By Thomas Fraki
New handgun permits issued in 2015
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety
State agencies saw a new record in handgun carry permits issued in 2016, more than 71,000 new permits were issued to Minnesota residents throughout the year.
New handgun permits issued in 2016
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety
In terms of overall numbers, the most populous counties centered around the Twin Cities received the most applications. Hennepin, Dakota, Washington and Ramsey led the state in new permits issued.
Over the past several years urban counties have consistently issued the most new permits. However, the jump in permits in 2016 was generally concentrated in counties in central and southern Minnesota.
While urban areas saw the highest numbers of permits, it was the more rural parts of Minnesota that had the highest rates of new permits per capita.
Marshall, a county with a population of less than 6,000, has 36 new carry permits per 1,000 residents. On the other hand, Hennepin county has 7 new permits per 1,000 residents.
Of the 73,880 applications that were filed for the year, 585 were denied, according to the report published by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.