Does everyone have this much trouble?
I live in Philadelphia, PA and for many years they had an exemption to the states CCW law so they would routinely refuse to give out carry permits to average citizens.
Then about 5 years ago that was all changed and I obtained a permit. Honestly, in the past 5 years I only carried about 20% of the time.
My permit expired 2 months ago and I went to reapply. I paid the fee, gave my 1"X1" photos (required), fingerprints (required), and waited.
Now two months later I still don't have my new permit and my old one expired a month ago. So I call to find out what the problem is and I was told they are more than 3 months behind!

I guess I'm better off than those people who cannot even get a permit but I somehow don't feel very lucky.

Sounds like South Carolina.  We're a shall issue state, but SLED (state police) simply pockets the money (required to be in the form of cash or MO!) and never processess the applications.  I wish they would take a credit card so I would have a chance at getting my money back.  Some people say that SC is a pro-gun state, like garandman, who I respectfully disagree with, but I've lived in several different places around the country, including in the Bay area, and I have never been somewhere the LEO's and average citizens are more anti-gun.

I wish more states would implement fees, not just for CWP, but for everything, so that the state got paid IFF (if and only if) they complete their job within the maximum allowed time.  That would encourage the state to be more likely to do their job.

Good luck getting the permit, I'm still trying to get mine.

That is a honest mistake on the State of PA's fault, they totally underestimated the popularity of concealed weapons permits, especally in the Philli area.

Then again, after the racally motivated mass shootings in the Pittsburgh area last summer, the number of first time permit applications from there skyrocketed too.  And first time applications get priority over renewls.

First, Philly never had an exemption.  They were just emulating NYC.  What happened about 5 years ago is that the state finally enforced the existing state law that precluded exemptions by cities like Philly.  Philadelphia does not like to issue even though they are required to do so by state law.  They do everything they can to delay or even deny licenses.  See below.  

Second, I was up there last year for 6 months.  It was recommended that I not file for my non-res license in the city of Philadelphia since they 'lose the paperwork' on a regular basis, so I went to Media, PA. and had a license in 3 weeks.  I recommend you call the state AG's office.  They are very helpful and very gun friendly.  Also, go to [url]www.packing.org[/url] and go the the Pennsylvania page.  Very helpful info.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Here in Idaho they have 90 days to either approve or denie the CCW permit, if they have not contacted you either way in 90 days you automaticly get the permit.
This was from the horses mouth, my county sheriff.

idaho-ar15