Big increase in the number of concealed carry permits in Florida

Florida Today has this discussion on the number of new permit holders.

"We're still sitting on about 50,000 applications," Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said. "We're getting in about 14,000 or 15,000 a month, and whenever they get a good slug out, they're getting another 15,000 in."

Bronson asked the Legislature during the spring for the authorization to hire 61 temporary employees, bringing the total to 202. They have helped whittle down a backlog that then stood at 90,000 for all types of concealed-weapons permits. The backlog alone was roughly equal to all the applications received in 2008 -- 90,331 -- and the department received 75,520 applications in the first six months of this year.

That puts the state on pace for close to 150,000 concealed-weapons permit applications this year. Most applications are approved, department spokesman Terence McElroy said, because the law allows any law-abiding gun owner to get a license. Few pay the $117 application fee if they have a felony record.

There were 607,977 active concealed-weapons permits as of July 31. . . . .