Numbers for 2020 show the Gilmer County Probate Court office received almost 800 more applications for gun carry licenses last year than in 2019.
“It’s been an interesting year (with gun permits), and 2020 was an interesting year on a lot of different levels,” said Probate Judge Scott Chastain.
Last year, the probate office received 1,775 applications for weapons carry licenses (gun permits). In 2019, 999 applications were received. The number of applications submitted is not the same as the total number of licenses actually issued, Chastain noted.
“Some of these I (have to) deny if they have charges that won’t allow me to issue (a license). Every application is not granted a permit, but it’s pretty rare. Most people know they don’t qualify before they ever apply,” Chastain said.
There’s also been more first-time gun permit applicants, Chastain noted.
“They’re just now turning 21 or they’re (over 21) and have never had one,” he added.
The 2020 number reflects not only an increase from the previous year, it’s also the most gun permit requests the office has received in the past 12 years.
Chastain said the recent change in presidency is a likely factor for the increase, but there were other factors in the turbulent year not quite like any other in recent memory.
“It’s a topic that probate judges all over the state (have been discussing),” he added. “My personal feeling is you had an election year with a potential change in administration that had people riled up. You had a pandemic nobody knew where we were going with that had people riled up, and you also had civil unrest in big cities that had people concerned about their own safety when they saw things like police getting run over. They thought maybe I should get something to protect myself with.”
Numbers for past election years show 699 applications received in 2008, 615 in 2012 and 1,027 in 2016. The weapons carry licenses need to be renewed every five years, Chastain noted.
“Basically, the permit is issued if you want to carry the weapon on you. They used to call it concealed carry, but it’s not that anymore. If you want to carry it open or concealed, you need a weapons carry permit,” Chastain said. “They normally fluctuate around election years, but 2020 was, by far, our biggest year (for gun permits). I assumed 2016 would’ve been a little busier, but the previous year we were busiest was 2015.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit last spring, probate offices across the state temporarily stopped taking applications for gun permits.
“When we had our first judicial emergency order, we were told not to issue (them),” Chastain said. “We didn’t deny or revoke anybody’s permits in that timeframe. We simply said we’re not (taking) applications. (The emergency order) basically told us to do things the probate judges deemed necessary, which was birth and death certificates and marriage licenses.”
That only lasted 30 days, Chastain noted.
“All over the state, with all the people that were coming into probate offices, they wanted to (reduce crowds) to keep the pandemic from exploding. That was one way they thought they could do it, but I think they very quickly realized people take (gun permits) more seriously than birth and death certificates or marriage licenses,” he added.
Some probate offices are still doing the gun permitting process by appointment only to reduce crowds, Chastain mentioned.
“We dropped that requirement because you’d have someone make an appointment then not show, and it would back everything up. We pretty much went to a first-come, first-served (approach),” he said. “In some Georgia probate offices, the judges also do the fingerprinting, Here, we send them to the sheriff’s E-911 center (also in the courthouse complex) to do the fingerprints.”
As of last week, the local probate office had already received 352 weapons carry permits since 2021 began.
“We could very well be on our way to a another record year,” said Chastain.
Hoping to get back to normal soon
Permit application processes are pretty much back to normal at the local probate office, Chastain noted, but traffic court and probate court hearings are still being done differently.
“I’m hoping we’ll go back to a little (more) normalcy in March to where we’ll be able to have traffic court and maybe some in-person hearings. Traffic court was postponed in January and February. I’m hoping our first one (this year) will be in March,” he added.
“With our hearings, I’ve tried to have them on Zoom, but most of the litigants would rather do them in person. We’ve continued (moving) those down the calendar till we can start doing some in-person stuff. We could move forward with Zoom if it’s an emergency situation, but not everybody can do Zoom at home. I’m trying to work with folks in continuing these cases until they can come in and have an in-person hearing.”
Those who come to the courthouse for any matter are still being asked to adhere to safety precautions.
“Judge Weaver has the courthouse under judicial order where you’ve got to wear your mask, get your temperature checked and use hand sanitizer. We’ve got hand sanitizer on our counter out in front,” Chastain noted.
County’s gun permit applications by year
2020: 1,775
2019: 999
2018: 1,160
2017: 827
2016: 1,027
2015: 1,184
2014: 790
2013: 976
2012: 615
2011: 422
2010: 434
2009: 618