Ohio Gun Laws And CCW Guide

Ohio is a permitless carry state. Since June 13, 2022, adults 21 and older who can legally have a gun may carry a concealed handgun without a license. Ohio calls them “qualifying adults.”

Ohio still issues a Concealed Handgun License (CHL), often called an Ohio CCW. This guide covers who can carry, how to get a CHL, the 8-hour training rule, reciprocity, open carry, vehicles, off-limits places, the duty to tell police and Ohio’s stand your ground law.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Ohio?

No, if you are a qualifying adult. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 2923.111 lets you carry a concealed handgun without a license if you are 21 or older and not barred from having firearms under state or federal law. You must also meet most of the same background criteria a CHL applicant must meet.

Qualifying adults can carry in the same places as license holders, and they follow the same rules. Under ORC 2923.111(C), duties written for licensees, such as answering an officer truthfully, apply to qualifying adults too.

You may not have any firearm if you are under a “weapons disability” (ORC 2923.13). That includes fugitives, people under indictment for or convicted of a felony offense of violence or a felony drug offense, people who are drug dependent or chronic alcoholics, and people with certain mental health adjudications. Federal law adds its own list.

Why Get An Ohio CCW License Anyway?

A CHL still does a lot that permitless carry can’t.

• Carry in other states. The Ohio Attorney General says Ohio license holders have reciprocity with 39 states. Permitless carry ends at the Ohio line.
• School zones. A CHL holder may keep a handgun in a locked vehicle in a school safety zone if it never leaves the vehicle (ORC 2923.122(D)(4)). The Attorney General’s manual says permitless carriers may not bring a handgun into a school safety zone, even in a car.
• Employer parking lots. Ohio’s parking lot law protects people “issued a valid concealed handgun license” (ORC 2923.1210).
• Bars and restaurants. ORC 2923.121 lets a license holder carry in places with a D liquor permit, as long as they are not drinking or under the influence.
• Faster gun purchases. The ATF’s Brady permit chart lists the Ohio CHL as an alternative to a NICS check at a gun dealer.

How To Get An Ohio CCW License

Ohio is “shall issue.” You apply to the sheriff of the county where you live or an adjacent county (ORC 2923.125).

1. Check eligibility. You must be at least 21 (ORC 2923.125(D)(1)(b)) and pass the background criteria in that section.
2. Complete the 8-hour training course and get your competency certificate. See the next section.
3. Call your sheriff’s office to confirm hours and what to bring. Don’t bring your handgun.
4. Apply in person. Bring your training certificate, a color photo taken within 30 days (some sheriffs take it on site) and the fee. You will be fingerprinted and certify that you read the Attorney General’s concealed carry publication.
5. Wait for the decision. The sheriff must act within 45 days of a complete application (ORC 2923.125(D)(1)).

Cost: $67 if you have lived in Ohio for 5 years or more. If you have lived in Ohio less than 5 years, or you are a nonresident who works in Ohio, the fee is $67 plus the cost of an FBI background check (ORC 2923.125(B)(1)(a)). Sheriffs must waive the fee for qualifying military members, veterans and certain retired officers.

Term: 5 years (ORC 2923.125(D)(2)(a)).

Find an instructor and the application details on the Ohio Attorney General’s concealed carry page.

Do You Need A Class For An Ohio Carry Permit?

Yes. ORC 2923.125(G)(1) requires at least 8 hours of training in the safe handling and use of a firearm. That must include “a minimum of two hours of in-person training that consists of range time and live-fire training.”

You must also pass a written test and an in-person demonstration of handgun competence (ORC 2923.125(G)(2)).

Can part of it be online? Yes, but not all of it.

Under ORC 2923.125(G)(3), the classroom portion that doesn’t involve handling a gun may be taught online or in a blended format. The instructor must be certified by a national gun advocacy organization.

The online training must include “an interactive component that regularly engages the person.” The written test may also be given online under the same conditions.

In plain terms, up to 6 hours can be online, but the 2 hours of range time and live fire must be in person. For the course as a whole, instructors may be certified by a national gun advocacy organization, the executive director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, or a government entity of another state (ORC 2923.125(B)(3)). The Attorney General’s manual says the competency certificate is valid for three years.

If you want a head start before your Ohio class, a short online safety course is a good primer. The course below is general firearm-safety training. It is not a license, and it does not by itself satisfy Ohio’s 8-hour requirement or replace the in-person range time.

Can Non-Residents Get An Ohio CCW License?

Only if you work in Ohio. A nonresident may apply to the sheriff of the county where they are employed, or an adjacent county, with “adequate proof of employment in Ohio” (ORC 2923.125(B)(7)). The fee is $67 plus the FBI background check cost.

Most visitors don’t need one. Ohio honors carry licenses from every other state (ORC 109.69). Visitors 21 and older who can legally have a gun can also carry under Ohio’s permitless law.

Which States Honor The Ohio CCW License?

The Ohio Attorney General’s 2025 Concealed Carry Annual Report says Ohio license holders have reciprocity with 39 states, by agreement or automatic recognition. The same report lists 10 states that do not honor the Ohio license: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island. It adds that Minnesota has let Ohioans carry without an agreement since August 2024.

For a current state-by-state view, use the Attorney General’s Ohio CCW reciprocity map. Some states honor only resident licenses, so nonresident CHL holders should check each state.

Licenses Ohio honors: Since March 23, 2015, Ohio recognizes a valid carry license from any other state held by a nonresident, whether or not Ohio has an agreement with that state (ORC 109.69).

Going next door? See our guides for Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Ohio?

Yes. The Ohio Attorney General’s concealed carry manual says open carry is legal in Ohio and that the concealed carry laws don’t regulate it. It also says, “If you openly carry, use caution.”

The manual does not set a separate minimum age for open carry. If you are under 21, talk to a local attorney before you open carry a handgun.

Ohio law also preempts local gun rules. ORC 9.68 calls the right to keep and bear arms “a fundamental individual right” and voids local rules that add licenses, permits or other restrictions.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Ohio?

Yes. License holders and qualifying adults may have a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle (ORC 2923.16(F)(5)).

Motorcycles count as motor vehicles. You may not have a loaded handgun in a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (ORC 2923.16(D)).

If you are stopped with a loaded handgun in the vehicle, ORC 2923.16(E) says you must:

• Disclose the handgun if the officer asks.
• Stay in the vehicle and keep your hands in plain sight, unless the officer directs otherwise.
• Not touch the handgun unless the officer directs you to.
• Follow lawful orders during the stop.

Touching the gun during a stop is a felony. Leaving the vehicle or ignoring orders can cost you your license.

Employer parking lots: Under ORC 2923.1210, employers and property owners may not ban a CHL holder from keeping a firearm and ammunition in their own vehicle, if the gun stays inside the vehicle while you are in it, or is locked in the trunk, glove box or another enclosed compartment, and the vehicle is somewhere it is allowed to be. The statute names license holders, so a CHL removes any doubt.

School parking lots: A CHL holder may keep a handgun in a school safety zone only if it stays in the vehicle and the vehicle is locked when you leave it (ORC 2923.122(D)(4)). Per the Attorney General, permitless carriers have no such exception. A violation is a felony.

College campuses: A license holder may leave a handgun in a locked vehicle on college property (ORC 2923.126(B)(5)).

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Ohio

ORC 2923.126(B) lists the places a license does not cover. The same limits apply to permitless carriers.

• Police stations, sheriff’s offices, Highway Patrol posts, BCI premises, jails and correctional facilities (ORC 2923.126(B)(1)).
• Airport terminals past the security checkpoint (ORC 2923.126(B)(1)).
• Certain state mental health and developmental disability institutions (ORC 2923.126(B)(1)).
• School safety zones, including school buses and school activities (ORC 2923.122).
• Courthouses and other buildings with a courtroom (ORC 2923.123).
• Bars and other D liquor permit premises if you are drinking or under the influence (ORC 2923.121).
• College and university property, unless the school allows it or the gun stays in a locked vehicle (ORC 2923.126(B)(5)).
• Places of worship, unless they post or allow otherwise (ORC 2923.126(B)(6)).
• Government facilities, except shelters, restrooms, parking facilities and rest areas, unless the governing body allows carry (ORC 2923.126(B)(7)).
• Places where federal law bans handguns (ORC 2923.126(B)(8)).
• Private property posted with a “no guns” sign. Knowingly ignoring the sign is criminal trespass. If the property is mainly a parking lot, it is only a civil matter. Posted child care centers carry a stiffer charge (ORC 2923.126(C)(3)).

Duty to inform: Since SB 215, you no longer have to tell an officer right away that you are armed. But if an officer asks whether you are carrying, you must answer truthfully.

Knowingly failing to disclose a concealed handgun “before or at the time a law enforcement officer asks” is a second-degree misdemeanor (ORC 2923.12(B)(1)). The same rule applies in vehicles (ORC 2923.16(E)(1)) and to qualifying adults (ORC 2923.111(C)).

Ohio Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Ohio became a stand your ground state on April 6, 2021. Under ORC 2901.09(B), a person has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense, defense of another or defense of their residence “if that person is in a place in which the person lawfully has a right to be.” A jury may not consider the possibility of retreat when judging whether your force was reasonable (ORC 2901.09(C)).

Ohio’s castle doctrine is in ORC 2901.05(B)(2). You are presumed to have acted in self-defense when using deadly force against someone unlawfully entering, or who has unlawfully entered, the residence or vehicle you occupy.

The presumption doesn’t apply if the other person lives there or has a right to be there, or if you are there unlawfully. Prosecutors can rebut it.

Once there is evidence of self-defense, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did not act in self-defense (ORC 2901.05(B)(1)).

On the civil side, ORC 2307.601 says you have no duty to retreat in a lawsuit either. It does not grant blanket civil immunity, so you can still be sued.

The AG’s manual also stresses the limits. You must not have started the fight, and deadly force is never allowed just to protect property.

None of this stops an arrest, an investigation or charges. You may have to prove your case in court, and a legal defense can be expensive.

Ohio Gun Laws FAQ

How Do You Renew An Ohio Concealed Carry License?

Apply to a sheriff before or after your license expires. Renewal costs $50 if you have lived in Ohio 5 years or more, plus the FBI check cost otherwise.

You don’t need new training. You certify that you reread the required state publication (ORC 2923.125(F)).

Can You Carry A Gun In Ohio Without A License?

Yes, if you are 21 or older and not prohibited from having a firearm (ORC 2923.111). You must follow the same location rules and police-stop rules as license holders.

Do You Have To Register A Gun In Ohio?

No. Ohio has no gun registration requirement. ORC 9.68 also blocks cities and counties from adding their own license, permit or similar requirements.

Can A Felon Own A Gun In Ohio?

Not if the felony was an offense of violence or a drug felony, unless they have been legally relieved from disability. Finishing a sentence alone doesn’t count (ORC 2923.13). Federal law separately bars most people with felony convictions.

Does Ohio Honor Other States’ Permits?

Yes. Ohio honors a valid license from any state held by a nonresident (ORC 109.69). Visitors 21 and older can also carry under the permitless law.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Ohio?

Only if the church allows it. ORC 2923.126(B)(6) bans carry in a place of worship unless it “posts or permits otherwise.”

A church can give that permission, for example to members of its security team. If your church does this, look at legal protection for church security teams.

Sources

• ORC 2923.125 (Concealed Handgun License)
• ORC 2923.111 (Qualifying Adults)
• ORC 2923.126 (Prohibited Places)
• ORC 2923.12 (Carrying Concealed Weapons)
• ORC 2923.16 (Firearms In Vehicles)
• ORC 2923.1210 (Firearms In Locked Vehicles)
• ORC 2923.122 (School Safety Zones)
• ORC 2923.121 (Liquor Permit Premises)
• ORC 2923.13 (Weapons Under Disability)
• ORC 9.68 (State Preemption)
• ORC 2901.09 (No Duty To Retreat)
• ORC 2901.05 (Burden Of Proof And Presumptions)
• ORC 2307.601 (Civil Actions)
• Ohio Attorney General: Concealed Carry Laws Manual
• Ohio Attorney General: Reciprocity Agreements
• Ohio Attorney General: 2025 Concealed Carry Annual Report
• ATF: Permanent Brady Permit Chart
• Handgunlaw.us: Ohio (secondary source)