Ohio allows both open carry and concealed carry of handguns, and the concealed carry laws in Ohio no longer require a permit for most adults. Open carry is legal without a license for anyone at least 18 who can lawfully possess a firearm. Concealed carry became permitless on June 13, 2022, so adults 21 and older who are not otherwise prohibited can carry a concealed handgun without a Concealed Handgun License. The state still issues CHLs, and there are real reasons to get one even though the law no longer forces you to.
Open Carry Rules
Carrying a firearm in plain view is legal in Ohio without a permit. Ohio’s statutes do not set a state-specific minimum age for open carry, so federal law controls and you must be at least 18 to possess a handgun.{1Department of Justice. Quick Reference to Federal Firearms Laws} You also cannot be someone otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, such as a convicted felon or a person subject to a domestic violence protection order.
Local governments cannot add their own rules on top. Under Ohio Revised Code 9.68, no city or county can impose additional licensing requirements, bans, or delays on carrying firearms beyond what state and federal law require. You won’t run into a municipal open carry ban that differs from the statewide rule.
One restriction catches people off guard: carrying any firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a separate criminal offense, and it applies to open and concealed carry alike.
Permitless Concealed Carry
Under Senate Bill 215, any adult at least 21 years old who is not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm can carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without a license.{2Ohio Legislature. Senate Bill 215} The location restrictions that apply to CHL holders apply to permitless carriers too, with one important gap around school zones covered below.
Permitless carry did not change who can legally possess a firearm. A felony conviction, a qualifying drug offense, an active protection order, or any other disqualifying condition still makes carrying a crime.{3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.12 – Carrying Concealed Weapons} For a prohibited person, the offense can be charged as a fourth-degree felony if a loaded firearm is involved or if the person has a prior conviction for a violent offense.
Why Get a Concealed Handgun License Anyway
The biggest reason is reciprocity. An Ohio CHL is recognized in dozens of other states through formal agreements and automatic recognition, and Ohio in turn recognizes valid concealed carry licenses from every other state.{4Ohio Attorney General. Concealed Carry Reciprocity Agreements} If you travel with a firearm, that matters, because permitless carry laws vary widely and many states that honor Ohio’s license do not allow permitless carry by non-residents.
A CHL also serves as an alternative to the federal background check when you buy a firearm from a licensed dealer. The ATF recognizes Ohio’s CHL and Temporary Emergency License as qualifying permits under the Brady Act, so presenting one can substitute for a NICS check at the point of sale.{5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brady Permit Chart}
The third reason is school safety zones. Under federal law, carrying a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school is a crime unless you hold a state-issued license. CHL holders are covered by that exception. Permitless carriers are not, meaning you can comply with Ohio law and still violate the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act simply by driving through the wrong neighborhood. This is the single biggest practical gap between carrying with and without a license.
CHL Eligibility and Training
To qualify for an Ohio Concealed Handgun License you must be at least 21, a legal resident of the United States, and an Ohio resident for at least 45 days. You must also have lived in the county where you apply, or an adjacent county, for at least 30 days. Non-residents who work in Ohio can also apply.{6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.125 – Issuance of Concealed Handgun License}
Training runs at least eight hours: six hours of classroom instruction covering safe handling, storage, and ammunition basics, plus two hours of live-fire range time. Courses generally cost $50 to $200. The certificate you receive is valid for three years from the date of completion, so an older certificate will not work.
Several conditions disqualify you:
- Any felony conviction.
- Certain drug offenses, including being a chronic user of or dependent on drugs or alcohol.
- Convictions for assault on a peace officer or other misdemeanors punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
- Being subject to a civil protection order or equivalent order from another state.
- Fugitive status.
- Having been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution.
A pending charge for a misdemeanor offense of violence also disqualifies you until it is resolved.{6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.125 – Issuance of Concealed Handgun License}
Applying and Renewing
Applications go through the sheriff’s office in the county where you live or an adjacent county. Bring a completed application form (leave it unsigned until you are in front of the sheriff’s notary), a valid photo ID, and your original training certificate. The sheriff runs criminal background and mental health records checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.{7Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Concealed Carry Permit}
The new-application fee is $67, with an additional $10 for an FBI check if you have not lived in Ohio for at least five years. The sheriff has 45 days to issue or deny.
Renewal costs $50 and requires no additional training, no matter how long the prior license has been expired. You will need to present your prior Ohio CHL and submit to another background check. Some counties require appointments or accept only specific payment methods, so call ahead.
Carrying in a Vehicle
Ohio Revised Code 2923.16 generally prohibits transporting a loaded firearm in a vehicle in a way that makes it accessible to the driver or any passenger without leaving the vehicle.{8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.16 – Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle} That general accessibility rule does not apply to people legally carrying concealed, whether under a CHL or permitless carry. If you are 21 or older and lawfully allowed to possess a firearm, you can have a loaded handgun accessible in your vehicle.
What you cannot do is have a loaded handgun in the vehicle while under the influence, or with blood alcohol or controlled substance levels above the limits set for vehicle operation.
Duty to Inform During a Traffic Stop
Here the law draws a clear line between CHL holders and permitless carriers. If you hold a CHL and get stopped by law enforcement, you must disclose that you are carrying a concealed handgun before or at the moment the officer asks. Failing to disclose is a second-degree misdemeanor.{3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.12 – Carrying Concealed Weapons}
During the stop, CHL holders must also stay in the vehicle unless directed otherwise, keep their hands in plain sight, avoid touching the firearm unless the officer specifically directs them to do so, and follow all lawful orders.
If you carry without a CHL under permitless carry, you are not legally required to volunteer that you are armed. Many officers and instructors recommend disclosing anyway, but the legal obligation is not there for permitless carriers the way it is for CHL holders.
Where You Cannot Carry
Ohio Revised Code 2923.126 lists specific off-limits locations, and these apply equally to CHL holders and permitless carriers:
- Government buildings that house a courtroom, along with police stations and other law enforcement facilities.
- Jails, prisons, and other correctional facilities.
- School buildings, school grounds, school-sponsored activities, and school buses. The state exception for passing through in a vehicle applies only to CHL holders because of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act.
- Airport areas beyond the security checkpoint.
- Places of worship, unless the church, synagogue, or mosque posts a notice allowing firearms.
- The liquor-permitted area of a bar or restaurant if you have consumed any alcohol, or if the establishment posts a prohibition.
Private property owners and businesses can also prohibit firearms by posting conspicuous signage. Ohio law does not specify exact wording or dimensions, but the Ohio Attorney General’s office advises that signs should clearly state that firearms or concealed handguns are prohibited on the premises.{9Ohio Attorney General. Concealed Carry Laws and License Application} Ignoring a posted sign on most private property can bring criminal trespass charges. In parking lots the violation is civil rather than criminal, so the property owner can sue for trespass but you would not face criminal charges for having a firearm in your car in a posted lot.
License Suspension and Revocation
A county sheriff must suspend your CHL if you are arrested for or charged with a qualifying violent offense, charged with carrying under the influence, or become subject to a temporary protection order. The suspension lasts until the charge is dismissed, you are acquitted, or the protection order is terminated. A conviction for certain disclosure violations during a law enforcement stop results in a one- to two-year suspension depending on the specific offense.{10Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2923.128 – Suspension and Revocation of License}
Revocation is mandatory when the sheriff learns that a CHL holder no longer meets the age or residency requirements, is convicted of a disqualifying offense after the license was issued, becomes subject to a civil protection order, is adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution, knowingly carries a concealed handgun into a prohibited location, or submitted a forged or fraudulent training certificate with the original application. A conviction or adjudication that has been sealed or expunged cannot be used as a basis for suspension or revocation.