Concealed carry permits spike in Denver as new rules loom
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Obtaining a concealed carry permit in Denver, already home to some of the state's strictest gun laws, will soon require additional steps.
The big picture: A state law taking effect July 1 will add new requirements for obtaining concealed carry licenses, including mandating eight hours of in-person instruction and passing a live-fire test, where a person must shoot a minimum of 50 rounds.
Why it matters: The new law will add barriers for responsible gun owners, including costlier training for a permit type that's grown in popularity over the past five years, as Colorado's gun laws grow increasingly restrictive.
Yes, but: The city's chief compliance officer, Mary Dulacki, tells us she doesn't presume the new requirements will affect the number of applicants.
- Firearms training could be more expensive for applicants, she adds.
By the numbers: Denver issued 2,768 concealed carry permits last year, a 31% jump from 2018, the last year DPD had available due to its retention policy.
- Those figures include new and renewed permits, which last five years, Denver police spokesperson Jay Casillas tells us.
The intrigue: It's unclear why more Denverites are choosing to conceal carry.
- The figures from Denver police show a post-pandemic spike closely mirroring a rise in violent crime rates, which have since fallen in Denver.
What they're saying: Chris Stone, state and local affairs director for the lobbying firm Gun Owners of America, tells us "normal gun owners" are realizing that "you are your own first line of self-defense," which could be driving an uptick in concealed carry's popularity.
- Women, people of color and LGBTQ people are among the fast-growing demographics for new gun owners, Stone says.
Zoom in: Most concealed permit applications are approved in Denver, with about 46 applications rejected annually, based on DPD's data from 2018 to 2024.
- Last year, 2,768 applications were approved and 51 were rejected, per DPD data.
Between the lines: State law effectively says most people are entitled to a permit if they seek one, Dulacki tells us.
- Rejected applicants are often people with protective orders, past felony convictions or frequent police contact, Dulacki adds.
Meanwhile, people getting these licenses run the gamut.
- "It goes from your grandmother down to your nephew," Dulacki tells us.
Zoom out: Permits can be revoked, but that's rare, with only about 14 licenses pulled every year on average since 2018.
- However, the last three years have seen a spike in revocations: 67 were revoked over the last two years, more than twice the combined total from 2018 to 2022.