Concealed Weapons Info...

Carrying a concealed handgun is a privilege in Ohio, and with this privilege comes a responsibility to be aware, not only of the common sense rules of safe firearm handling, but the laws that affect how, when and where you can carry your firearm, and how to properly use the handgun to defend yourself or another person.

Q. Where do I apply for a license?
A. At the sheriff’s office where you reside or in an adjacent county.

Q. When can I apply?
A. You can apply on April 8, 2004

Q. Do I have to get a license before I get training?
A. No. In fact, it’s recommended that people get training now.

Q. If I have been trained already, do I have to do it again?
A. No, as long as the training occurred within three years of your application for a license and it was done by a certified instructor who teaches the law’s minimum educational requirements.

Q. How much training do I need?
A. A minimum of 12 hours, including two hours on a firing range, and a written and physical test provided by a certified trainer.

Q. If I am active or retired military, or a law enforcement officer, how do I get a license to carry a concealed handgun?
A. Under H.B. 12, your competency certification may take the form of a document that shows your active or retired status, and must also demonstrate that, through your position, you acquired experience handling firearms equivalent to the statute’s minimum educational requirements. You must have obtained the equivalent experience within six years before you apply

Q. How do I find a licensed instructor?
A. You can search for a licensed instructor on the Ohio Attorney General’s website at www.ag.state.oh.us/web_applications/concealcarry/About.asp where you will find the following links, "Search for OPOTC Certified Concealed Carry Instructors" and "Search for NRA Certified Instructors."

Q. How do I know if someone is certified?
A. Ask to see their certificate and verify that they will teach the law’s educational requirements. For more information, you may also want to refer to the Attorney General’s Concealed Carry Training Fact Sheet.

Q. Is cost of training part of the license fee?
A. No.

Q. What does the license cost?
A. The law says up to $45.00. However, if a federal criminal history check is made of an applicant who has been an Ohio resident for less than 5 years, the fee can be the actual cost of $24.00 for the federal check, plus the $45.00.

Q. Once I start the process, how long before I get my license?
A. The sheriffs expect a high demand initially. The law requires the sheriff to issue a license within 45 days of receipt of a completed application unless you do not qualify.

Q. Who keeps all this information and is it public?
A. The county sheriff keeps license information. Supporting documentation, which is not a public record, must be destroyed within 20 days. Journalists may obtain the license holder’s name, date of birth, county of issuance and the type of license granted. The Attorney General’s office must keep statistical information about the licenses, to be compiled in an annual report to be issued no later than July 8, 2005.

Q. Do I have to carry the license with me?
A. Yes, as long as you have the gun with you, either on your person or in your vehicle.

Q. Do I have to tell a police officer I have a concealed weapon?
A. Yes, if you are stopped by an officer and transporting a loaded weapon inside the vehicle, you must promptly announce that you have a license, and that a weapon is in the vehicle or on your person. Officials recommend that anyone, with a weapon or not, put their hands on the steering wheel of their vehicle. Do not reach for anything. Doing so may suggest to an officer that you are reaching for a gun. Do not get out of the vehicle and comply with all instructions.

Q. How do I carry my concealed handgun while driving?
A. Make sure the handgun is in a holster on your person in plain sight, locked in a glove compartment or locked in a transport box in plain sight.

Q. If I have a (CCW) license and I encounter a place where weapons are prohibited by law, such as a business with a posted sign or a government building, what can I do with my handgun?
A. It’s best to secure a handgun out of sight, in your vehicle. If you have a permit and intend to leave your gun in your car, you must store it in a locked glove compartment or locked gun case that is in plain sight (R.C. 2923.16.). It is also instructional to refer back to the current law on transporting a weapon in a car (even if you do not have a concealed carry license). Under current law (R.C. 2923.12.), the gun must be unloaded and stored in either:
•A compartment that can be reached only by leaving the vehicle such as a trunk or lockbox;

•In plain sight and secured in a rack or holder made for the purpose;

•In plain sight with the action open or the weapon stripped, or, if the firearm is of a type on which the action will not stay open or which cannot easily be stripped, in plain sight. Always remember to use extreme caution when unloading your gun.

Q. Should I bring my gun with me when I apply for a license at the sheriff’s office?
A. No. You cannot carry a gun into a sheriff’s office.

Q. Can I carry the gun concealed everywhere else?
A. No. Weapons are prohibited at some locations such as schools and government buildings. Also, local businesses will decide whether to allow guns on their property. And employers will decide whether employees can bring guns to work. For more information, please refer to page 9 of the Attorney General’s Concealed Carry Law publication.

Q. How will I know?
A. Those who prohibit guns must post a sign at the entrance of their facility.
For the full Concealed-Carry Weapons law, go to www.ag.state.oh.us.

For more information visit the Conceal Carry website provided by the Ohio Attorney's Office at:
http://www.ag.state.oh.us/web_applications/concealcarry/About.asp