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Committee hears bills to fix CPL renewal errors and uneven county processing
Summary
Rep. Altman and Rep. Maddock presented HB5113 and HB4980 to address CPL application errors, create a short remedy window for applicant mistakes, and reduce county processing disparities; county clerks and gun-rights attorneys testified about court reporting glitches and long waits in some counties.
Two bills that would change how concealed pistol license (CPL) renewals and applications are handled drew detailed testimony in the House Judiciary Committee.
Representative Altman presented House Bill 5113, which he said creates a clear process to correct errors on CPL applications and allows a short grace period for applicants to fix mistakes so they aren’t unfairly penalized. Stephanie Bracey, chief deputy clerk speaking for Montcalm County Clerk Chris Millard, described cases where long-suppressed court dispositions and reporting errors caused longstanding CPL holders to be disqualified during renewal, forcing them to reapply and pay additional fees. "It was not his fault," Bracey said of a cited case, describing an instance where court disposition was not properly reported and the applicant was wrongly disqualified.
Steve Dolan, general counsel and board member with the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, testified that HB5113’s language provides a 21-day fix period for applicant mistakes but allows resubmission at any time without an extra fee when the error is made by courts or clerks. Dolan and other witnesses cited spotty court reporting to the Michigan State Police and occasional technical glitches between state and federal databases as drivers of the problem.
Representative Maddock and Representative Gary Eisen presented House Bill 4980 to address county wait-time disparities in CPL processing. Witnesses described processing times ranging from same-day issuance in some counties to four-to-six month waits in others. Testimony traced historical CPL administration from county gun boards to the 2015 statutory changes that centralized much of the background-check work with the Michigan State Police. Witnesses argued the state already has a centralized system and suggested better enforcement of existing rules — or moving processing to a single state office such as the Secretary of State — could address inconsistent county practices.
Committee members asked how often reporting errors occur, whether larger counties face longer delays, and whether moving to a state-run system would improve uniformity and speed. No votes on either bill were recorded at this hearing.
