Florida Leads the U.S. in Concealed Firearm Permits, Texas Somehow Far Behind

Frontburner ^ | 13 December, 2012 | Bradford Pearson

[marktwain]

Florida is slated to become the first state with one million concealed firearm permits, Bloomberg reported yesterday. State officials issued 993,200 active permits as of Nov. 30, and are expected to pass the one million mark next week.

“Floridians have a great respect and appreciation for their Second Amendment rights,” said Adam Putnam, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture and consumer affairs.

This got me thinking about the Texas number. So I called the state department of public safety, and they sent me to their website (technology!). The numbers aren’t exactly apples-to-apples (the newest Texas numbers are for last year), but they still paint a picture where, despite all the Second Amendment bluster statewide, Texas actually trails Florida by a significant amount.

2011: 518,625 (total permits, statewide)

2010: 461,724

2009: 402,914

2008: 314,574

2007: 288,909

2006: 258,162

2005: 248,874

2004: 239,940

2003: 239,863

2002: 224,172

That 2003 to 2004 jump (only 77 new permits) seems suspect, but the others seem to jibe with the Florida growth trend of a near doubling of permits over four full years. Texas is actually fourth nationwide, behind Florida, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, according to the GAO.

I then checked this year’s applicants, by zip code, to see where they were from. The top 10:

77379 (Spring): 761 approved applicants

77573 (League City): 706

77429 (Cypress): 688

77584 (Pearland): 613

77346 (Humble): 551

75052 (Grand Prairie): 549

77546 (Friendswood): 532

77494 (Katy): 526

76028 (Burleson): 522

77095 (Houston): 520

Moral of the story? Stay out of the Houston suburbs.

[marktwain]

This is because it is much easier to apply for and receive a permit in Florida than it is in Texas. Expense and difficulty matter.

[deweyfrank]

How many of those 1 million Florida permits were issued to non residents?

[GunRunner]

Because we don’t need no stinking permits...

[Texas resident]

My understanding is that to get a Texas permit you have to be a resident of the state. Florida issues permits to residents of other states.

[dblshot]

With all the restrictions on where you can carry a concealed waepon in TX you are not getting much from a CCL beyond what we already have with private property, the castle law extending to your car (don’t count on that one though), hunting, and normal use, like out on your ranch for snakes and such. Plus you are telling the gov’ment you have a gun.

[buffaloguy]

The CHL training in Texas is down to 69.00 for the classes so there are going to be a lot more in the future.

[Resolute Conservative]

Exactly, even with CHL you cannot carry in some places. I carry every where and I don’t go where I can’t.

I don’t want big brother having that info.

[Azeem]

Duh. Everyone knows you either get a Utah or Florda non-resident CC permit in addition to your own state’s permit/license.

Utah is much cheaper than Florida now.

[TexasFreeper2009]

This might be hard for many here to understand, but I will try.

I am a 5th generation Texan.

Nearly every real Texan I know owns a small arsenal of long guns, but nearly no hand guns. It’s hard to explain, but for some reason handguns have a sigma here. I could walk into someones home and see .... a whole room full of rifles and not think twice about it.... but one pistol... and I get a little edgy... it’s wierd, I don’t know exactly why I think that way.

[ontap]

Being a fourth generation Texan I have no idea what you are talking about. Virtually all my friends and relatives have hand guns and most have multiple ones!!!

[clamper1797]

I'll bet that Arizona really lags behind ... cause you don't need a permit to concealed carry here ... but I have a CCW anyway.

Walk into the gun shop pick out your favorite ARXX plop down the cash fill out the form and walk out with it. We have to see about doing away with the form someday. Grandma Mrs Clamper was cute yesterday wearing her Rugar LCP to the Albertsons grocery store.

[skeeter]

I'll bet that Arizona really lags behind ... cause you don't need a permit to concealed carry here

Man, I must really like living by the coast to stay here.

[US Navy Vet]

It’s because there are FAR more CARPERBAGGING Massholes and New Yawkers in FL than in TX.

[clamper1797]

We are former Aptos / Santa Cruz residents. We fled Taxifornia 3 years ago. We love Arizona and would never move back. If we miss the ocean ... we catch a flight to Maui

[pepperdog]

Yep!

[WesternPacific]

Virtually all my friends and relatives have hand guns and most have multiple ones!!!

I agree with that. My family has been in Texas since the mid 1800s and everyone I know has at least a couple of hand guns included in their "gun collection".

[Ditto]

I'd suggeast relative need may be the answer. Florida has a far higher rate of violant crime than Texas. Citizens in Florida feel a greater need for protection.

[smokingfrog]

FL had a rash of car jackings about the same time the CCW law was passed.

[TexasRedeye]

Expense and difficulty matter.Yes, in Texas, even though the training is between $70 and $100, the permit is another $70.00 (first time applicants) and now the fingerprints are extra cost and must be done as an extra step in a Texas approved facility. Add it all up and the applicant will spend about $150.00 to $200.00 just for the permit. Then, add the weapon for concealed carry (if not already owned) expense which easily run another $500.00+ with holster and ammo to practice.

[ansel12]

Nearly every real Texan I know owns a small arsenal of long guns, but nearly no hand guns. It’s hard to explain, but for some reason handguns have a sigma here. I could walk into someones home and see .... a whole room full of rifles and not think twice about it.... but one pistol... and I get a little edgy... it’s wierd, I don’t know exactly why I think that way.

I can vouch for that, it may be different today but pistols just weren't common for most of us, rifles of all sorts, including military surplus, shotguns, deer rifles, but often no pistols at all, or only one for the father of the house which was often from the war, or a hand me down, rarely did someone just go out and shop for pistols.