BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota has caught up with a backlog of applications for concealed weapons licenses, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said.
A record 14,729 applications were submitted in 2013, more than double the number two years earlier. Stenehjem says it overwhelmed staff, and his office temporarily reassigned some work and authorized hundreds of hours of overtime to deal with the influx.
The state has just 60 days in which to issue a concealed weapons license. Stenehjem says the average turnaround time for an application is now down to about 35 days.
The number of concealed weapons license applications and renewals jumped in 2012 amid fears about federal gun control legislation. The number went from 6,254 in 2011 to 12,614 in 2012.
“We appreciate the patience of applicants as they waited for their applications to be processed,” Bureau of Criminal Investigation Director Dallas Carlson said in a statement. The BCI is a part of Stenehjem’s office.
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