Ohio Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map & Gun Laws

Constitutional Carry?

Does Ohio allow constitutional carry?

Open Carry Permitted?

Is open carry permitted in Ohio?

Gun Permit Licensure?

If Ohio requires a permit to carry a concealed firearm, how are those permits issued?

Minimum Age for Concealed Carry?

What is the minimum age in Ohio to get a concealed carry permit?

Weapons Other Than Handguns Allowed?

Can you conceal carry weapons other than handguns in Ohio with a concealed carry permit (or under permitless carry if applicable)?

Non-Resident Permitting?

Does Ohio issue concealed carry permits to non-residents?

Public Access to Concealed Carry Registry?

Does Ohio allow the public to access concealed carry registry information through public records law?

Carry in Vehicle?

Can you carry a concealed firearm in a vehicle in Ohio?

Carry at Roadside Rest Areas?

Can you carry a concealed firearm at roadside rest areas in Ohio?

Carry in State/National Parks, State/National Forests and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)?

Can you carry a concealed firearm in state/national parks, state/national forests and Wildlife Management Areas in Ohio?

Carry in Restaurants That Serve Alcohol?

Can you carry a firearm in restaurants that serve alcohol in Ohio?

Store in a Vehicle in an Employee Parking Lot?

Does Ohio have laws relating to storing firearms in private vehicles in an employee parking lot?

Must Notify Officer You're Carrying?

Are you required to notify a police officer that you're carrying a concealed firearm in Ohio?

Magazine Limits for Handguns?

Does Ohio have magazine capacity restrictions for handguns?

Ammunition Restrictions?

Does Ohio have ammunition restrictions?

"No Weapons Allowed" Signs Enforced?

Are "No Weapons Allowed" signs enforced in Ohio? If yes, violating the sign would be considered to be a crime. If no, violating the sign would not be considered a criminal offense.

Preemption?

Does Ohio have preemption laws related to concealed carry (i.e. Does state law supersede local laws regarding the possession of handguns)?

Red Flag Law?

Does Ohio have a red flag law?

Tasers or Stun Guns?

Is it legal to own a taser or stun gun in Ohio?

Requirements:

An applicant must:

• Be at least 21 years old;
• Be an Ohio resident for at least 45 days and a resident of the county in which you are applying, or the adjacent county, for at least 30 days;
• Be employed in Ohio If you live in another state;
• Be legally living in the United States;
• Have completed an approved firearms training class (training is waived for active duty military and retired and honorably discharged veterans with proof of military firearms experience);
• Not have had a suspended concealed carry license from another state;
• Not be a fugitive from justice;
• Not be under indictment for, and has not been charged with, convicted of or pled guilty to, a felony;
• Not have been convicted of, pleaded guilty to or adjudicated a delinquent child for domestic violence;
• Not be under indictment, be charged with or convicted of any felony, trafficking in drugs, any other drug-related crime, a misdemeanor offense of violence, negligent assault or assaulting a peace officer;
• Not, within 3 years prior to your application, have been convicted, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated as delinquent in connection with a misdemeanor offense of violence;
• Not have been charged with falsification of a concealed handgun license;
• Not be subject to a civil protection order or a temporary protection order of an Ohio court or a similar protection order issued by another state;
• Not have been convicted, pleaded guilty to or been adjudicated as delinquent in connection with two or more assaults or negligent assaults within 5 years of application;
• Not have been convicted, pleaded guilty to or adjudicated as delinquent in connection with resisting arrest within 10 years of application; and
• Meet federal law requirements.

Fees:

Initial permit for >5 year Ohio residents: $67  Renewals $50

Initial permit for <5 year Ohio residents: $91 Renewals $74

Fees are waived for current and honorably discharged veterans.

Valid For:

5 years

Processing Time:

45 days

Application:

Link to application

Non-Resident Concealed Carry Permits:

Granted only for non-residents who are employed in Ohio.

Name/Address Changes:

Ohio law requires you to notify the county sheriff’s office at which you obtained your concealed carry license within 45 days after a change of address. This process, required by law, modifies the record held by our agency in the event you need to be contacted regarding suspension, revocation, or administrative purpose. If you wish to obtain a CCW license with your new address and/or name change you may do so by scheduling an appointment. Some counties have a change of address form, but that varies. A $15 fee is required.

Lost/Stolen Permits:

Your county sheriff must be notified within 45 days that your license has been lost or stolen. He or she will also require a police report that states you have reported your license stolen or missing. The replacement fee is $15.

Step 1:

Complete your firearm training course.

Step 2:

Download the application.

Step 3:

Take the following documents to your local sheriff’s office:

• Completed application form;
• Copies of firearms training certificate; and
• Passport-style color photo, taken within last 30 days.

Your fingerprints will be taken.
Pay the fee.
 

Step 4:

You will be notified by mail within 45 days if your application has been approved or denied.

Step 1:

Renewal applications can be submitted no sooner than 90 days prior to the expiration of your current CCW license or anytime after the expiration of your current CCW license. Non-residents must still be employed in Ohio to renew a license. If no longer employed in Ohio then your CCW license is valid until the expiry date. If your license has expired, you are prohibited from carrying a concealed weapon until you receive your renewal license from the Sheriff.
 

Step 2:

Download the application.

Step 3:

Take the following documents to your local sheriff’s office:

• Completed, but unsigned, application form (you will sign it there in the presence of the Sheriff’s Office Notary);
• You must have your fingerprints electronically scanned through the WebCheck system, or a 10 print fingerprint card if WebCheck is unavailable; and
• A valid picture identification card (driver’s license, state identification card, retired law enforcement or corrections identification card or military identification card only).

Pay the fee.

Step 4:

You will be notified by mail within 45 days if your application has been approved or denied.

Where Can I Carry a Concealed Firearm in Ohio?

• Carry in restaurants that serve alcohol? Yes.
• Carry in my vehicle without a permit/license?  No.
• Carry in roadside rest areas? Yes.
• Carry in state/national parks, state/national forests, and WMAs? Yes, although the buildings are off-limits.
• Carry in day care centers and home day cares? Yes, unless the facilities post a sign prohibiting guns.

Where Can't I Carry a Concealed Firearm in Ohio?

Places off-limits even with a permit/license

• A school safety zone which includes a school, school building, school premises, school activity and school bus;
• A child day-care center and Type A or B family day-care home;
• Any premises owned or leased by any public or private college, university or other institution of higher education (based on a settlement agreement, Ohio State University now allows the storage of firearms in locked vehicles on campus);
• A police station, sheriff’s office or state highway patrol station or premises controlled by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation; 
• A courthouse or another building or structure in which a courtroom is located;
• The state capitol buildings; 
• A state correctional institution, jail, workhouse or other detention facility; 
• Any secure areas of an airport passenger terminal; 
• Any state institutions for the care and treatment of mentally ill persons or state institutions for the care, treatment and training of persons with intellectual disabilities;
• Any premises that sells liquor or open-air arena for which a Class D liqour permit has been issued, if you are consuming beer or intoxicating liquor or are under the influence;
• Any church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship, unless the place of worship posts or permits otherwise;
• Any property (including vehicles) owned by private employers that prohibit firearms;
• Any state government buildings, unless the governing body permits otherwise; and
• Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law or state law or regulation.

Ohio Rev. Code § 2923.126(B)

Do firearms need to be registered in Ohio?

No.

Is a permit required to purchase a gun in Ohio?

No.

Are background checks required for private gun sales in Ohio?

No.

Is there a waiting period after purchasing a firearm in Ohio?

No.

What are the knife laws in Ohio?

Ohio law allows for the ownership and open carry of any type of knife. Concealed carry statutes in Ohio do not specify any type of knife, other than ballistic knives, that one may not carry concealed. Instead, it makes it illegal to conceal carry any deadly weapon. The courts have called everything from a pocket knife to a steak knife a “deadly weapon.” The test however, is whether the instrument is deadly AND is made or modified to be a weapon or is being carried as one.

What are the laws regarding carrying a firearm while using alcohol or prescription medication in OH?

Not while consuming or under the influence, per Ohio Rev. Code § 2923.121(d)
As a responsibly armed American, regardless of the laws in your state, it is unwise to carry while under the influence of any substance that could impair your judgement, slow your reaction times, or impact your decision-making abilities. Any decision you make while carrying a firearm could have life-altering consequences.