Ohio's 2019 new and renewal concealed carry issuance numbers plummeted

Though the associated societal threat from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has seen record setting sales of firearms, what happened during 2019 with Ohio’s concealed carry permit system might portend whether these gun owners will keep their weapons on them.

And based on 2019 statistics compiled by the Ohio Attorney, fewer Ohioans in several years are seeking the legal right to carry their sidearms concealed.

In 2019, a total of 132,385 right-to-carry-concealed permits were issued by Ohio’s 88 county sheriffs, said David Yost, Ohio’s Attorney General and thus the state’s top cop.

“Ohioans don’t need a license to legally carry a gun; to conceal one, though, they do,” Yost said.

Under Ohio law, county sheriffs are charged with the concealed-carry licensing process. The accumulated data collected by these sheriffs is provided quarterly to the Attorney General quarterly. It is then provided in an annual summary to the General Assembly.

Of that 132,385 total, Yost says also, 77,959 licenses were renewals, representing a 21 percent decrease from 2018. And 54,426 licenses were new issued permits, or a 21.5 percent decrease, Yost said.

“In 2019, sheriffs in the Buckeye State issued the fewest new regular licenses since 2011,” Yost said.

Yost’s statistical compilation noted that under the program the high-water mark for new licenses issued was in 2016 with 117,953 such documents. Consequently, the drop in new licenses being issued between 2016 and 2019 was 54 percent.

Based on the Attorney General’s 2019 annual report, the ten counties that issued the most new concealed carry licenses, in descending order, were: Franklin – 4,740; Lake – 4,422; Montgomery – 2,755; Clermont - 2,163; Butler - 1,902; Tuscarawas - 1,666; Hamilton - 1,659; Lorain - 1,415; Portage - 1,389; and Mahoning – 1,343.

The counties that issued the fewest new concealed carry permits in 2019, in ascending order, were: Coshocton - 38; Van Wert – 88; Noble – 99; Monroe – 103; Paulding -106; Harrison - also 106; Fayette - again 106; Meigs - 107; Hardin – 111; and Pike – 120.

The statistics shows the ten counties that renewed the most licenses, in descending order, were: Franklin – 4,226; Lake - 3,745 ; Montgomery – 3,382; Butler – 3,190; Clermont – 2,829; Hamilton – 2,254; Summit – 2,169; Lorain: 2,122; Warren – 2,111; and Medina – 1,954.

Yost’s figures likewise point out the county’s with the fewest number of renewal concealed carry licenses – this time in ascending order – were: Paulding - 107; Meigs - 122; Defiance - 126; Monroe – also 126; Coshocton -137; Noble - 139; Hardin - 150; Putnam - 166; Adams - 172; and Perry – 172.

Denials were rare, however, 1,310 in total, “for a rate of less than one percent,” Yost said also.

In terms of denials, the top leaders, in descending order, were: Lucas – 188; Lake - 102; Montgomery - 98; Stark – 8; Summit - 74; Mahoning - 68; Cuyahoga - 66; Franklin - 61; Clermont - 61; and Butler - 36.

The counties of Coshocton, Hardin, Hocking, Jackson, Logan, Pickaway, Putnam, Seneca, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, and Washington each saw no denials. Meanwhile, one denial each were seen in Allen, Auglaize, Darke, Fayette, Gallia, Licking, Monroe, Morgan, and Portage counties.

Ohio’s concealed carry law went into effect in 2004. That year, the state’s 88 sheriff's issued 45,497 licenses.

Also in 2004, Ohio had reciprocal agreements with 16 other states that recognized legally licensed concealed carry permit holders. In 2019 that figured had grown to 36 states.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com