Illinois State Police say more than 91,000 concealed-carry permits have been issued statewide since the state began allowing guns to be carried in public a year ago.
State police say 91,651 permits had been granted by the end of 2014.
Cook County, which includes Chicago, led the way with almost 24,000 permits, or more than one-quarter of Illinois' total. Illinois State Police say more than 91,000 concealed-carry permits were issued statewide by the end of 2014.
Williamson County led the way in southern Illinois with almost 1,300 permits. Jefferson County was a distant second with 652. Additional concealed carry licenses issued in southern Illinois by county include: 613 in Franklin, 592 in Jackson, 525 in Marion, 351 in Clinton, 327 in Effingham, 211 in Lawrence, and 207 in Richland.
Illinois in 2013 became the last state in the nation to sign off on allowing concealed carry. State police say the number of permits issued last year in Illinois peaked at about 18,000 in both March and April before sharply declining. The state denied more than 2,300 applications.
A complete county-by-county listing is available here.
