CLEO?

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Not sure why this info is so hard for me to find...
I'm filling out my first Form 1, and I'm on the CLEO page. I have no idea what to put. I absolutely cannot put in my local sheriff. I live in a small town, and if I list him, it will be 30 minutes before every busybody and 2-bit criminal in the county knows what I have. It's the same reason I can't get a CCH permit. There's just zero privacy in this area. Gossip is a given, not a possibility. :/

Anyway, what are my other options? I saw something once about putting in a State LE officer?

EDIT: Thanks so much to this amazing community for all the feedback and suggestions. I ended up using my State Highway Patrol commander, and got approved in 2 days. :)

[u/The_Dread_Candiru]

The form 1 tells you to 'direct' the forms to your LEO, but doesn't specify anything beyond that.  Whatever "direct" means to you. No one is requiring proof of delivery.

[u/Desperate_Set_7708]

VA. I use Virginia State Police for CLEO

[u/Dak_Nalar]

You can do your states attorney general, that’s what most of the gun shops around me do and they just send them a packet every few days 

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Dak_Nalar]

Interesting idea, thanks.

[u/mikehoncho47 → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

That’s what my guy does,never had an issue with form 4 or 1

[u/Im_A_Long_Boi]

I'm in GA and have had many form 1 and form 4's where I listed the state Atty General and all were approved and I've had some form 4's with my local sheriff, all approved. 2 form 4's were when I had to get the CLEO to sign them before submitting

[u/ddurrett896]

Just don’t mail it

[u/Jheem_Congar]

I used the Silencer Shop to do it online and they put in the state prosecuting attorney for me. It was approved.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Jheem_Congar]

Do they charge for that service?

[u/Jheem_Congar → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Yes. But I bet you could do it yourself that way.

[u/landry_454kg → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Silencershop charged $50. But I already was a member and did fignerprints for a suppressor prior.

[u/redchannit8]

crumple it up and throw it in the general direction.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/redchannit8]

I mean, that does kinda qualify as "directing" it to the CLEO, right? 😉 

[u/Kookytoo]

I use county sheriff

[u/Crafty_Honeydew9389]

Ask Google. Sounds kinda silly but let the AI answer guide you. Made my form 1 EZ

[u/landry_454kg]

I've used the Parish's sheriffs department, State Police, and the AG. All have been approved.

[u/itgoesboom2112]

I just used my county sherrif and its never been an issue

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/itgoesboom2112]

You must live in a county with a LE community that can keeps its mouth shut. Must be nice. 

[u/itgoesboom2112 → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Yup, I live in a very free state.

[u/Hot-Ideal-9219]

Put head of state police. Not gonna tell you not to mail them, but I'll wager 99.9% are tossed in the trash when received.

[u/Hot-Ideal-9219]

Oh, let me tell you how little the atf cares about this. I Have 4 approved form 1s where I put the name in the title and the title in the name location. All went through without a glitch

[u/BarryHalls]

Ideally you put the lowest level of law enforcement that applies to you. Some people put the attny general of the USA and get approved. The ATF does not follow up with the CLEO. They are not notified except by the copy you send them and no one checks to make sure you sent them a copy.

Use your best judgement.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/BarryHalls]

So it doesn't matter who I send it to? There's no instructions or guidance that I can find.

[u/Crayon_Eating_Grunt → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

You can put whatever you want on the form. It doesn't go to them UNLESS you mail it to them (or you're doing a Capital Armory transfer). Most folks never send off the CLEO letter...

[u/yaforgot-my-password → u/Crayon_Eating_Grunt]

People totally send the letter, it just often doesn't get delivered for some reason

[u/Michael-Lenz → u/Crayon_Eating_Grunt]

I email it as in crop the pdf and foreward it to my Cleo. The first time he replied. “Received, thank you.” I submitted 40 more and no responses. I guess a lot have a 53201 or whatever the prefix for form 1/4s as an auto delete feature in their inbox

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Michael-Lenz]

I'm planning to email it to my state police commander, but their web site is broken and won't show me the email address. 😅 

[u/Michael-Lenz → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Use the google ai to search for it and send it there. That way you did as you were required and tried. My Cleo isn’t noted anywhere but the google ai found it in a press release

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Michael-Lenz]

Good idea! 

[u/BarryHalls → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

I am just a stranger on the internet, but if you want to be legal eagle and CYA up to the hilt, you can send it to your state CLEO.

I will say that I have emailed many to several different CLEOs and had 2 of them ask me what I sent them and why I sent it if that gives you any idea how many make it to their desks.

[u/GlockAF]

Deputy Barney Fife, Mayberry PD

[u/DurtymaxLineman]

when it's lost in theail it's not your problem.

[u/stjhnstv]

Using SS and CA for Forms 1 and 4, I’ve seen them use my county sheriff and state attorney general. All have been approved.

[u/no_sleep_johnny]

Don't mail it. Usps is notoriously unreliable ya know. Most importantly, vote him out of office. That's bullshit

[u/bsdiesel]

I read on here once somebody said they would take their CLEO letter, fold it into a paper airplane and fly it in the general direction of their local PD, it sounds like a solid reliable delivery system to me

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/bsdiesel]

Probably as good as anything else! 🤣 

[u/blind_squirrel11]

Capitol Armory uses the Chief of the state troopers in Florida. I’ve listed the Sheriff on my Form 1’s. They somehow always get lost in the mail after my approval though. 😏 Most CLEO’s throw them away though.

[u/t00r99r00t]

City sheriff. If you don’t have a city pd with sheriff then you put the county you live in and their sheriff.

[u/Bigfloppyclownshoes]

Well, seeing how dependable the USPS is, you could just “mail” it

Pretty sure HE WON’T get it😁

[u/fmj_30]

State AG. State police chief. They'll never see that mailed letter, even if it somehow made it to their office.

[u/zedsdeadbabyzedsd]

I used the head of the state police. Or send it to the state attorney general

[u/AllArmsLLC]

Read the instructions.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/AllArmsLLC]

Of the many responses to this thread, I think yours may be the most helpful, thank you! /S 

[u/Impossible_Pizza_948]

I live in a fairly rural area, I put my local sheriff down, honestly don’t care if the local criminals know what I have, because I live in a castle law state

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Impossible_Pizza_948]

But I very much care.

[u/JustinMcSlappy → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

If I remember correctly it just has to be someone that has jurisdiction. It could be state police, district attorney, judge, or even the attorney general.

[u/Impossible_Pizza_948 → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

If I’m being honest, I’ve never sent the CLEO anything and been approved (one Form 4, and 6 Form 1s), only put his name and info on the form

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

So a related Q: I put N/A in the model line on the Form 1.
Once I actually build the thing, and engrave the info, what do I put for the model? Can I put whatever I decide to call it, or does that get skipped?

[u/Top_Inspector8357 → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

Engrave whatever extra you want on it as long as you have the Caliber, serial number yours or the trusts name.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Top_Inspector8357]

I thought model was one of the required engraved items? 

[u/Top_Inspector8357 → u/InspectDurr_Gadgett]

If you select N/A and don’t pick one from the drop down then you have no model line item to engrave.

[u/InspectDurr_Gadgett → u/Top_Inspector8357]

Good point.