I was wondering if they look at your old PTA’s and cross check the information.

Only HPD can answer that.

There's no difference if you wait for a call to bring in the letter vs. volunteering it.  If it's been 10 years since you needed to bring it in, it's plausible that you didn't remember it 10 years later.

If you were not denied a permit after providing the letter, then it's obvious you will be truthful on the application saying you've never been denied.  A request for more information is not a denial -- it's just a temporary administrative hold.

Again, I'd withhold it to see if it's even needed.  If you provide it, I can see the firearms section saying you need a newer one -- that a 10 year old letter is not "current."

Don't provide a reason for them to waste more of your time and money. 

Of course, you can do as you wish.  Not telling you to do it one way or the other.  This is how I would do it. 

If HMSA doesn't flag you, it doesn't matter what HPD has in your file.  They will run a background check as usual.  If they find nothing, there is nothing.  Permit apporved.   

You're worrying about answering a question that may never be asked.  Cross that bridge when you come to it -- not before.

you still need the clearance letter
or you can try just saying you have HMSA.  HMSA doesn't have your Kaiser info, most likely and wont have any psychological info on you so in their eyes there is nothing in question, so no red flag
but if HPD goes back and checks that you are already red flagged then you will need the letter from the doctor
I remember an officer at firearms telling me "if you red flagged, you red flagged for life"
then another officer told me "we don't keep records here"
so could be luck of the draw

you still need the clearance letter
or you can try just saying you have HMSA.  HMSA doesn't have your Kaiser info, most likely and wont have any psychological info on you so in their eyes there is nothing in question, so no red flag
but if HPD goes back and checks that you are already red flagged then you will need the letter from the doctor
I remember an officer at firearms telling me "if you red flagged, you red flagged for life"
then another officer told me "we don't keep records here"
so could be luck of the draw

Exactly.  No harm in submitting the application without the letter and waiting to be asked for it. 

Best case: permit is approved.  Worst case: they ask for the letter before approving it.

Either way, it'll be a good "test" to see what the real answer is ....

... until the next time, of course!    

Just see your regular physician. He or she will write you a letter. Hmsa is better than kaiser or straub. Atleast what i heard from.

Im sure your minor depression pertained to a life changing event. And only lasted a short while.

I needed a doctors letter cause i smoked weed back in high school. It was a social gathering. Havent done it since 10th grade.

I needed a letter too. My doc wrote me 1. But ask hpd for the template. Cause you need to follow it to the T. My doc wrote it wrong twice. So i had to go back twice after initial consultation.

I know i know, high school stuff dont count. But i cant lie. I really suck at lying.


To be on the safe side. Just get the letter. With covid going on i was straight up lucky to get an extra 2 appointments. My doc was only seeing 3 patients per hour. And they completely shut down during the states stay at home order. So feb. I got my first letter. Wasnt good enough. My next doctor appt. Was in july (covid just began to surge in march thats why, so my doctor didnt open til ending of June.. FU COVID). Then i made my hpd appointment in sept. letter was wrongfully written. So had to go back to doctor. And it just so happen the day after stay at home order ended i got the 1 cancelled slot at my doctors office. Super friggin lucky cause my 14 day wait period with hpd was ending. I got the "ok, gtg confirm" from the nice officer (took only a day and a half to get back to me)  at hpd the day before my 14 days were up. So i grabbed my long rifle permit on the very last day. Thats never happened to me before. But it is what it is.

Hope that helps

Oh btw a clearnce letter only lasts a year. So every year from 2007 to 2016/2017 i had to get a letter. But it kinda worked out cause id either get my flu shot or a physical. And this year i got my flu shot and did some blood work. Turns out i have hereditary disease that makes my immune system weak. Which explains why i get sick often. Now i can get fmla at work👍🏻👍🏻

Pertaining to the red flag. I think it goes case by case. It prob depends on what you did.

Personal experience: they had my old letter from 2016 at hpd. But like i said earlier, its only good for a year. So i always gotta do it.

Drugs as minor prob not.

Domestic violence or battery or something along those lines, then prob yes.

And hmsa does get medical records from kaiser. My friend had kaiser then switched to hmsa. Had all his info on his broken hand and car accidents. Back injury. Dunno bout psychological stuff tho.

Didn't know there was an annual expiration date on the clearance letters,

Knowing that, I'm even more inclined to not provide the letter unless asked -- if this were me.

You could mail the letter in if you're worried about having to make another appointment.  Dropping off a letter doesn't sound like it should require an appointment, either, but common sense doesn't apply to HPD.

Good luck!

I just went to HPD a few weeks ago and used my letter from 2015 or 2016.  Kaiser only started the red flag thing in about 2014 or 2015.  up until then I was getting firearms without being red flagged.  I saw the psychologist 34 years ago.  I also work at Kaiser, so i'm very familiar with their protocols and especially these red flag letters
I think unless you saw the psychologist since the last letter, the last letter is still good.  I've been doing it this way a few times per year since getting red flagged back in 2015 or so
my red flag came from seeing a psychologist 34 years ago when I was in high school at the recommendation of my mom bc I was getting a 2.6 GPA in school
that should not get a red flag.  but its HPD's call to red flag you, not the Doctors call
doctor merely gives HPD the notes from the visit, then its ALL HPD's call to red flag you or not.
in kaiser's case, when HPD sends the letter to kaiser, the doctor doesn't even look at it .  it goes to the records department and a clerk prints up the notes and sends to HPD.  if HPD didn't have their daily rations of malasadas that day, you could be red flagged for nothing like i did
but it cant be reveresed bc i'm already red flagged.  like the officer told me, "if you red flagged, you red flagged for life"

here's Kaiser's policy on firearms letters.  this is what they send you when they receive the forms from HPD:

Our Policy On Requests for Medical Clearance for Firearms Permits
Dear Member:
We have received your request or inquiry regarding a medical clearance in relation to an application for a firearms permit.
We are sorry to inform you that Kaiser Permanente physicians are unable to provide this type of evaluation. Typically these requests ask our doctors to state that a person “shall own, possess or control any firearm or ammunition” and that they are free of any issues that would preclude gun ownership. Our independent physicians in the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group do not feel that it is appropriate for physicians to give opinions on whether or not someone should own or possess a weapon or ammunition. In addition, Kaiser Permanente’s current benefit structure does not provide coverage for such types of evaluations.
You may choose to see an independent practitioner in the community, at your own expense, to provide an assessment regarding your capacity to obtain or operate a firearm. We will provide that practitioner with copies of your past medical and/or mental health records upon presentation of a properly executed authorization form.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause you.

so as you can see, Kaiser has no opinion whether someone should own a firearm or not.  that is the opinion of HPD, and they are not psychologists or doctors.  HPD is the ones that red flag you

Dr. Guy Yatsushiro

Wow that kinda sucks for people that have kaiser. Thank god i had hmsa ever since i was born. Lol . So i guess you gotta find an outside doctor/ psychiatrist.

Yea, i had to see a drug counselor to lessen my suspension days. Thats why i need my letter.

Funny you should mention using an old letter. I think 1 year out of those many many letters, hpd didnt need it.  It was either cause i registered new guns before my 1 year was up or they just didnt care. Well i also knew a guy in firearms as well as the sgt was a customer of mine when i use to be in automotive. Or maybe i renewed my long gun permit before expiration, so i was still in within a year of my letter veung good. I really dont remember. Sorry.

But yeah, my regular physician at hmsa/kuakini wrote my letter.

Yea, my doctor faxes the letter for me. But since my time was running real low (wasnt sure when he would fax it), the officer who did my background let me email a pic of it first. So he could clear it with his sgt.

Then he gave me the gtg email, i just had to bring original copy so they can scan it and keep it on record.

But i do have to bring the letter everytime i apply for permit. Cause the questionarre i write yes on number 6. I think thats the drug one. Lol. Then under explanations i write a simple statement and "brought doctors note".

Here’s a question: So if they cleared your previous PTA after receiving a clearance letter and you now own said firearms,what would happen if they want to decline  a new PTA.
Would they try to confiscate your previously legally owned firearms?

Jones

I would say negative. UNLESS you did somethung that gives them a reason to.

Example: the year 2008 i tried to commit suicide.
                 The year 2010, ive been goin counseling since and i got cleared for firearms
 
The year 2012 i tried to commit suicide again. Then ill prob get all my stuff confiscated.

As long as your clean since a "said" situation and youve been cleared. There should be no reason for them to take it away. Well maybe if the law changed. And the approving officer says no.

Tbh. Hpd is pretty lax on restrictions. I honestly believe they do try to prevent psychos from owning guns. But letters are based on opinions from doctors. Cops are not certified in the medical aspect. So if 1 were to go gung ho they can pin it on the doctor??? Thatll be a good excuse. Plus they definitely look at your history. If they see a occurence of a said crime or disorder, youll get denied. If its a life changing event maybe not. I honestly dont know. Their could be other circumstances that could factor in.

I was wondering if they look at your old PTA’s and cross check the information.

Probably not as that takes effort.