Ohio set a record for people who had their concealed-firearm licenses renewed in 2018, according to a report issued by the Attorney General’s Office. The report notes that there were also a record number of revocations in 2018.
County sheriffs in Ohio reaffirmed 98,927 concealed-firearm licenses, which increased from 54,064 renewals in 2017. This is an 83 percent increase, according to the report. In Ohio, people must renew their license every five years.
Almost 2,000 people had their concealed-firearm license taken away in 2018, which quadruples the number in 2017. The number of licenses removed in 2018 totaled more than the licenses taken from 2014 to 2017 combined.
The reason the number of people who had their license revoked increased astronomically in 2018 dealt with a person who had trained residents in Lake County, Ohio, according to Cleveland19.com.
Luther Norman was accused of teaching Ohio Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) without having the proper state qualifications to teach these courses. In Ohio, a person needs to be a certified National Rifle Association (NRA) instructor or certified by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission.
As for firearm license suspensions, the number rose by 4% from 1,669 in 2017 to 1,738 in 2018. Under Ohio law, sheriffs can suspend a license when a person is arrested for certain offenses. If a person is found not guilty or has the charges dropped, the license can be returned.
Ohio residents might see it become easier to conceal carry, as new Gov. Mike DeWine is in favor of Ohioans being able to carry a firearm without a license, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Previously, the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly has tried to pass laws to weaken concealed firearm requirements. In 2016, Ohio passed a law allowing students and workers to carry on public college campuses if allowed by the school’s board of trustees.
The United State Census Bureau estimates Ohio’s population to be 11.7 million people, which means less than 6 percent of people have a concealed-firearm license.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Battleground State News.
Photo “Concealed Carry” by Clinger Holsters. CC BY-ND 2.0.
