The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released its annual report, indicating a significant decline in the issuance of handgun permits in 2022.
According to the report, Minnesota sheriffs issued 65,257 permits for carrying handguns last year, which is a 39 percent decrease from the record high of 106,488 permits issued in 2021.
Among permit holders, nearly 4,200 crimes were committed in 2022, with over 60 percent of these being DWIs or other traffic offenses.
Only slightly over three percent of these crimes involved the use of a gun to further criminal activity.
Despite the decline in the number of permits issued, the total number of valid permits in the state increased to over 395,000.