Attorney General David Louie’s office says Hawaii processed a record number of firearms permits in 2012. Nearly 22,000 applications were processed statewide, up from the previous record — more than 15,000 in 2011.

More than 94 percent of the applications were approved, and only 1 percent were turned down for “disqualifying factors,” according to a press release.

The 20,000 permits that were issued cover about 50,000 firearms, and half were brought in from out of state. The rest were transfers of firearms previously registered in Hawaii.

Interestingly, the AG says while more firearms are being registered every year for the past 13 years, firearm-related violent crimes remained stable through 2007, then dropped sharply from 2008 through 2012.

Read much more in the state’s annual report, here.

— Patti Epler