Concealed carry applications soaring (and stacking up) in Bay Area

Even though California lawmakers are sure to take a swipe at the right to bear arms when they return to Sacramento to kick off the 2023 legislative session, gun owners in one of the state’s most hostile environments for the Second Amendment are still flocking to their local sheriff’s office to apply for their concealed handgun permit.

The high demand has left many departments unable to keep up, including in Contra Costa County, where sheriff’s department spokesman Jimmy Lee says the surge in applications has been overwhelming.

Prior to this decision, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office would typically receive about 20 concealed carry weapon applications each month, which would be processed by one employee, Lee said.