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My fruitless experince while trying to get my permit renewed in Clayton County GA

18K views 70 replies 30 participants last post by  GATimberdoodle 
#1 ·
I just came back from trying to renew my concealed carry permit in Clayton County Georgia.

I had this permit renewed before and was never asked to prove my citizenship.

This time I was told I need to show either a passport or a birth certificate or a Citizenship paper.

Is that what I must do? I AM US citizen. I was born in France but have lived in the US legally for over 25 years in the same house in the same county, Clayton County.
I have full blown US Citizenship not just an alien card.

She told me homeland security requires foreign born people even if US citizens to prove they are citizens to get a firearms license. Is that legitimate or did she makes this up?

I am suspicious because only after I spoke a couple of sentence (I have a foreign accent) while giving her my ID and credit card, which she asked for first, did she ask me where I was born.

I am confused and very upset because non of this was told to me in the letter I received, to remind me of my pending expiration of my present permit which expires in March.
There was no mentioning of bringing proof of citizenship at all.

I am so upset even though I could simply take my papers over there I problay rather just don't my concealed carry renewed.
I feel totally humiliated, as someone who went through all the requirements to get legal citizenship to be treated like this.
I have friends that only have to show their Drivers license including my husband, who just got his renewed.

I am trying to learn if this is even legal to ask me for these papers.

 
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#2 ·
Don't take it personally. Since our Executive branch refuses to actually protect our borders, many folks in Congress have made it more difficult to live and work while in the country illegally. Same for many states. You just got stuck in the middle. Don't give up your rights or risk jail or heavy fines to "protest". Hold your nose, show your documentation, and carry on.


Sent from my Nokia 925 using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
I'm just speculating.........................

But I think the Probate Court my want to verify your citizenship, because you do not have one of the new Secure ID Driver Licenses. It has a GOLD star on it.

http://www.dds.ga.gov/secureid/index.aspx
I don't think the star verifies citizenship; it verifies identity. Immigrants can get a DL too. The star just indicates that proofs of identity were physically checked before issuing the card.

Non-citizens can get a license too, but the requirements are different. Gwinnett used to require proof of citizenship (for all US citizens), with the excuse being so that they could verify the immigrant requirements were not needed. The new Probate judge got rid of that.

The "problem" is that by just looking at the DL, it's not apparent which of the three classes the person falls into. US Citizen needs just the DL. A permanent resident needs DL plus permanent resident card. A resident alien needs DL plus resident alien card plus hunting license.

It's one thing to be careful for an initial application, but for a renewal? As if the original license was given improperly?
 
#5 ·
It's absolutely ridiculous to me. The same probate court judge just mailed me a summons for jury duty. The back reads "The jury commissioner selected and certified you as a qualified juror... and then it goes on with the rest of the text. I've been called to jury duty before. Same county, same judge's court, same judge also send me the letter to remind me to renew my permit. But the little old lady at the county office give me the third degree and refuses to process me further until I bring proof of citizenship? If everyone was required to show proof of citizenship I would not squawk but this is arbitrary solely based on the fact that I have a foreign accent. I AM a US citizen as such I have the same rights under the Constitution as everyone else, I do take this personally because it seems to be.

I must be missing something. Why else get the US citizenship if I am still different under the law. Was she following the law???? I don't know. My husband went to get his renewed same place and he wasn't asked anything about citizenship by the clerk. He just sailed through, but he is originally from Texas and when he speaks, he sounds like a born US citizen, drawl and all, and I guess he just fit the bill so he gets smooth ride while other, good upstanding, tax paying US citizens, get humiliated and treated like 2nd class. I am thoroughly disgusted.
 
#6 ·
The jury commissioner selected and certified you as a qualified juror... and then it goes on with the rest of the text.
That's rich. Hey show that to the probate. LOL

Sorry to jest.
 
#8 ·
My wife is a naturalized-citizen since 1985, has been in the USA legally since 1974. She still has to produce her proof-of-citizenship often. It is not just you that is asked for your proof-of-citizenship. She carries her passport with her most everytime she goes to a government office. My wife speaks fluent English, reads and writes it, too. They still require it of her. So, you are not the Lone Ranger. Do not pass up the right-to-carry just to prove a point that you are dissatisfied with the system. Don't like it, then contact your GA reps and tell them so. Get the law changed.
 
#9 ·
She told me homeland security requires foreign born people even if US citizens to prove they are citizens to get a firearms license. Is that legitimate or did she makes this up?

I am suspicious because only after I spoke a couple of sentence (I have a foreign accent) while giving her my ID and credit card, which she asked for first, did she ask me where I was born.

It is not legitimate and she made it up. Homeland Security has no input at all into the GWL process. If you are a resident alien, there are steps you have to take to get a GWL. U.S. citizens have no such burdens.
 
#10 ·
I AM US citizen. I was born in France but have lived in the US legally for over 25 years in the same house in the same county, Clayton County.
I have full blown US Citizenship not just an alien card.
Please contact jrm, who posted right above you, if you want the best and most experienced lawyer with such issues in the state of Georgia. Send him a PM.

You can contact me if you want the distant second best . . .
 
#11 ·
Not the only county. Gwinnett refuses to issue new without proof of citizenship. Not sure about the renewal process. They told me it was to reduce the backlog from illegals applying. From that I assume the check citizenship as part of the process.
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
Thanks, mountainpass, but even there we have a sort of "grey" issue, but at least they are asking everybody. My personal opinion, untested in court, is that they have no authority to demand birth certificates.

In this case, in Clayton County, however, they appear to have singled out this particular US citizen because of his outrageous accent.

 
#15 ·
In this case, in Clayton County, however, they appear to have singled out this particular US citizen because of his outrageous accent.
he is a she

Edit: I think
 
#16 ·
I am so upset even though I could simply take my papers over there I problay rather just don't my concealed carry renewed.
I would be upset, too, and I think I would refuse to provide extra papers, too, but I would reapply.

I feel totally humiliated, as someone who went through all the requirements to get legal citizenship to be treated like this.
I have friends that only have to show their Drivers license including my husband, who just got his renewed.
Obviously, they have singled you out due to your accent.
 
#18 ·
Please contact jrm, who posted right above you, if you want the best and most experienced lawyer with such issues in the state of Georgia. Send him a PM.

You can contact me if you want the distant second best . . .
Thanks. If what she did is within the law I don't see what a layer could do, plus I cant' afford one. Looks like I may just have to let my permit expire. I rather have a spider built a nest in my ear, then have them make me bend over and ask me to pay them 80 bucks for it too.

I carried ever since I was almost killed in an armed robbery, so if I can't get my carry license renewed like everyone else that is a US citizen, I will have to be more cautious and learn other means of legal self defense. I can not get myslef to bend to their corrupt authority. This "Show me your papers" reminds me too much of what my grandmother told me about good ol' Germany. "Zeigen Sie mir Ihre Papiere?" and most people bowed their heads and answered "Jawohl her Kommandant, hier sind meine Papiere". I'm not going to do it.
 
#19 ·
#20 ·
Thanks, mountainpass, but even there we have a sort of "grey" issue, but at least they are asking everybody. My personal opinion, untested in court, is that they have no authority to demand birth certificates.

In this case, in Clayton County, however, they appear to have singled out this particular US citizen because of his outrageous accent.
The new probate judge in Gwinnett, Chris Ballar, changed that. Two locations on the website and the PDF application form agree on the requirements for a US Citizen, which do not include a passport nor proof of citizenship. Just a DL is required.

There was a thread where someone reported not needing the passport in Gwinnett, but I'm not finding it.
 
#23 ·
Thanks, mountainpass, but even there we have a sort of "grey" issue, but at least they are asking everybody. My personal opinion, untested in court, is that they have no authority to demand birth certificates.

In this case, in Clayton County, however, they appear to have singled out this particular US citizen because of his outrageous accent.

That's a funny video. My accent isn't actually that bad but I have one. This was a good laugh!
and yes i am a female.
 
#24 ·
OP, you live in Clayton County. Not to be rude, but you REALLY need to renew your permit. Better to have it and not need it........
Not rude at all. Yes I live in Clayton county. It's very hard for me to bend to their illegal authority. I think I wait two weeks and then go back, after I finished with jury duty.
I won't volunteer any papers other than drivers license and I'll have the money ready. I try not to say anything, so I won't give my accent away. Maybe there will be a different clerk.
 
#25 ·
I think tomorrow I am going to write a letter to the judge asking for clarification. How is it logical that I can be summed to jury duty, as a confirmed eligible juror, with the tread of punishment if I don't show, while at the same time being asked by the same court to proof that I am a citizen when I want my permit renewed. It's an oxymoron.
 
#26 ·
The probate judge will have less of a leg to stand on if she did not demand this stuff back then.

What a horrific robbery story, FedUpWithCrime. I truly hope nothing like that ever happens to you again.
It was actually the same Judge back then if I remember correctly. It seems these rules are very arbitrary. No-one can figure out 100% what applies to everyone. They make it up as they go and the clerk makes up a few more extra rules.

~~~~~

Yes me too I hope nothing like this will ever happen again. I almost lost my eye as I was beaten about the face. It was a hold up in a parking lot at night by two masked gun man. I made a run for it when they punched me to the ground cause I knew the next thing was a bullet in the head. One guy did fire a shot at me running away and missed me by inches it bounced off a metal door. Not an experience I care to repeat. That's when I started thinking about carrying and later did. I rarely go out at night anymore especially alone, no evening grocery shopping neither.

Now with this municipal court power game play I don't know what.
 
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