Study Finds Over 17 Million Americans with Concealed Handgun Permits

The new study by the Crime Prevention Research Center was originally published here.

Study Finds Over 17 Million Americans with Concealed Handgun Permits
Study Finds Over 17 Million Americans with Concealed Handgun Permits

U.S.A.-(Ammoland.com)- The CPRC has just issued our newest annual report on the number of concealed handgun permits in the US. A copy of the report is available for download here. Some updated numbers are shown at the bottom of this post. Past reports can be viewed here. The executive summary is shown here:

Despite the expectations of many after the 2016 elections, the number of concealed handgun permits has again increased. In 2018, the number of concealed handgun permits soared to over 17.25 million – a 273% increase since 2007. 7.14% of American adults have permits. Unlike surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer some personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” that we have on gun ownership across the United States. Still, an even larger number of people carry because in 14 states people don’t need a permit to carry in all or virtually all those states.

Among the findings of our report:

  • Last year, despite the common perception that growth in the number of permit holders would stop after the 2016 election, the number of permits grew by about 890,000.
  • Outside the restrictive states of California and New York, about 8.63% of the adult population has a permit.
  • In fifteen states, more than 10% of adults have permits, up from just eleven last year.
  • Alabama has the highest rate — 22.1%. Indiana is second with 17.9%, and South Dakota is a close third with 17.2%.
  • Four states now have over 1 million permit holders: Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
  • Another 14 states have adopted constitutional carry in all or almost all of their state, meaning that a permit is no longer required. However, because of these constitutional carry states, the nationwide growth in permits does not paint a full picture of the overall increase in concealed carry.
  • Permits continued to grow much faster for women and minorities. Between 2012 and 2018, the percent of women with permits grew 111% faster for women and the percent of blacks with permits grew 20% faster than for whites. Permits for Asians grew 29% faster than for whites.
  • Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding. In Florida and Texas, permit holders are convicted of misdemeanors and felonies at one-sixth of the rate at which police officers are convicted.

The report is available to be downloaded here.


About Crime Prevention Research CenterCrime Research Prevention Center

The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) is a research and education organization dedicated to conducting academic quality research on the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety; educating the public on the results of such research; and supporting other organizations, projects, and initiatives that are organized and operated for similar purposes. Visit: www.crimepreventionresearchcenter.org

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Gregory Romeu

@Darren, don’t think for a minute that the mightiest,can never fall… Ebar hear the story of, David and Goliath? Speaking of which, they didn’t have a problem taking down, Jesus Christ.

SGT/E-5 Jose Santiago U.S. ARMY (RETIRED)

More Democratic voters are fighting against the Anti-Gun propaganda ATTACKS on our second amendment RIGHTS! Also, more women are empowering themselves by taking personal control of their own safety and security. Now is the time we DEMAND more Democratic Politicians to stand up and SUPPORT our 2nd. Amendment right and stop these gun-grabbing laws!

Wild Bill

@Jose Santiago
SGT, INF, AUS (ret.),

Thank you for your service and congratulations on your retirement, hermano. Please do not forget to employ operational security in you new life. You are, now, protecting your own assets and finances. Subject to your questions, that concludes my Safety Briefing.

Wild Bill
LTC, INF, AUS (ret.)

Nottinghill

Sorry [Darren] guys and gals. My last was meant @Larry Brickey.

See what happens with a good laugh, even your kids will get called the wrong name.

Nottinghill

@WB: That’s funny! @Darren: Wild Bill is TOTALLY right!!!

Dr Bernard, Ret Vet

I Like The Way Our Political Class, Tell Us That We Don’t Need, Our Guns, But They Need Theirs, Because Of Who They Are. The Truth Is, We (All Of Us) Have To Give Up Our Equalizers, Because They Can’t Trust Us!!! Don’t You Find It Strange, That At Any Of There Meetings, Or TV Interviews, Not One Single Reformed Crook Is On Stage With Them. Telling You, That If You Gave Up Your Guns, Like These Lying Politician’s Say, That Every Crooks In America, Would Be More Afraid Of You???

Mark

Myself as well as my wife. BOTH CARRY License issue concealed carry permits I will not leave my house without it nor will my wife we are not going to be the next one you see on any news being slaughtered like sheep Every good American should exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect them selves and their families and the Democrats don’t like it they can kiss my ass it’s the constitution they should learn to read it

James Higginbotham

Mark, our new Republican Governor in 2016 signed into law here FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY, wr still have CCW’S mostly for folks traveling out of state.
and i never go any place without mine and when home always have oe withing reach.
so luck to you are your wife.

.

Mark

Thank you James. Hope nether of us will ever have to use them. God bless. Be safe

bmk

“concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” that we have on gun ownership across the United States. Still, an even larger number of people carry because in 14 states people don’t need a permit to carry in all or virtually all those states” While these numbers in the article are good, for values of good, the statements are totally misleading. At best these are educated guesses on nuber of people who actually daily carry. 1. Concealed permits have nothing to do with gun ownership. They don’t take into account long guns of any type. 2. You can… Read more »

Gregory Romeu

You DID actually READ the TITLE of THIS article, didn’t you?

tomcat

If you do not have protection for yourself and your family you, possibly, put yourself in the middle of a crisis with no way to get out of it. I live in a nice area, on a dead end road, but I have no idea who may be casing the area and might decide to come and take what I have. They will get more than they bargained for. The local sheriff dept. is only about 10 minutes away, or so.

Darren

While I’m glad more people are carrying I’m concerned that licenses to carry are a form of gun registration. They’re registering the gun owners rather than the guns directly. These licenses need to be abolished so we can freely exercise the right to bear arms.

Gregory Romeu

EVERY American Citizen has THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, thereby, regardless of they have,a permit or not, their LIVING AND BEING is giving the government their tally. Each and every CITIZEN.

Anthony Philbeck

My state is in the top ten, has open carry law but not constitutional carry. All states should have constitutional carry.I have carried my whole life. Why do I need one now? Registration?

Ernest Akers

I carry myself. It is a comfort to know you have protection and your legal in having it. Women especially need to get a permit. It could prevent some of these abductions you see on the news today.

Laddyboy

The number of “permits” in Md. is SOOOooo small due to the Md St Police and the DemocRATic communist muslem party have what they call a “may issue policy”. However, in fact Md has what in reality is called a “may NOT issue policy”. About the only way you can get a “permit” is if you know a POLITICIAN or own a business that only works about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

A. White

The in state RINOs are dangerously worthless backstabbing a$$holes and completely useless. Can you hear me Hogan & friends?!

Gregory Romeu

REMOVE them from office.

David Scanland

That is awesome the cops can’t always be there to protect you. Pretty sure the Socialist Democrats don’t like that but I don’t care.

Joseph P Martin

More people with Concealed Carry Permits than soldiers in all standing armies in the world put together. I believe that far outnumbers the “antis” in the good ol’ USA.

Holt

That is why this country will never be invaded.

Larry Brickey

Those days ended with the atom bomb.

Wild Bill

@Larry B, To take over, control, and subdue a region, country or area one needs boots on the ground. Mere bombing will not do it. The Chinese have a military academy like our West Point. For years, their officer candidates have been writing white papers about taking over North America. The logic is China has a huge population and a worn out land mass. The North Americans have a small population and are not using their resources, so why not take North America? The Canadians are insufficient for a meaningful defense. The Mexicans are incompetent, at best. The American military… Read more »

Larry Brickey

No, WB, I believe you are wrong. If somebody invaded we’d use the bomb. They’d retaliate, etc. China, Russia, etc, know the truth about numbers of gun owners here.
The US military is far from small. Yes, China has way more troops but our strength in people and materiel, especially field tech is tremendous. Nobody is coming. The real threat of big violence is internal from our own gov’t getting too big for it’s britches. Pretty soon we’ll all be speaking Spanish anyway.

Wild Bill

@LB, Nope, we would not use nuclear weapons because we have something better. If another nation uses nuclear weapons on the US, then we, in the country, will be safe. You metrosocialists will be steam.
The US military is tiny. China has 200 times more troops. Tech is an advantage that does not go to numbers.
Your last two sentences stray from the issue between you and Holt.

Darren

IDK why you guys are posting about the US being invaded. The issue in the real world is the US projection of power. We’ve become the mightiest empire in the history of the world. The US is the first to achieve actual world domination. No one has anywhere near the power to kick us out of Eurasia or Africa much less invade us.

Wild Bill

@Darren, Of course you are right, Darling. Now, go back to sleep, bad old world dominating America will be destroyed soon.