New Report Shows 11.1 million Americans Hold Concealed Carry Permits

Crime Prevention Research Center reports the number of concealed carry permit holders has increased rapidly by an annual rate of 76 percent since 2007.

2014 USA Concealed Carry Permit Holders Report
2014 USA Concealed Carry Permit Holders Report
Crime Prevention Research Center
Crime Prevention Research Center

Philadelphia, PA –-(Ammoland.com)- The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), a research and education organization dedicated to conducting academic quality research on the relationship between gun ownership, crime, and public safety, today released a report, “Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States” .

The report revealed that 11.1 million Americans hold concealed carry permits up from an estimated 4.6 million in 2007.

Three states (South Dakota, Indiana, and Alabama) now have over 10 percent of their adult populations with permits, and 10 states have at least 8 percent of their adult populations with permits.

The last comprehensive report on the number of concealed carry permit holders was completed three years ago by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and showed that 8 million Americans held a concealed carry permit. These numbers show that the number of permits is not only increasing, but they are growing at faster and faster rates.

CPRC collected the most recent data available for each state from sources including state police, departments of public safety and the US Government Accountability Office. The results showed that there are total of 11,113,013 Americans who currently hold concealed carry permits representing nearly 5 percent of the total population.

“The increase in concealed carry permit holders corresponds with the increase in gun sales that we saw over the same time period. Permits have not only increased dramatically after President Obama’s election, but we also typically see increases after mass shooting tragedies such as Sandy Hook,” said Dr. John Lott Jr., President of CPRC.

“These numbers show that people feel the need to protect themselves and believe that carrying a concealed weapon could save their lives.”

The report notes that the number of concealed carry permit holders is likely much higher than 11.1 million because numbers are not available for all states that issue permits such as New York. Additionally, four states and virtually all of Montana do not require that residents have a concealed handgun permit to carry within their state so the total number of residents who legally carry a concealed weapon is not recorded.

The report also examines the violent crime rate in relation to the rising percentage of the adult population with concealed carry permits. Between 2007 and the preliminary estimates for 2013, murder rates have fallen from 5.6 to 4.4 per 100,000 – a 22 percent drop in the murder rate at the same time that the percentage of the adult population with permits soared by 130 percent. Overall violent crime also fell by 22 percent over that period of time

Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States

About Crime Prevention Research 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. For more information visit: www.crimepreventionresearchcenter.org

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ExNuke

According to the Census Bureau there are ~316 million people in the US, 94 million are below the age of 21 and not eligible to have a concealed carry permit. What does that do to the percentages of eligible people who have them?

Dirk

Your percentages are off without explanation. You claim that Utah has issued 550,000 resident permits. Utah’s population is just under 3 million (2.7 is the official rough number). At 3 million population that many permits is equal to 18.3%, double the 9% you credit us for. calculate off the actual population and we climb to over 20%. Which does seem rather high even in this great state.

El Jefe

Should be more like 20.1 million due to individuals holding multi state permits.

El Jefe

Currently hold Utah, Arizona and Nevada permits. So if there are many with multiple permits, does that not make the count higher?

CoosaTotah9

Permits for resident conceal carry are not required in four states – Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and New Hampshire. Thus, there is no official count for these states. There are many people who carry concealed without any permit because permits, even though required by tyrannical laws, are unconstitutional. The actual number of people who carry concealed firearms, even considering multiple state held permits by individuals, is much greater than reported.

Eric

Permits be optional in Alaska.

TEX

It’s got to be a lot higher number than that ! I got TX,FL,and AZ,…would that count threes times for one license or once three times ?

mick

Cant believe those numbers as a good number of people have ccw permits from more than one state so we can carry as we travel for work or pleasure.

Did they get total numbers or just resident premits? Florida is the only one I can think of off hand that lists resident numbers and non resident numbers separate.