Sunday, March 15, 2009

Oklahoma Concealed Carry License Holders Toe The Line, OSBI Annual Reports Show

Oklahoma holders of licenses to carry concealed weapons appear to be among the most responsible gun owners in the nation, with just 52 licenses being revoked out of 89,642 issued or renewed since 2002. And none of the revocations, it appears, involved the illegal discharge of a firearm.
Examination of reports on the state's Self Defense Act filed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows that in 2008, with 18,510 licenses issued (14,273 men, 4,237 women), just four were revoked. The previous year, five were revoked with 16,426 issued. There were 35 license suspensions in the two-year period, with reinstatements for some following apparent adjudication of issues ranging from allegations of domestic abuse to failure to notify law enforcement the licensee was armed during traffic stops to being intoxicated while armed.
Last year set a new record for license approvals by the OSBI, with 18,510. The previous high was in 2004, with 17,637 approved. It is anticipated that 2009 will set another record given the interest in gun ownership, growth in firearms purchases and an increase in those taking the required class to qualify for a license to carry a concealed weapon following the election of Barack Obama as president.
The OSBI reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

Last year, the OSBI processed 23,166 applications and denied 697 for reasons ranging from domestic abuse to felony convictions to making false statements on the license application form. In 2007, 561 applications were denied.
By year, here's the list of license approvals with revocations in parenthesis: 2002-8,799 (9); 2003-8,228 (10); 2004-17,637 (6); 2005-10,450 (11); 2006-9,591 (7); 2007-16,426 (5); 2008-18,510 (4).
Last year, the OSBI reports, the average age of a concealed carry licensee in the state was 51.
Read last year's OSBI report at
http://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA%202008%20Report%20_Jan%202009_.pdf.

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