BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Though adults over the age of 21 in Idaho have been able to carry concealed weapons in most places without a county-issued permit since July, many residents are still seeking permits.
Applications by Idaho residents looking to carry concealed firearms have remained steady since the change, though now a larger number of the applications are for enhanced permits that allow users to carry concealed weapons in other states, The Idaho Statesman reported (https://bit.ly/2h2whGj ).
“When they announced Idaho was going to open carry, we figured we’d see a leveling off or a drop. But actually, we’ve stayed pretty much the same.” Said Lt. Paul McNish of the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office.
Nez Perce County issued 711 concealed permits last year and is on track to issue the same number this year, McNish said. The department does not differentiate between the number of basic and enhanced permits.
Concealed weapons are still prohibited inside schools, courthouses and jails as well as private businesses that decide to prohibit firearms.
According to the Idaho State Police, as of December, 131,665 Idaho adults possessed a concealed weapons permit, 8 percent of the state’s population. Of those, 21 percent were enhanced permits.
The number of enhanced permits has grown dramatically in recent years. According to ISP statistics, the number of adults with enhanced permits has increased 54 percent from the beginning of 2013, when 85,535 adults had such a permit.
Enhanced permits require training, meaning demand for gun safety classes has remained high. So far this year, 215 people have taken classes offered nearly monthly by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Spokesman Patrick Orr says about 70 percent of the 859 concealed weapons permits issued by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office have been enhanced permits.
“People are still coming in great numbers,” said private firearms instructor Joe Torok, who owns Boise-based Idaho firearms Classes.com. “The net effect is that a lot of people like the idea that they can carry a concealed weapon without a license, but they’re also looking for the training that it involves.”
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Information from: Idaho Statesman, https://www.idahostatesman.com
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