337,503 Active CPL's in Washinton State

Bill Starks · May 19, 2011

I was doing some research for a project and requested the number of CPL holders. I was very surprised that the number was over 300k.

population: 6,724,540
Active CPL's: 337,503
percentage: 19.924 (or 1 in 20 people have a CPL)

from DOL Firearms FIREARMS@dol.wa.gov
to Bill Starks <m1gunr@gmail.com>
date Thu, May 19, 2011 at 3:22 PM
subject RE: license numbers
mailed-by dol.wa.gov

Good Afternoon,
There are currently 337,503 Active CPL holders in Washington state.

Firearms Unit
Business & Professions Division
Department of Licensing
(360) 664-6616
firearms@dol.wa.gov

NavyMike · May 19, 2011

M1Gunr said:
I was doing some research for a project and requested the number of CPL holders. I was very surprised that the number was over 300k.

population: 6,724,540
Active CPL's: 337,503
percentage: 19.924 (or 1 in 20 people have a CPL)

firearms@dol.wa.gov

That fraction goes up when you consider that about 1/4 of our population is under 21 years of age.

sudden valley gunner · May 19, 2011

NavyMike said:
That fraction goes up when you consider that about 1/4 of our population is under 21 years of age.

Goes up for those over 21, (yet many under 21 carry anyway).

Still doesn't change M1gunrs statistic though, 1 in 20 people you run into are possibly carrying concealed. Although I have found in my line of work a lot more people have guns on them or in the car than that percentage.

Jeff Hayes · May 19, 2011

sudden valley gunner said:
Goes up for those over 21, (yet many under 21 carry anyway).

Still doesn't change M1gunrs statistic though, 1 in 20 people you run into are possibly carrying concealed. Although I have found in my line of work a lot more people have guns on them or in the car than that percentage.

SVG I would hope the percentage was higher than the general population, look at who you hang out with not many of us are going to be unarmed very often.

amlevin · May 19, 2011

Orphan said:
SVG I would hope the percentage was higher than the general population, look at who you hang out with not many of us are going to be unarmed very often.

And this doesn't even count those who carry concealed without a CPL. Yes, there are more than a few "Non Felons" that do this and so far have had no contact with LEOs.

A real interesting number would be the TOTAL number of firearms "on the street" at any given time both in the hands of law abiding citizens and those who are not so law abiding and are prohibited.

1245A Defender · May 19, 2011

well,,,

sorry about your math,,
1 in 20 have a CPL,,,
thats really about 5%, not 19.
divide the other way...

sudden valley gunner · May 19, 2011

Orphan said:
SVG I would hope the percentage was higher than the general population, look at who you hang out with not many of us are going to be unarmed very often.

Couldn't be in finer company either.

sudden valley gunner · May 19, 2011

amlevin said:
And this doesn't even count those who carry concealed without a CPL. Yes, there are more than a few "Non Felons" that do this and so far have had no contact with LEOs.

A real interesting number would be the TOTAL number of firearms "on the street" at any given time both in the hands of law abiding citizens and those who are not so law abiding and are prohibited.

I agree totally. I know "felons" and "law abiding" that carry anyway. I always think as any person I meet as armed.

I remember a Canadian fellow telling me how they stereo type Americans and joke about how any American they see in a truck probably has a gun. I told him that "joke" probably isn't very far from the truth.

MR Redenck · May 19, 2011

Yall have nearly 340,000 licenses with a population less than 7 million????!!!
Texas has about 24 million people living here with only 460,000 licenses!!!
I have said the Texas License cost too much and is way too restrictive.

jt59 · May 19, 2011

M1Gunr said:
I was doing some research for a project and requested the number of CPL holders. I was very surprised that the number was over 300k.

population: 6,724,540
Active CPL's: 337,503
percentage: 19.924 (or 1 in 20 people have a CPL)

from DOL Firearms FIREARMS@dol.wa.gov
to Bill Starks <m1gunr@gmail.com>
date Thu, May 19, 2011 at 3:22 PM
subject RE: license numbers
mailed-by dol.wa.gov

Good Afternoon,
There are currently 337,503 Active CPL holders in Washington state.

Staff
Firearms Unit
Business & Professions Division
Department of Licensing
(360) 664-6616
firearms@dol.wa.gov

actually, I think it will get better than that. I have followed this number too...the last time I asked was April, and they had just under 300,000. The next question though was important...they had input 14,500 in Feb, give or take and more importantly were only entering info for last October/November.

Then when I did some population demographics in WA, and you take out the number of folks under 21, the illegals (estimated), the convicted folks no longer eligible, I came up with a number closer to 1:9

jt

maclean · May 19, 2011

It also does not count LEO's who do not have CPL's.

gogodawgs · May 20, 2011

jt59 said:
actually, I think it will get better than that. I have followed this number too...the last time I asked was April, and they had just under 300,000. The next question though was important...they had input 14,500 in Feb, give or take and more importantly were only entering info for last October/November.

Then when I did some population demographics in WA, and you take out the number of folks under 21, the illegals (estimated), the convicted folks no longer eligible, I came up with a number closer to 1:9

jt

I don't believe your math is correct. I did this last year with 280k and it works out to about 1:19, I will see if I can do the math later...

maclean said:
It also does not count LEO's who do not have CPL's.

Do you have a CPL? I have 2 LEO in this state and they both have a CPL.

Jeff Hayes · May 20, 2011

sudden valley gunner said:
Couldn't be in finer company either.

Absolutely!

maclean · May 20, 2011

gogodawgs said:
Do you have a CPL? I have 2 LEO in this state and they both have a CPL.

I do, it makes purchases convenient and it also preserves my right to be armed if I were to be under some sort of discipline. It also allows me to choose to be armed without carrying LEO ID.

Same reason I advise all of my students to obtain a WA and UT permit.

Not many do, however.

jt59 · May 20, 2011

gogodawgs said:
I don't believe your math is correct. I did this last year with 280k and it works out to about 1:19, I will see if I can do the math later...

I would concede you point....but like my daddy said, statistics never lie, but liars use statistics....and I don't want to be a damz lier.

What we need to do is agree on what we are measuring to get to the number we think we want....

My premise was working toward a number of CPL holders to those that are eligible to have them....this is differn't from the general population in WA if that is the metric.

I'm happy to develop bragging rights, but I suppose we (should) develop the metric first....and then determine the number or percent.

What do you think it should be?

Freedom First · May 20, 2011

I brought this up last year (and totally screwed up the math...) but I think we are missing the real point: "How many actually carry?"

In my experience, very few. I can think of nine CPL holders and only 1 carries on a daily basis and 1 other will carry when going "someplace dangerous"... I haven't figured that out.

BigDeeeeeeee · May 20, 2011

How many of those are out of state like me & my wife? That would change the percentage some, probably not a lot.

jt59 · May 20, 2011

New math

So here is in part, my rationale, or at least math...and is based on those that I can see eligible to have a permit.

As of the last census there were 6,664,000 folks in WA.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53000.html

30.4% were by definition out of the mix due to age: 2,018,560 = 4,645440

Then the variance to account for:

Ineligible Felons: 167,316 (note that the statistics here appear to be based on the 2009census less the same percentage above that are also ineligible to vote) but represents by another 3.7% with "probationers" being the highest represented.

But, it could get a lot worse (or make my argument a lot stronger) with 17,000 folks in Prison and what the GOV is thinking about:

http://www.correctionsreporter.com/2011/02/22/wa-state-prison-population-changing/

http://felonvoting.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000287

Foreign Persons: Dump another 10% - But some may be eligible?

Illegal Aliens: 280,000 = 3.6%

http://immigrationroad.com/resource/illegal-immigrants-by-state.php

Total: close on to 48%....or 3,465,406 eligible....

I come out around 9.7%

....and then I want to add in that the DOL has only input data through Dec ....maybe January....and I get pretty close to 1 in 9.

.....at least that's what I tell all my Anti friends.

Brian Turney · Jan 8, 2012

New poster.

MR Redenck said:
Yall have nearly 340,000 licenses with a population less than 7 million????!!!
Texas has about 24 million people living here with only 460,000 licenses!!!
I have said the Texas License cost too much and is way too restrictive.

New to the forums and doing lots of research about open carry laws here in Washington State. Getting my CPL this month so i'm going to add myself along with several friends and family to that number. Going to Cabella's here in WA on my birthday in a few months. : )

I grew up in Arkansas/Texas area. i have noted that a lot of conservative and religious areas like where I grew up tend to have harsher carry laws and bans. TX, OK, FL, SC are examples. (Old religious folks who disapprove of firearms that vote?) WA adheres to the 2nd amendment damn well the way it was written with some local common sense restrictions. (IE: illegal to: have your gun drawn, hand on weapon, pointing it to intimidate,.. unless you are protecting yourself, etc.) I'm glad to live in a 'stand your ground' state where open carry is legal. Any state banning open carry in my opinion does not uphold the 2nd amendment of the United States.

fire suppressor · Jan 9, 2012

That's not bad for this state I would be curious to know the difference between eastern and western Washington. 1 in 20 is not bad but would like to see that number go up in the next few years

337,503 Active CPL's in Washinton State

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