13,617 firearms registered in state

Advertiser Staff

Last year, 6,128 firearms permits were issued in Hawai'i for 13,617 registered firearms, according to a report released yesterday by the attorney general's office.

The report said 6,489 firearm applications were processed, but 243 were voided after the applicants failed to pick up the permits after a specific period of time and 118 were rejected for cause.

Of permit applications that were rejected for cause, the greatest number — 42 — were for mental incompetence/treatment.

Rifles and shotguns comprised 60 percent of all firearms registered in 2000. Handguns represented the remainder.

The report found that permit applications and rejections were processed disproportionately across the four counties. Fewer permits — 4,065 — were processed in the City and County of Honolulu than would be expected based on O'ahu's population, the report said.

Permits processed in the other counties included 1,146 in Hawai'i, 795 in Maui and 483 in Kaua'i.