Bump in Issue of Concealed Carry Permits in Ohio

The number of concealed carry permits issued by the state of Ohio this year is on pace to far exceed the number of permits issued in 2015.

Records from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office shows nearly 94,000 permits were issued through the first nine months of 2016. That’s compared with 51,000 for the same period last year and 72,000 for all of 2015.

Jim Irvine of the Buckeye Firearms Association tells The Columbus Dispatch that concealed carry has become “mainstream” in Ohio with 574,000 active permits. The statistics released this past week by the state attorney general’s office also show that about 1 in 16 adults Ohio has a concealed-carry permit.

The state recognizes 12.3 million permits from other states.

“Concealed carry used to be mostly hard-core shooters, but it has become increasingly popular with soccer moms and others who just want to be safe in their everyday life,” Irvine said.

A record 25,474 permits were issued in Ohio from July through September, a 59 percent jump over the same period in 2015.

Franklin County issued the most new permits (1,538) during those three months followed by Lake County (1,454) and Hamilton County (1,020).

Irvine said that terrorist attacks in the U.S. and abroad may have increased interest in gun purchases and permits.

Ohio lawmakers have expanded the state’s concealed-carry law in recent years. Ohio first authorized concealed carry in 2004.