Concealed-carry permit applications in Illinois have declined since 104,000 residents applied when the program began in 2014, according to the Illinois State Police (ISP).
The ISP said 82,000 people applied for the permits last year, and only 32,930 applications were received by July 2017.
Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the main reason is money.
Concealed-carry permits in Illinois cost $150 for five years, according to the ISP
Pearson said low-priced firearms are hard to get in Illinois, and unless a firearm owner has enough disposable income, he'll be reluctant to apply for a concealed-carry permit.
“By the time you get your permit, get your firearm and get your training you’re probably in the $800 to $900 range, at the very low end of it,” Pearson said.
Costs can run as high as $2,000, depending on the type of firearm you buy, according to Pearson.
Illinois currently has 253,000 active conceal-carry permits, and Pearson said he expects that number to rise.
“By the time we get to the five-year period, we’ll get to the 300,000 we’re looking at,” Pearson said.
Pearson said a decline in concealed-weapon carriers poses a public safety risk, but because Illinois has very few places where concealed weapons are allowed, people become disinclined to apply for the permits.
Concealed weapons aren’t allowed on public grounds like interstate rest stops or on public transit. Pearson said criminals know this and are emboldened to commit crimes in those areas.
“They are restricted in those places, so we’re seeing the number of attacks going up in those places,” Pearson said.
People with concealed-carry permits in Illinois have been taught how to handle firearms safely, and Pearson said those people are most likely sharing the information with their family and friends.
“You’re probably looking at a million people in Illinois who got their firearm safety education because a friend or a family member went to the class," Pearson said. "That really helps spread gun safety throughout the state."
