Concealed weapons at record in SD

Concealed weapons at record in SD Secretary of State Chris Nelson announced that a record number of concealed weapons permits were issued in South Dakota in 2008. Sheriffs throughout the state issued 15,029 permits, an increase of 16.9 percent than the previous record of 12,855 issued in 2006. Any person wishing to carry a weapon in a concealed manner must first obtain a permit from their local sheriff.  A concealed weapons permit also allows the holder to avoid a waiting period when purchasing a handgun. South Dakota has concealed weapons permit reciprocity with 23 other states allowing South Dakota permit holders to have their permits recognized when traveling in those states.  A complete listing of the reciprocity states can be found at www.sdsos.gov. There are 49,870 concealed weapons permit holders in South Dakota.