Ohio is poised to set a record for the number of concealed carry permits issued to its residents.
Attorney General Mike DeWine released state figures Thursday that show Ohio issued 48,032 concealed carry licenses in the second quarter of this year.
Numbers are reported to the attorney general’s office from county sheriffs. This quarter, the state issued 32,074 new licenses and 15,958 renewal licenses.
This is an increase over the first quarter of 2013, when county sheriffs issued 31,407 new licenses and 6,354 renewal licenses, or 37,761 total licenses.
That brings the number to 63,481 new licenses issued in the first six months of 2013. By comparison, a total of 64,650 new licenses were issued for all of 2012, DeWine’s office reported. Last year’s figures were more than in any year since concealed carry permits first were issued in 2004.
More than 5,300 CCW permits were issued in the five-county Akron area.
The figures for new permits, renewed permits and rejected permits by county in the second quarter were: Summit, 1,023, 515, 32; Stark, 824, 420, 8; Wayne, 719, 283, 8; Portage, 529, 267, 4; and Medina, 359, 367, 2.
The attorney general compiles an annual report as required by law about the number of licenses issued each year.
For other county by county data, go to http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Publications/Publications-for-Law-Enforcement/Concealed-Carry-Publications/Concealed-Carry-Statistics/2013-Q2-Concealed-Carry-Stats.