The total demand for concealed carry permits in the Buckeye State jumped 27 percent in 2020, according to a report published Monday by the state attorney general.
“County sheriffs, the backbone of the program, deserve credit for its success,” wrote Attorney General David Yost in the report’s cover letter (see below). “In 2020, they issued 169,232 licenses, up 27.8% from the year before.”
That figure includes both new licenses and renewals. As mentioned in the headline, new licenses on their own were up 78 percent from 2019!
Other findings per the annual report, include the following:
- The number of new licenses issued hit 96,892, the third-highest in the 16-year-old program. Eighty-five of Ohio’s 88 county sheriffs issued more license last year than they did in 2019.
- The number of licenses renewed was 72,340, also the third-highest ever.
- Roughly 700,000 Ohioans held active licenses, making the number of licenses suspended (1,618) and revoked (a combined 2,047) comparatively minuscule.
To obtain a concealed carry permit in Ohio one must: be 21 years of age, pass a background check, complete a state-approved safety course, provide photo ID and fingerprints and pay a minimum $67 fee.
Applications are processed through one’s local sheriff’s office and licenses must be renewed every five years.
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“Under Ohio law, county sheriffs are responsible for issuing concealed-carry licenses and renewing them, as well as suspending and revoking licenses. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office compiles this annual report, as required by law, about the number of licenses issued each year,” explained Yost’s office in a press release.
“Each sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics quarterly to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission within the Ohio Attorney General’s Office,” it continued. “Ohio county sheriffs began issuing concealed carry licenses in 2004.”
The increase in demand for concealed carry permits in Ohio mirrors the national spike in gun sales in 2020.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association, as many as 21 million people bought firearms last year. About 8.5 million were first-time gun buyers.