Ohio Attorney General's 2021 Concealed Carry Report shows record renewals
On March, 1, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued Ohio’s Law on Concealed Handguns annual report showing that 202,920 concealed carry licenses were issued in Ohio in 2021. This number marked a 20% jump over the number issued in 2020, and was made up of 94,298 new licenses and 108,622 renewals.
From coverage by the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
The number of new conceal-carry licenses issued in 2021 by county sheriffs in Ohio fell by about 2.7% from 2020. However, the 94,298 permits approved last year was still far above the number of new permits approved in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.
Dean Rieck, executive director of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said the unprecedented 108,622 concealed-firearm permit renewals last year was likely a reflection of higher gun sales since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 and in response to the election of Joe Biden as gun sales traditionally rise when a Democrat is in the White House. However, Biden has yet to sign any significant new gun-control bills into law.
Rieck also noted the pandemic caused lengthy delays in issuing permits.
“There were some people who were waiting as much as 12 months to get into some of the sheriff’s offices,” Rieck said. “I think that’s more or less cleared up, but -- especially in 2020 -- it was just horrendous. It continued to be a little bit of an issue until last year.”
The article goes on to note that the previous record for CHL renewals in Ohio came in 2019, when 98,927 people renewed their licenses. Concealed-firearm permits in Ohio are good for five years before they need to be renewed.
When it comes to licenses that were revoked for any reason (including the death of a license-holder or those who moved out of state), the number of revokations marked a new low since 2014.
Looking ahead, the potential passage of a Constitutional Carry bill would certainly be likely to affect these numbers.
Again, from the Plain Dealer:
The Ohio House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Senate Bill 215, which would allow people in the state to carry a concealed firearm without needing a license.
If that legislation becomes law, Rieck predicted -- not surprisingly -- that the number of conceal-carry permits would drop off. However, he added, many Ohioans would still apply for licenses because they would be recognized in other states that still require a conceal-carry permit.
Thousands of lives are saved annually because our society realized how quickly a life could be lost and how a few simple changes make the difference between life and death. With the steadily increasing number of gun owners and concealed carry licenses, the day seems to be a little closer at hand when carrying a gun for safety will be seen as being as sensible as wearing seat belts.
It’s been nearly 18 years since Ohio's concealed carry law took effect. It is clear that the law is working well and is popular with responsible, law-abiding adults who care about safety.
Chad D. Baus served as Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary from 2013-2019, and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. He is co-founder of BFA-PAC, and served as its Vice Chairman for 15 years. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website, and is also an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
Further Information:
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 2021 STATISTICS ON CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSES IN OHIO
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