com/state/?st=tx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah, that's probably where I'll end up going. Was trying to find somewhere closer to home, but I do like the acceptance rate of the electronic jobbies vice the inkjobs.

My wife had to have her prints taken again and the FAST location was very quick and easy.

I'll report back on my experience, have a time set for Wednesday.

Upon checking, the nearest FAST outlet from me was about 2 1/2 hours one way; no way. I went to my local police station, 1 mile, and had both of my sets of prints taken in about 15 minutes, no charge. I had to furnish the cards to them from my packet.

Packet Rec'd 5/05/09
Class 5/16/09
Mailed packet 6/06/09
Rec'd PIN 7/17/09

The PIN letter was dated 7/10/09, the envelope postmarked 7/14, took 3 days to get to me.

Went and got my prints today. Coupla things to note.

First, if you live in San Antonio and plan on going to the Hines street location, beware. They'll tell you on the web site to take a certain exit off 35 south, but be cautious because you have to take an immediate right. They weren't kidding; the street is probably about 100 feet past the exit. Not a smart thing to do, cutting across two lanes of the access road IMHO so I took the exit for BAMC intending to just stay on the access road until I got to Hines.

Guidance from above... the exit just short of Hines is closed for construction!!

The other thing of interest.... I mentioned to the guy taking the prints that I liked their rejection rate of 5% vice the ink rejection rate of 25% (according to DPS). He said that they (DPS) were going to start requiring the electronic prints and rejecting all ink prints for quality reasons

First I've heard of that! Anyone else hear anything or is he just trying to gin up business somehow??

And last... this one is *almost* funny... on the front door... a 30.06 sign! So.. you go to get your prints for a license renewal, and have to do it unarmed? Uhh.. ok, whatever.... appeared to be legal, it's in white letters on the smoked door, and the letters appeared to be an inch high. Ghostbusters too, although not needed or required.

redoregon wrote:He said that they (DPS) were going to start requiring the electronic prints and rejecting all ink prints for quality reasons

First I've heard of that! Anyone else hear anything or is he just trying to gin up business somehow??

Sounds like he didnt know what he was talking about. I just took the CHL Instructor Course and there was absolutely no mention of no longer accepting inked fingerprint cards. Not only that, but inked prints are the world wide standard and until the FBI does away with them, dont expect anyone else to. Past that even, think about all these departments across the country that probably cannot afford a Fast ID system. His prediction makes zero sense when you think about it.

So, how's the process compared to ink prints?

Simpler and cleaner. They use a specialized scanner; more or less just like scanning a photo. They punch your info into the computer, take your check or money order for $9.95, spray your fingertips with a moistener, then press down a bit and they can see right on screen when they have a good shot. They push a button to capture it, then move on to the next finger. When they finish, they print them out onto two FBI sheets, sign that and your photo (which you have already taken, of course), then off you go.

Do they provide the 2 fingerprint cards?

Yeah, they did... which means I have to fill them out again

And I think I'll go find a red pen to mark the reason block... like the pre-printed ones I got with my application packet from DPS.. one more excuse they might try to use for taking forever to process the app: "oh it was marked differently from all the other ones so it got misplaced".