Ohio permitless concealed carry goes into effect

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohio’s new permitless carry law went into effect on Monday.

Eligible Ohioans are now able to carry a concealed handgun without training, a license and background.

It comes after Gov. Mike DeWine signed Republican-backed SB 215 in March. The permitless carry bill, also called “constitutional carry,” passed the Ohio House and Senate without any Democratic support.

The legislation removed the requirement for gun owners in Ohio to complete 8 hours of training, submit an application through their local sheriff’s office and pass a background check. Any Ohioan who is eligible to buy a handgun can carry it concealed. Qualifying adults must meet the following criteria:

• 21 years of age or older
• legal residents
• are not fugitives
• are not the subject of a protection order
• have not been hospitalized for or adjudicated as being mentally ill
• have not been dishonorably discharged from the military
• do not have a conviction or delinquency for a felony, a drug offense, or domestic violence
• do not have a conviction of a violent misdemeanor within the last three years
• do not have two or more convictions for violent misdemeanors within the last five years
• are not forbidden to carry a firearm under state or federal law

Gun owners can still apply for a permit but it will no longer be mandatory.

SB 215 also removes a requirement to inform police officers about the gun unless specifically asked, drawing criticism from some law enforcement organizations. The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police opposed the bill during legislative proceedings. The organization’s government affairs director, Michael Weinman, called the bill’s component eliminating the notification requirement a “get out of jail free card.”

Proponents of the move, such as the Buckeye Firearms Association, say the permitless carry law removes barriers for law-abiding people to use their right to bear arms.

Local law enforcement agencies are reminding residents that carrying a concealed handgun into government buildings, like courthouses, places of worship, and businesses where there’s signage prohibiting carrying a weapon, is still illegal.

The Toledo Police Department posted a video explanation shown below.

• According to data from the Ohio Attorney General’s office, the total number of concealed carry licenses issued were up 20% in 2021 compared to the previous year, with officials issuing more than 202,000 licenses. More than 94,00 new licenses were issued last year, which was a slight drop in the number issued in the previous year.
• A record-high number of licenses were renewed in 2021. More than 108,000 licenses were renewed last year, a 50% increase from 2020.
• The number of licenses denied the same year was 50% higher than 2020. Lucas County led the state in number of licenses denied in the first quarter of 2022. You can find additional details with a county-by-county breakdown here.

The law makes Ohio the 23rd state to allow permitless concealed carry.

You can read more details about Ohio’s concealed carry laws at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office website here. You can read the full text of the legislation below.

The attached video is from a previous report.

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