Officials in Florida expected that the total number of Sunshine State concealed carry permit holders would exceed one million by the end of 2012.
Doubling since 2007, the number of concealed weapons license holders will top 5 percent of Florida's 19.1 million residents in a state that is number one nationally in licenses issued, the News Service of Florida reported. Florida has been licensing concealed weapons since 1987, when state officials took over authority from counties that had a patchwork of requirements regarding who could carry and what was needed to qualify for a license.
Clearly it is a popular law and has been taken advantage of by a large number of Floridians who have acted responsibly, said Adam Putnam, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the agency which oversees the state¹s concealed carry program.
Floridians who are obtaining these licenses are obtaining them for the right reason and are using them in an appropriate way.
Of the two million Florida carry permits issued since 1987, only 0.3 percent have ever been revoked.
License holders are predominantly male and most are over 31 years old, with more than 219,000 at least 65 years old, the News Service of Florida noted. While still a relative minority, representing about 20 percent of all license holders, more than 200,000 women also have licenses to carry.
Recommended resources for concealed carry:
The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition
The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery
Armed: The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry
Find more resources at gundigeststore.com/tactical
