Demand for concealed carry permits surges in Florida

Photo courtesy usacarry.com

The demand for concealed carry applications in Florida is at an all-time high, according to the Department of Agriculture, the agency that issues permits.

Due to the increase in demand, the state is backed up with applications from months ago. The Florida Department of Agriculture says it has doubled the number of appointments, and applicants are still having to wait around 60 days — almost three times the normal wait time.

Although a license to own a gun isn’t necessary in Florida, you must have a concealed carry license to have your weapon on your persons. Currently, the basic requirements to possess a firearm in Florida are these: you must be 18 years old or older, you must not be a convicted felon, and you must meet the citizenship requirements. The minimum requirements are similar for a concealed carry application in Florida except you must be at least 21 years of age and receive training on gun use.

Americans have purchased more 17 million guns this past year, according to TheGuardian.com. Could this massive increase in sales be connected to the election and the candidates’ platform points? The previous record for highest gun sales in a year was in 2016, when President Trump ran against Hilary Clinton.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said that he plans to end the gun violence epidemic in America during his presidency. However, some citizens believe the Biden administration is seeking to strip Americans of their right to bare arms. Interestingly, Biden’s new plan for gun control is almost completely opposite of his opinions on guns from a couple of decades ago.

“During my 12-and-a-half years as a member of this body, I have never believed that additional gun control or federal registration of guns would reduce crime,” Biden said in 1985 in front of the U.S. Senate.

Now, Biden has reversed this position, and is working toward creating a buy-back program, where firearm owners can either sell their weapons to the government or register them with the NRA.

Florida isn’t the only state seeing large increases in demand for gun licenses. Illinois and Maryland have also reported extreme delays in gun applications. In Illinois, applicants have waited for more than 120 days for a response on their FOID (Firearm Owners Identification).

“Biden is trying to remove the online gun sales. I think people are so eager to purchase firearms right now because of everything going on in America — rioting, looting, protesting, police brutality, a pandemic, a controversial presidential election and more,” Jon Perry, a 21-year-old previous FOID applicant from Illinois, said.