Concealed Weapons

• People are banned from carrying a concealed handgun or other deadly weapon in Ohio. An exception applies to individuals who have a license or emergency license to carry a concealed handgun issued by the state of Ohio or by a state that has entered into an agreement with Ohio. Those who do not abide by the rules regulating concealed gun licenses may have their licenses revoked. The ban does not apply to police officers or officers employed by the state.
  
  

Traffic Stops

• Those with a concealed weapon license must inform law enforcement officers they have the weapon if they are stopped. A licensed person carrying a concealed weapon must keep their hands in plain sight as the officer approaches the vehicle and during the stop. The person may not touch the handgun unless instructed by the officer to do so. Those who fail to abide by the regulations may be charged with illegally carrying a concealed weapon.
  
  

Prohibitions on Water Vessels

• Ohio’s Revised Code uses the same definition for firearms and handguns. According to section 1547.69 of the code, it is illegal for a person to “discharge a firearm in or on a vessel.” People are prohibited from transporting a firearm in a vessel unless it is unloaded and carried in a closed container or “in plain sight” with the bullets removed or the action open. The restrictions do not apply to law enforcement officers or persons transporting weapons for the purpose of hunting or who have a license to carry a weapon.
  
  

Licensing Process

• Individuals who wish to obtain a concealed handgun license must obtain a free permit from a sheriff. License applicants must submit the completed application, the applicable fees, a recent color photograph, a set of fingerprints and a certificate of completion from an approved firearm safety course. Those who have lived in Ohio for less than five years must also pay for a background check performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Applications are approved or denied within 45 days. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and not have a felony record or be currently under indictment.
  
  

Effectiveness

• Ohio’s gun safety laws score low on the effectiveness chart according to the Brady Campaign, which is a gun-safety consumer advocacy group. According to the organization, “Ohio has weak gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market and allow the sale of guns without background checks.” The Brady Campaign utilizes a point system to rate the effectiveness of state gun laws. On the scale, Ohio scored 11 out of a possible 100 points.