PICS pre-check?

[Tyro]

Hi Everybody:

I've never purchased my own handgun before and am intending to buy one. A dealer that I'd inquired w/ had mentioned that I should be able to perform a PICS check on myself through the Pa. State Police to get an idea of whether there's anything that might hold me up.

My motivation for doing this is that I'll likely purchase through an out of state FFL, using an auction site, and have the firearm transferred to a FFL in Pennsylvania. I don't want to risk getting turned down after committing to the purchase.
I don't have any priors, citations, psychiatric history, or anything else that I'm aware of, but would prefer to know beforehand.

Does anyone know whether this is possible?

Thanks

[avizpls]

Try going to a gun shop, and asking them to do it. They might charge $2, but whatever. Explain to them why, and they probably would be willing to help.

[GunLawyer001]

A dealer can't run PICS unless you've filled out the form under penalty of unsworn falsification. They do this so that you can't check to see if the cops remember your conviction. There must be an actual purchase, or the dealer commits a crime by running the check. If you lie on the form, it's a crime, both because you tried to buy a gun, and because you lied on an official form.

There's a form on the State Police website, I believe it's an SP-4, that allows you to check your own criminal history; costs $10-$20, takes about a month. It will show any convictions that the PSP know about, but it won't show active protective orders or involuntary mental health commitments, which are also prohibitors.

[TonyF]

Originally Posted by GunLawyer001

There's a form on the State Police website, I believe it's an SP-4, that allows you to check your own criminal history; costs $10-$20, takes about a month. It will show any convictions that the PSP know about, but it won't show active protective orders or involuntary mental health commitments, which are also prohibitors.

http://www.psp.state.pa.us/patch/site/default.asp

We have it linked on our website for credentialing purposes for those who don't have a LTC. It's very straightforward.

[avizpls]

Originally Posted by GunLawyer001

A dealer can't run PICS unless you've filled out the form under penalty of unsworn falsification. They do this so that you can't check to see if the cops remember your conviction. There must be an actual purchase, or the dealer commits a crime by running the check. If you lie on the form, it's a crime, both because you tried to buy a gun, and because you lied on an official form.

There's a form on the State Police website, I believe it's an SP-4, that allows you to check your own criminal history; costs $10-$20, takes about a month. It will show any convictions that the PSP know about, but it won't show active protective orders or involuntary mental health commitments, which are also prohibitors.

Well, looks like I was way off base on this one. This is why you dont always take advice from an online forum. At least I used words like "ask" and "probably"

[Tyro]

Thanks for the input guys. It sounds as though the best bet is simply to have the dealer perform the check once the gun has arrived.

The online PATCH check seems to take a while. They ask that you check for updates on a two week interval and I think that the results are mailed to you(?).

[TonyF]

Originally Posted by Tyro

The online PATCH check seems to take a while. They ask that you check for updates on a two week interval and I think that the results are mailed to you(?).

I think they notify you via e-mail and after you login you're directed to print out a form with the PSP seal in the background that either indicates your clear or you have a record.

[Tyro]

Originally Posted by TonyF

I think they notify you via e-mail and after you login you're directed to print out a form with the PSP seal in the background that either indicates your clear or you have a record.

I haven't gotten an email yet, but apparently the check is automated. I'd submitted my info and payment details and was taken to a 'record check details' page which gives you a summary of the results and a link to the certification form. This is probably the form that you're referring to. It's got the PSP seal in the background and my personal info along with the statement ...

Invidividual has no criminal record in the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository based on my name, DOB, SS etc..

So I'm guessing that I'm good-to-go.

Thanks for the tip Tony.

[PCTechGuy]

All these acronyms... Is it safe to say that both PICS and PATCH checks are based on the same records stockpile? So, if you're all clear on PATCH then you'd also be all-clear on PICS - other than the two things GunLawyer001 mentioned?

[TonyF]

Originally Posted by PCTechGuy

All these acronyms... Is it safe to say that both PICS and PATCH checks are based on the same records stockpile? So, if you're all clear on PATCH then you'd also be all-clear on PICS - other than the two things GunLawyer001 mentioned?

PICS also runs the gun buyer through NICS (which is why we should stop using PICS and just use NICS but the PSP doesn't want to do that because that's how they maintain their illegal registry database).

I'm not certain if PATCH taps into the federal system.