Seconded.
Printable View
Never had a reference contacted (Cumberland then York county over the years).
Mine are real and I do fill it in... But I suspect if you put "Bugs Wabbit" in Cucamonga and "Mr. daPope" in Rome, it wouldn't matter.
Only time my references were contacted was when I ticked off the sheriff by refusing to fill out the additional forms that he unlawfully required to be completed. I refused to submit them as part of my renewal application, so we met in his office. I told him where the law specifically prohibited his actions, so he told his deputies to move forward with issuing the LTCF. About 1 week later - after the LTCF was issued - my references were contacted.
The previous two times (same county, same sheriff, no unlawful extra forms), my references were not contacted, so I believe these reference contacts were at least partially retaliatory.
(edit: Susquehanna County)