AUSTIN -- More than 52,000 people in Texas have submitted an application for a first-time concealed handgun license or renewal since the beginning of the year, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

That is an almost 5 percent increase over the first six months of 2007, but there’s a good chance they’ll have a bit of a wait.

The crunch which some say is spurred by concerns about rising crime, the state’s new “castle law” and uncertainty about future gun laws has created a ballooning backlog of applications for the department.

“Can you imagine if it was a driver’s license and someone says you just can’t drive?” said Alice Tripp, legislative director for the Texas State Rifle Association in a story in Tuesday’s online edition of The Dallas Morning News.

DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said the average wait for new applicants is between 80 and 90 days for their licenses; renewals are taking about 70 to 80 days to process.

By law, new applications should take no more than 60 days and renewals 45 days to process unless a required background check raises any flags.

“We’re still hacking away at those numbers,” Ms. Mange said.

In order to speed up the process, DPS is paying overtime and has

hired an additional 11 temporary employees.

“We believe we’re going to be able to get a handle sometime in the next couple of months,” Mange said.

Gun proponents say the ongoing delays are unacceptable especially for those seeking renewals.

Larry Arnold, director of the Texas Concealed Handgun Association, said he’s hearing regular complaints.

Passed last year, the castle law gives property owners the right to use deadly force against another person in defending themselves if they reasonably believe the person is committing or is attempting to commit certain crimes.