Iowa weapons permit applications up 170 percent in 2011

The number of Iowans seeking permits to carry handguns and other weapons has increased 170 percent this year.

The Des Moines Register says in a copyright story that nearly 95,000 Iowans received non-professional weapons permits from January through November. That's according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The surge comes as a new law gives sheriffs less discretion over who can be denied permits.

Numbers from the state's three most populous counties show an even greater surge. The number of permits issued thus far in 2011 has spiked 271 percent in In Polk, Linn and Scott counties.

But Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard says few problems have emerged despite the increase. Conrad says those who qualify for a permit are not likely to cause trouble.