Ohio Expands Concealed Carry Handgun Rights

COLUMBUS, OH - Concealed carry laws have expanded who and where a concealed handgun can be carried, thanks to Senate Bill 199. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has updated Concealed Carry Laws Manual and released the manual to the public.

The new laws allow concealed handguns to be carried inside daycare centers, unless otherwise posted. Concealed handguns can also be carried in airports, at universities, within privately owned vehicles at businesses, and within vehicles that are inside school safety zones (as long as the cars are locked).

Concealed handgun at airports may not pass through screening checkpoints or other restrict areas, but are now allowed on airport premises. Ohio colleges and universities may decide for themselves whether or not concealed handguns will be permitted on campus. Businesses and employers are no longer allowed to prohibit concealed handgun licensees from keeping their weapon in a privately owned vehicle, as long as the vehicle is properly parked.

Active duty military can also carry a concealed handgun without needing a license. However, the individual must be carrying proper military identification and proof of handgun training in the license's stead.

You can access the revised Concealed Carry Manual by clicking here.

Senate Bill 199 passed in December 2016 and was co-sponsored by State Senators Randy Gardener (R-Bowling Green) and Joe Uecker (R-Miami Township). In a press release from that time, Uecker celebrated the passage of the law, saying, "Protection of our Second Amendment Rights must be take seriously, and my sponsorship of this legislation reflects the wishes of many of my constituents."

You can access the full text of Senate Bill 199 by clicking here.

The Violence Policy Center, which lobbies against concealed handgun laws, decried the enactment of the law. In an email to Patch, Kristen Rand, legislative director, said, "The sad legacy of concealed carry is that handguns in public places serve only to increase the likelihood that everyday spats and disputes will escalate to homicide. The VPC has collected countless such examples on our website, concealedcarrykillers.org. The new Ohio law only increases the number of places where innocent people are likely to die because a random citizen has ready access to a gun."

The National Rifle Association did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

The expansion of where concealed carry handguns can go legally, and who can have concealed handguns, come after a record-breaking number of concealed carry licenses were issued in 2016. The state's sheriffs issued more than 158,000 licenses last year, the most since 2004.

The report, released on March 1, shows that 117,953 new licenses were issued in Ohio last year. That's in addition to 40,982 license renewals. The previous record for new licenses issued was in 2013 when county sheriffs gave out 96,972 new licenses.

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