Wayne County Clerk's CPL Office closes after positive COVID-19 case

FOX 2 - An already long wait for a concealed pistol license in Wayne County is about to get longer.

An employee in the Office of the Wayne County Clerk’s CPL Division has tested positive for COVID-19 according to a release. Effective immediately, the Wayne County CPL Division will be closed at a minimum from Wednesday, April 7, 2021 - Friday, April 9, 2021.

Customers with appointments impacted by the CPL Division’s temporary closing will be contacted to reschedule appointments. The Office of the Wayne County Clerk’s website will post updates as they become available: www.waynecounty.com/clerk.

"The CPL Division has been working overtime to meet the demand of CPL applicants in Wayne County. This is an unfortunate occurrence, however the safety of our staff and the public are paramount during this time of increased COVID-19 cases in Michigan," said Wayne County Clerk Cathy M. Garrett.

A lawsuit has been filed against the clerk’s office over a backlog of applications which is already taking multiple months for residents.

The clerk's office says they’re dealing with more applicants than Oakland and Macomb counties and they’ve made some strides in addressing the wait times. They are servicing appointments on evenings and Saturdays through April.

They also have new fingerprinting machines, but the clerk's office says the biggest hang-ups are limited staffing and office space.

Prior to reopening the CPL Division, the office will be deep-cleaned and the entire staff must be tested and cleared to return to work. The Office of the Wayne County Clerk’s staff is available to answer questions at: (313) 967-6938.