COLUMBUS — State officials say there’s been a big surge in concealed carry permits in Ohio this year.

The Ohio attorney general’s office says just over 82,000 permits had been issued through the end of September.

That’s more than all of last year and a record for the state.

Ohio’s concealed-carry law allows people with firearms-safety training to apply for a license through county sheriff’s departments.

A spokesman with Ohioans for Concealed Carry tells The Columbus Dispatch that there’s an upward trend of people wanting to carry out their Second Amendment rights.

The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence says it’s worried about the increase in permits.

First Published November 17, 2013, 2:37 p.m.