BCA Says 65,000+ Permits to Carry Were Issued Last Year

(KNSI) – The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the number of concealed carry permits issued was nearly identical last year when compared to 2022.

At 65,215, the figure was significantly less than during the George Floyd riots and increasing violence of the pandemic but above 2019, which was at 51,404. Stearns County residents got 1,866, the most in Central Minnesota. Sherburne had 1,621, and less-populated Benton County lagged with 600.

The most permits went to Twin Cities area counties. Henepin led with 7,363. The fewest permits were issued to individuals in Traverse County at a scant 32.

Those granted concealed carry permits continue to be model citizens. Only about 150 individuals with a permit used the firearm to help further a crime. The most common offenses for an individual with a permit were traffic-related crimes, which include driving while intoxicated.

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