Record Increase in CCWs Nationwide — Exponential Growth

Over the past 12 months, 2 MILLION Americans obtained concealed carry permits. That’s a 10% rise since 2020 and a 48% rise since 2016. The number of Americans obtaining CCW permits set an all-time record according to the Crime Prevention Research Center (CRPC) The previous high number was 1.8 million permits in 2017. The 2 million permits this year represents the greatest one-year increase ever recorded. The CRPC reports that the number of CCW permits has increased “exponentially” over the last year.

Guns America Digest reports: “A record number of Americans purchased firearms since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CPRC’s new data suggests that those same individuals also sought concealed carry permits. The surge is even more remarkable considering the number of states that now allow permit-less, or ‘constitutional’ carry. As of last year, 21 states have waived the requirement to obtain a permit before carrying a concealed firearm.”

We may see further significant permit expansion based on forthcoming legal decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association V. Corlett case, which challenges NY state laws which restrict the right to carry. Guns America states that “a favorable ruling for the pro-2A side could force ‘may issue’ states to issue permits to all qualified applicants.”

Why the Big Increase in Concealed Carry Permits
There are multiple reasons why record numbers of CCW permits are being issued now in 2021. Crime is up dramatically, the economy is uncertain, and border security has collapsed, with an estimated 2 million illegal aliens entering the country in 2021 (full year number). In addition, the permit agencies are catching up on CCW license applications from the peak of the Pandemic.

Part of the increase in CCW permits is a matter of timing. Because of the COVID Pandemic, many states and cities slowed down or even stopped the issuance of CCW permits. Now those same permitting agencies are processing a heavy backlog of permit applications. Guns America reports: “The CRPC describes a ‘surge’ in states that only recently began re-opening their permit offices.”

In major cities across the country, particularly in Democrat Party-run “Blue States”, there have been significant increases in serious crime. Looking at homicide rates for the whole nation, the FBI reported a 29% rise in homicides last year. That represented the largest single-year increase ever recorded. Guns America notes that rising crime “combined with unrest due to COVID-19, race riots, and economic turbulence, convinced two million Americans to take the concealed carry plunge.”