Fewer concealed carry permits issued in Ohio last year but renewals were up

By a drop of nearly 41,000 permits, fewer Ohioans obtained their concealed carry licenses in 2017 than did Ohioans in 2016.

However, renewals of concealed carry license saw a healthy increase of more than 13,000 permits last year when compared to the number of renewals issued in 2016.

By Ohio law, the state Attorney General is required to report quarterly as well as annually to the Ohio General Assembly on the state’s concealed carry program. Among the report’s detailed components are such things as new licenses issued, renewals, license revocations, and licenses suspended, says Mike DeWine, the Ohio Attorney General.

Ohio began its legislatively approved concealed carry program in 2004. Since that first year the state’s 88 county sheriffs have issued 735,762 concealed carry permits, based on a tally of such licenses gleaned from the Ohio Attorney General’s required annual reports to the Ohio General Assembly.

The state works closely with these 88 county sheriff departments, who do the actual permit processing duties.

Broken down a little more, for 2017 the 88 county sheriffs issued 77,281 new CCW licenses, such permits being good for a five-year period. In 2016 that figure was 117,953 – the most ever - and which itself represented a large jump from the 71,589 new concealed carry licenses issued in 2015. Even so, that figure was a huge leap from the 58,066 new licenses issued in 2014.

Also, renewals last year totaled 54,064 licenses – the most also since 2008 when renewals first became due. By comparison, the 2016 license renewal figure was 40,986. In all and since 2008, the state’s 88 counties processed 317,976 renewals; again, based upon statistics derived from a search of the Ohio Attorney General’s annual reports to the Ohio General Assembly.

For license applications denied, the number fell appreciably: from 1,634 denials in 2016 to 1,216 denials last year. Likewise, the number of revocations dropped from 2016 to 2017: 697 to 437, respectively. Among the reasons for a revocation are a permit holder moving out of state, death or a person no longer wanting to hold a license.

As for suspensions, this is a class of license “hold” distinctions where the affected documents are put in abeyance for such things as the holder being arrested and charged for certain crimes. If the impacted person is found not guilty or the charges are dropped the concealed carry license is returned. For both 2016 and 2017, identical 1,669 licenses were suspended.

“Licenses to carry concealed handguns are an important part of the responsible exercise of our fundamental rights,” DeWine says.

“I am committed to the comprehensive training of law enforcement and the public regarding concealed carry laws, expansion of reciprocity agreements with other states whenever possible, and protection of the public.”

The top five counties for issuing new licenses include Franklin – 6,019; Lake – 5,789; Montgomery – 3,565; Hamilton – 3,075; and Butler – 2,929. Counties with the fewest new licenses issued in 2017 were: Noble – 85; Coshocton – 114; Meigs – 139; Monroe – 147; Paulding – 171.

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 16 issued more renewals than they did process new concealed carry licenses. The five counties with the highest number of renewals were: Franklin – 3,564; Lake – 2,713; Clermont – 2,386; Montgomery – 2,238; Butler – 1,934. The five counties with the fewest number of renewals in 2017 were: Noble – 43; Meigs – 55; Monroe – 68; Paulding – 94; Coshocton – 102.

Not to be forgotten, Ohio has concealed carry reciprocity with 36 other states, including a convoluted agreement with Virginia. The Ohio Attorney General’s office suggests that Ohioans interested in carrying concealed in Virginia should visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ConcealedCarry or call the Virginia State Police for the latest information.

As for the requirements to obtain a concealed carry licese, DeWine notes that Ohio law has established minimum educational requirements that are a component of the various forms of competency certification. The total time required for training is eight hours with a minimum of two hours of in-person training that consists of range time and live-fire training.

The training and written exam may be completed online or as a combination of in-person and online training. The online portion of the training still must include a component that regularly engages the person, DeWine says.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net