Florida beats Texas? HOW?!

[ATDM]

I learned today that almost 10% of the population in Florida has a concealed carry permit. If you take out everyone under 21, the percentage is even higher.

On the other hand, LESS THAN 2% of Texans have a CHL. I was shocked that we had so few CHL holders to begin with, but to be beaten by Florida was like putting salt on the wound.

How did this happen?

[nightmare69]

I would be willing to bet that its a lot easier to get a CHL in Florida than Texas.

[ATDM]

I would be willing to bet that its a lot easier to get a CHL in Florida than Texas.

I am not sure about that... It hasn't been hard in Texas...

[nightmare69]

I would be willing to bet that its a lot easier to get a CHL in Florida than Texas.

I am not sure about that... It hasn't been hard in Texas...

Lol. Some states you just send off money go get your picture taken quick BG check and walk out with your permit. Texas is one of the harder and expensive states to get a Chl.

[steveincowtown]

I would be willing to bet that its a lot easier to get a CHL in Florida than Texas.

I am not sure about that... It hasn't been hard in Texas...

Florida CCW= 1/2 the cost and 1/2 time. Still not "reasonable" IMHO, but more so than TX.

[JALLEN]

All things are relative, and some things are more so.

I have had permits in CA, UT, FL and am waiting for my TX to arrive, having completed all the requirements.

I completed the requirements for FL and UT while in California, including the required training course, impossible for Texas since the course MUST be taken IN Texas.

I would say that UT and Fl are easier, Texas is somewhat more difficult, and CA is harder to impossible, depending on the county you live in. I had a permit issued in San Diego County, one of fewer than 2,000 or so, in a county of just over 3 million. San Francisco and Los Angeles are "no issue", San Diego is "rather not issue" and some of the rural inland counties are virtually "shall issue."

[Shoot_First]

When I got my Florida CWP, the "instructor" observed me shooting at the range the day before I called him to ask about the permit. He spent less than 30 minutes with the five applicants filling out our application, provided absolutely no instruction, said that since he had seen me and my friend shooting at the range about 10 firing points away from him that a range session was not necessary and then he got on to the essential part... collecting his $75 fee. I had already observed his range "qualification" session where he provided each applicant with a Ruger Mark III Target model .22LR pistol and had them qualify by getting one round on a B-27 target at 5 yards. They could fire more rounds for practice, but when it came time to qualify, they had to hit the target. Compared to a Texas CHL, the Florida CWP is a joke... at least in my case.

[ATDM]

All things are relative, and some things are more so.

I have had permits in CA, UT, FL and am waiting for my TX to arrive, having completed all the requirements.

I completed the requirements for FL and UT while in California, including the required training course, impossible for Texas since the course MUST be taken IN Texas.

I would say that UT and Fl are easier, Texas is somewhat more difficult, and CA is harder to impossible, depending on the county you live in. I had a permit issued in San Diego County, one of fewer than 2,000 or so, in a county of just over 3 million. San Francisco and Los Angeles are "no issue", San Diego is "rather not issue" and some of the rural inland counties are virtually "shall issue."

Why is it not centralized like in Texas - only Austin issues the license, no matter where you live... Strange.

[Chaparral]

I wonder if the Florida percentage is inflated by the many out-of-state Florida CHL holders?

[tbrown]

How did this happen?

Pro gun legislators. And Marion Hammer of course.

[JALLEN]

I would say that UT and Fl are easier, Texas is somewhat more difficult, and CA is harder to impossible, depending on the county you live in. I had a permit issued in San Diego County, one of fewer than 2,000 or so, in a county of just over 3 million. San Francisco and Los Angeles are "no issue", San Diego is "rather not issue" and some of the rural inland counties are virtually "shall issue."

Why is it not centralized like in Texas - only Austin issues the license, no matter where you live... Strange.

The statute gives the power to issue CCW to the local Sheriff or Chief of Police in a municipality. In practice, virtually all COPs have ceded the authority to the Sheriff of each County. The statute provides a permit can be issued upon, among other things, a showing of "good cause."

What is "good cause" you ask? Whatever the Sheriff says it is. There is litigation over this presently pending in several counties. Some Sheriffs decided that good cause involves a contribution to their re-election campaign, but that is officially frowned upon. A few years ago, Orange County Sheriff was issuing permits quite liberally when, all of a sudden, he was indicted along with his wife on several unsavory charges. A replacement was chosen by the Board of Supervisors (like the Commissioners' Court here), an experienced female police executive from LA. She summarily revoked all the permits. I don't know if they ever got that straightened out or not. Permits are good statewide, so if you lived in say, Mariposa County where Sheriff Jim Allen used to issue permits to all who qualified, you could carry in San Francisco, or LA or anywhere.

There are forms, questionnaires, letters of recommendation, letters from your board of directors if you are a corporation owner, letters from your spouse/significant other/care partner or other person of similar dignity. The process is neither easy nor cheap, and that is if you show good cause.

[ATDM]

I would say that UT and Fl are easier, Texas is somewhat more difficult, and CA is harder to impossible, depending on the county you live in. I had a permit issued in San Diego County, one of fewer than 2,000 or so, in a county of just over 3 million. San Francisco and Los Angeles are "no issue", San Diego is "rather not issue" and some of the rural inland counties are virtually "shall issue."

Why is it not centralized like in Texas - only Austin issues the license, no matter where you live... Strange.

The statute gives the power to issue CCW to the local Sheriff or Chief of Police in a municipality. In practice, virtually all COPs have ceded the authority to the Sheriff of each County. The statute provides a permit can be issued upon, among other things, a showing of "good cause."

What is "good cause" you ask? Whatever the Sheriff says it is. There is litigation over this presently pending in several counties. Some Sheriffs decided that good cause involves a contribution to their re-election campaign, but that is officially frowned upon. A few years ago, Orange County Sheriff was issuing permits quite liberally when, all of a sudden, he was indicted along with his wife on several unsavory charges. A replacement was chosen by the Board of Supervisors (like the Commissioners' Court here), an experienced female police executive from LA. She summarily revoked all the permits. I don't know if they ever got that straightened out or not. Permits are good statewide, so if you lived in say, Mariposa County where Sheriff Jim Allen used to issue permits to all who qualified, you could carry in San Francisco, or LA or anywhere.

There are forms, questionnaires, letters of recommendation, letters from your board of directors if you are a corporation owner, letters from your spouse/significant other/care partner or other person of similar dignity. The process is neither easy nor cheap, and that is if you show good cause.

This is definitely ridiculous and unconstitutional. There is a reason the Founding Fathers established the 2nd Amendment; and this right to bear arms is unique to the US to have it carved into the highest legal document in the land. Yet the government official manage to circumvent the Constitution with impunity. The 2nd Amendment was paid for in blood, but there are many ideologues and demagogues in our country, who think they know better. Makes me sick. They don't realize that if this one Amendment falls - it will cause a domino effect on all other rights. I escaped a regime like that and never want to live under it again. They can't get rid of this one right and expect to keep all the rest.

[equin]

I could be wrong, but I thought Florida had allowed for the granting of CHLs for many years before Texas and other states. If true, that may explain why FL has a higher percentage of licenses than TX, not to mention the lower cost and easier manner to obtain as some of the posts on here suggest.

[Waco1959]

I would be willing to bet that its a lot easier to get a CHL in Florida than Texas.

It is also very easy to get a Florida CCW as an out-of-state resident. I remember reading that in 2009 the % of o-o-s was about 10% and increasing. Florida doesn't release numbers but I have seen articles online that put the current (estimated) % at 20 to 25%.

I think the numbers in Texas will increase as the relative total cost goes down and the places you can carry go up. I have been told by several people that the don't feel threatened enough to spend that amount of money involved (seems short-sighted) or because of all the places they can't carry. The latter reason was why I didn't get mine until the MPA and Parking Lot Law passed and the place I feel most vulnerable I still will not be carrying (employer rules).

I think another factor is population age. The total population interest in concealed carry goes up as you get too old to fight and too slow to run (or mine did). IIRC, Florida has about double the over 65 population (by %) and the median age is about 7 years higher than Texas.

[texanjoker]

I would say that UT and Fl are easier, Texas is somewhat more difficult, and CA is harder to impossible, depending on the county you live in. I had a permit issued in San Diego County, one of fewer than 2,000 or so, in a county of just over 3 million. San Francisco and Los Angeles are "no issue", San Diego is "rather not issue" and some of the rural inland counties are virtually "shall issue."

Why is it not centralized like in Texas - only Austin issues the license, no matter where you live... Strange.

The statute gives the power to issue CCW to the local Sheriff or Chief of Police in a municipality. In practice, virtually all COPs have ceded the authority to the Sheriff of each County. The statute provides a permit can be issued upon, among other things, a showing of "good cause."

What is "good cause" you ask? Whatever the Sheriff says it is. There is litigation over this presently pending in several counties. Some Sheriffs decided that good cause involves a contribution to their re-election campaign, but that is officially frowned upon. A few years ago, Orange County Sheriff was issuing permits quite liberally when, all of a sudden, he was indicted along with his wife on several unsavory charges. A replacement was chosen by the Board of Supervisors (like the Commissioners' Court here), an experienced female police executive from LA. She summarily revoked all the permits. I don't know if they ever got that straightened out or not. Permits are good statewide, so if you lived in say, Mariposa County where Sheriff Jim Allen used to issue permits to all who qualified, you could carry in San Francisco, or LA or anywhere.

There are forms, questionnaires, letters of recommendation, letters from your board of directors if you are a corporation owner, letters from your spouse/significant other/care partner or other person of similar dignity. The process is neither easy nor cheap, and that is if you show good cause.

Not only was the Orange CO Sheriff issue permits, he was giving out deputy sheriff badges like candy to his friends. That was why they were (moved didn't follow up on it) going to ban all badges unless they were actual police badges to avoid impersonation. This would include those CHL badges, ect.