Conceal Carry Applications Increase After Colorado Tragedy

If you're just now considering applying for an Oklahoma C.C.W. (Concealed Carry Weapons) permit or recently submitted an application you could be in for a long wait.

Various news organizations around the state are reporting that the O.S.B.I. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation) are experiencing a significant increase in C.C.W. applications and are currently backlogged and are trying process them as quickly as possible.

According to News Channel 6 in Tulsa, Ok. the increase could cause a delay in possessing the application, you can expect an additional week or two on top of the standard ninety days the bureau has to approve or deny a permit. With the recent tragedy in Colorado they're expecting even more requests.

Currently Oklahoma has around 126,718 active conceal carry permit holders in the state. That number is growing everyday as more and more citizens seek to obtain the legal means of carrying a firearm for self defense.

Around 10,000 people were approved for permits last year, that number has gone up to 15,000 for this year and we're only half way through 2012 Right now the O.S.B.I. who's the agency responsible for issuing permits and enforcement of the O.S.D.A. (Oklahoma Self Defense Act) is seeing around 1,000 new applications a week! Due to the increased volume of applications the O.S.B.I. has hired a few part-timers or temps and are adding a temporary night shift to assist in processing licenses.

So why the sudden interest and increase for C.C.W. permits? One is the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado and other recent shootings. The other I think could be linked to the passage of (S.B. 1733) the 'Open Carry Bill' signed into law earlier this year by Governor Mary Fallin. It allows Oklahoma citizens with a valid concealed carry permit the option of carrying their firearm openly or concealed and will go into effect on November 1st 2012

If you've been putting off getting your C.C.W. license you might want to get started ASAP! It doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon.