One In Six South Dakotans Now Have Carry Permits

The number of concealed-carry permits issued in South Dakota reached a record high last year, according to Secretary of State Shantel Krebs. 

The previous high, set in 2013, was 26,863—a record that was handily shattered once the final permit counts for 2016 had been tallied. (For comparison’s sake, in 2007, only 11,533 permits were granted.) The 30,029 new and renewal permits issued last year brought the state’s total number of individuals with carry permits to 96,047—or one in six South Dakota residents. 

“As South Dakotans, we value our Second Amendment rights, and can see a direct influence in the number of concealed-carry permits issued based on national events or when candidates and elected officials at the national level talk about limiting the Second Amendment,” Krebs said. Last year’s spike began in the three months after the December 2015 San Bernardino attacks, when over 10,000 permits were issued (versus the typical three-month average of 4,500). The threat of a Hillary Clinton presidency and anti-gun edicts from President Barack Obama further buoyed application numbers.