Before you keep reading, take a guess at which state you think has the most concealed carry permits?
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California? Because it’s got the largest population?
Texas? Because it’s second largest?
Florida is third largest, what about that one?
What about Alaska and it’s wide open frontier?
Got your guess ready?
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It’s Alabama.
A study completed by the Crime Prevention Research Center shows that the numbers of people in the country having concealed weapons permits rose by 1.83 million in 2016, to a total of 16.3 million permit holders. That’s a stunning 256 percent increase over the 2007 numbers.
And Alabama has the highest rate of any state for permits being issued, with 20 percent of the adult population in Alabama holding permits, according to the report. Indiana comes in second with 15.8 percent. The report clarified who has permits now across the country.
In 2016 women made up 36 percent of permit holders in the 14 states that provide data by sex.
Nationally, 6.53 percent of adults have permits. Outside the more restrictive states of California and New York, about 8 percent of the adult population have permits. There are 14 states that have permit less or “constitutional” carry where adults are not required to have permits.
