Experts, law enforcement weigh in on Ohio’s new conceal carry law

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Governor DeWine signed a bill into law Monday that allows Ohioans to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training.

Before, if you wanted to get your concealed carry permit in Ohio, you had to complete 8 hours of training. Now, that’s not the case.

Sergeant Robert Boggs with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office broke this new law down further.

“In order to get a CCW you have to pass a background check and complete 8 hours of firearms training. What this bill does is now an individual doesn’t have to do that. As long as they’re eligible to buy a firearm, you can carry your firearm concealed,” Boggs said.

Sergeant Boggs says he is worried about the new law.

“I mean there’ll be a lot more people, there’s going to be a lot more people out there carrying a firearm that don’t know how to use it or have never touched one. It makes things a little bit more dangerous for the officer, I think.”

13abc talked to two people who know a lot about guns; both have their concealed carry permits.

Joshua Williams is a criminal defense attorney and a professor at Adrian College.

“I’m a supporter of any legislation that removes red tape to allow American citizens and Ohioans to exercise their constitutional rights, including the right to carry a firearm,” Williams said.

Williams said this law actually doesn’t change that much for people who can legally carry weapons.

“It didn’t really matter when it came to whether or not someone can be in possession of a firearm, it just makes it so they can conceal that firearm, and essentially allow the public to be more at ease because it’s more concerning to see someone walking around at Walmart with a gun strapped to their hip compared to them having it concealed and you never know they have it on them.”

Bruce Simmet is a gunsmith and used to teach conceal carry courses. He says the thought of people concealing weapons and not having training is scary since there are a lot of legal things you must know if you do carry a gun.

“The carry permit is to protect you,” says Simmet. “It’s not to make you a vigilante, it’s not to make you law enforcement, it’s not to make you a cop, it is there to protect you. So if there’s a bank robbery, no, legally you don’t do that, if some crackhead is robbing the 7/11, you let him rob the 7/11, it’s just money. But now, people don’t even have any sort of training.”

The bill goes in to effect 90 days from Tuesday.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2022 WTVG. All rights reserved.