New research says there are more than 16.3 million people licensed to carry concealed. (Dave Workman)
By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Concealed carry numbers are skyrocketing across the country, and in 11 states, more than ten percent of the adult population is licensed to carry, according to a new report from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC).
The 61 page report, titled “Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2017,” identifies those states as Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Utah.
According to an abstract, “Outside of California and New York, 8 percent of adults have a permit. Permits for women and blacks are increasing much faster than they are for men and whites.”
The report, prepared by CPRC President John Lott, Jr. also includes this revelation:
“During President Obama’s administration, the number of concealed handgun permits soared to over 16.36 million – a 256% increase since 2007.”
“John’s report comes at a critical moment when Congress should be discussing national concealed carry reciprocity legislation that was introduced in January,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.
Coincidentally, the Virginia Citizens Defense League has a petition to support the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity (HR 38) bill on the White House website. It must collect 100,000 signatures by Aug. 17. TGM readers can find that petition here.
The report’s abstract also takes a swipe at discretionary concealed carry laws.
“There are also significant differences in not only the number of permits issued but also who gets them when politicians have discretion in granting them,” the report states. “Los Angeles County provides a vivid example of how women and Hispanics are given few permits when politicians decided who can defend themselves.”
Concealed carry accounts for a growing percentage of firearms sales and ownership. A Pew Research survey quoted in the report notes that 30 percent of American adults own a gun and 72 percent of those gun owners own a handgun of some kind.
“Did last year’s robust increase in permits fizzle out after the November election,” the report wondered. “Fortunately, 13 states have recent monthly data from December 2016 through April 2017. They show a 3% increase in permits in just four months. Twelve of the states have data for May as well, with a 3.8% increase in five months. Finally, eight states have data through June, showing a 4.2% increase in half a year. All three imply an annualized increase that is only slightly slower than the increase for the US over the whole year. Despite expectations, concealed handgun permits issuance clearly continued to grow after President Trump’s election last November.”
“This represents a 12.5% drop,” the report said. “Overall violent crime fell by 18 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of adults with permits soared by 190%.”
Of the states that keep data on gender, several experienced a general upward trend in female permit holders. Here’s what the report details:
- Arizona: the percentage of permit holders who are women rose from 20.7% in 2012 to 21.2% in 2016 and 21.9% in 2017.
- Connecticut: from 24.3% in 2012 to 33.3% in 2016.
- Florida: from 18% in May 2012 to 24.1% in May 2016 and 24.1% in May 2017.
- Indiana: from 18.0% in June 2012 to 23.9% in June 2016 and 26.1% in March 2017.
- Louisiana: from 18.3% in 2009 to 24.1% in 2016.
- North Carolina: from 21.3% in June 2012 to 27.5% in June 2016 to 28.7% in March 2017.
- North Dakota: from 11.2% in 2010 to 24.9% in 2014.
- Oklahoma: from 28.9% in 2012 to 36.3% in 2016.
- Tennessee: from 25.9% in 2012 to 34.3% in 2016.
- Texas: from 22.00% in 2012 to 28.0% in 2016.
- Washington State: between 2005 and 2014, “the growth rate for women getting new permits [was] twice as fast as that of men.” We don’t know the exact percentages in those two years, but by 2017, women held 25.2% of permits.
“It is particularly important to note that in 11 states, the report says 10 percent of the adult populations are licensed to carry,” Gottlieb observed. “Across several states, the number of women who are getting permits and licenses is far outpacing the number of men. The only people who would be discouraged by this news are gun control lobbyists and criminals, which raises questions about whose side the gun control people are on.
“What this report demonstrates,” he added, “is that Americans are taking the initiative, exercising their right to not only own firearms, but to carry them responsibly. It’s a refreshing return of self-reliance because people have realized that when seconds count, police are minutes away, despite their best efforts to fight crime. This is just one more way we can make the Second Amendment great again.”
