A study released on Dec. 8 by the Crime Prevention Research Center reports that close to half of all U.S. citizens live in the 29 states that now recognize constitutional carry. Louisiana was the last to join the growing group that allows permit-free carry. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that many there, and in other areas, have decided to forego the government fee rather than renewing. A drop in permit applications does not equate in fewer people carrying, simply that fewer need to pay a fee to the state in order to do so.
Those who travel to states that require a permit to carry and have reciprocity agreements with their state, however, have an incentive to spend the money. The study’s findings indicate they may be in the minority, however.
“After peaking in 2022, the number of Concealed Carry Permit holders across the United States has declined for the third year in a row,” it states. “The total now sits at 20.88 million, representing a 2.7% drop from last year.”
Nationwide, more than half a million carry permits lapsed across the United States. Despite that, the report still determined, “7.8% of American adults have permits. Outside of the restrictive states of California and New York, about 9.3% of adults have a permit.”
Top states in number of permit holders are Indiana at 22.7 percent, Colorado with 19 percent and Pennsylvania’s figures reflect 16.2 percent. Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas all have more than one million law-abiding citizens with a permit.
Louisiana officially recognized constitutional carry on July 4, 2024, the 29th state in the trend. “As a result, 46.8 percent of Americans (157.6 million) now live in Constitutional Carry States, with 67.7 percent of the land in the country (2.57 million square miles),” according to the report.
No states joined the ranks last year, although a variety of legislators are consideration introduction of legislation recognizing constitutional carry in 2026. Readers are encouraged to visit the NRA-ILA website to monitor advances in their area and learn how to help.
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