If you’re planning on getting a license to carry a gun in Georgia, you’ll have to wait. Probate courts have temporarily suspended weapons licensing due to the state of Judicial Emergency.
Georgia Chief Supreme Court Justice Harold Melton issued an order on Saturday suspending most non-emergency judicial processes until at least April 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, courts across the state are operating in a limited capacity.
Probate Courts are still issuing birth and death certificates and marriage licenses but they are not issuing new gun carry permits or renewing existing ones.
Non-licensed gun owners may have guns in their home, car, or place of business as long as they’re not a convicted felon, but they may not carry them on their person in public. Carry permits that are set to renew during the emergency period will not expire.
“We just found out about the temporary hold on licensing this morning,” says Habersham County Probate Court Judge Pam Wooley. She says she and her office staff have received “quite a few phone calls but we haven’t had to turn anyone away.” They hope to avoid that by getting the word out to the public. “I don’t want people to take time off from work to come in and get a license and not be able to do it,” Wooley says.
According to information released by the Probate Office, Chief Justice Melton’s Order essentially pushes “PAUSE” on all deadlines created by law or rule. Gun owners will be able to renew their carry permits once the emergency order is lifted.
Right now Melton’s order is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2020. Until then, Probate Courts will be limiting other services as well. “We’re only doing cases on an emergency basis. If it’s an emergency guardianship or a 10-13, those will be done,” Wooley says. “If it’s a regular probate or administration or even a regular guardianship, those will not be acted on until the emergency order is lifted.”
Wooley apologizes for any inconvenience this might cause local residents. “We are very sorry. It’s out of our hands.”
The Habersham County Probate Office currently is maintaining regular hours. It’s open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
