I'm already dreading the wait...

[Wheelman]

I just took my CHL class on Feb 2nd. Dropped it off at the post office on Feb 5th and the wait is already killing me. Took the class at Top Gun range in Houston, fun class. 5 minutes after I dropped the paperwork down into the post office mailbox I thought to myself, "foot, should have sent it this registered mail" Any idea how long it will be before I even get a sign they recieved my application?

[Mithras61]

I'd estimate that you'll see some indicator about the week of 19 March. From what I've seen here, 45 days seems to be the minimum time before the DPS site shows "Processing Application" instead of "Packet mailed to applicant" and usually about another two to four weeks after that (depending on how long & tedious your background check is & if your fingerprints are classifiable) before they issue.


Oh, and welcome to the Waiting Room...

[Wheelman]

I didn't order my packet online. Is there a way I can still get signed up to view my status online?

[Mithras61]

I think you can email them, but the site won't have anything on it until they begin working on your app, but I don't know for certain (I applied & paid online so had the PIN for my app before I took my class). Perhaps some of the others here who also didn't apply online can help...

[hi-power]

I was notified after about 55 days that I filled out some paperwork wrong. I emailed DPS, (CHL@txdps.state.tx.us), because I could not get through on the phone, and asked for an explanation of the problem and what to do to fix it, and also asked them to send a PIN number because I never received one. I subsequently reached them by phone, but didn't ask them for a PIN, and I forgot about it. Yesterday, about 2 weeks after my email, a PIN showed up in the mail.

You might want to email them and ask if they've received your packet and request they send you a PIN number. It may take a few days to get an email back from them, but they will answer. Then you can start checking http://www.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASA ... ctTask.jsp and click on Track the Status of your Application for your status.

[glockoneniner]

Wheelman,
Man, do I hear ya! It is all I can do to not check the damned web site only to see "Packet mailed to Applicant". I've gooten pretty good...haven't done it today.

Pull up a chair, kick the feet up and take it easy!

[Skiprr]

Wheelman: Everyone gets a PIN number via surface mail; you don't have to sign-up online to get it. Looking back at my records, I received my PIN letter just over four weeks after I mailed my application.

Happy waiting!

[Golfer]

I was notified after about 55 days that I filled out some paperwork wrong. I emailed DPS, (CHL@txdps.state.tx.us), because I could not get through on the phone, and asked for an explanation of the problem and what to do to fix it, and also asked them to send a PIN number because I never received one. I subsequently reached them by phone, but didn't ask them for a PIN, and I forgot about it. Yesterday, about 2 weeks after my email, a PIN showed up in the mail.

You might want to email them and ask if they've received your packet and request they send you a PIN number. It may take a few days to get an email back from them, but they will answer. Then you can start checking http://www.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASA ... ctTask.jsp and click on Track the Status of your Application for your status.

I had an email response in less than 10 min. They seem to be a lot faster with email than they are with snail mail.

[hi-power]

Pretty good response time.

I'm trying to stay positive about when I'll receive my CHL, but like I told my wife yesterday, "I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up 6 weeks from now, or tomorrow." We'll just never know why things either take forever, or are done quickly down there at DPS.