Ohio Conceal Carry License/Laws for New Resident

[Evergreen]

I lost my business due to Covid and now will be leaving Nashville, TN because it has become too expensive for me to live. I'm looking at headed over to the Buckeye state and very likely could relocate to the Columbus, OH area with the hope of finding a new job and more affordable living on my shoestring budget. The one thing about moving to Ohio that bothers me is obtaining a CHL is more challenging than other states with its requirements for 8+ hour firearm course. I've already taken three of these (TN, NC and one in OR Firearms Academy) and it's a real pain with my limited time and disability (bad neck/back from years of software work). The worst part is the hours of sitting for the courses. As well , with the Pandemic it makes it even more complex as some states have shut down their governments processing of CHLs and even driver licenses for new residents.

My questions are in regards to the laws of being a new Ohio resident and getting a concealed handgun license during the Pandemic and in regards to if any of my current permits would be recognized there. I've done some research about the laws in Ohio and I find them a bit confusing. I even called one Sheriff department and they didn't seem to know the laws of their state in regards to new residents with out of state permits. I didn't dig too deep there and may try to call a few more and ask for a deputy than a receptionist. I've looked on a few government websites and will have to dig deeper. However, if anyone is versed in the conceal carry laws for Ohio residents it would be very helpful to hear.

I still cannot figure out if I move to Ohio if my various concealed handgun licenses will be valid. I read a case scenario about 7 years ago of a jogger getting stopped by the police in a park. He had a Florida CHL and after the officers detained him shortly and researched the law he was let go. It turned out that at that time Ohio recognized a FLorida CHL even for a resident without an Ohio CHL. I have read that Ohio recognizes out of state CHLs from every staet. Currently I have an in-state TN Enhanced permit (which I hear is only valid if I am TN resident, but is never deactivated), but I also have a valid out of state Arizona, Utah and Idaho CC/CWP permits.

Some states I know, like North Carolina will recognize all your out of state permits indefinitely if you are a resident. However, Tennessee, where I live, is strange and they only recognize your out of state permit for like 90 days.. Yeah, I talked to several people about this. I am wondering if Ohio will indefinitely recognize my out of state permits as I have heard the law was in the past? Or, has anything change and do they now require you to immediately or within a certain time period get an Ohio CHL when you become a resident? Also, does anyone know with Covid outbreak if Ohio is processing CHLs , Driver Licenses and that there are training courses available? I am told my out of state training certificates are not valid in Ohio.

I appreciate the information people can give me here.

 

[DoubleMag]

As far as I know (IMHO) and what happens in most states. Your current, valid CHL should be valid in Ohio, up until you become a resident. Once residency is established, clock starts. There should be easy to find reciprocity info out there.

Here these guys https://ohioccwforums.org/index.php can/ will tell you ALL, they are in the state capital all the time, legislation etc.

 

[rtroha]

The Ohio Attorney General website has a concealed carry manual that will help you become familiar with Ohio concealed carry laws. Also, it is a requirement that you read the manual when you apply for an Ohio CHL.

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Concealed-Carry

How long your out-of-state licenses are valid for depends on whether or not that state has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio. If there is an agreement, your license is valid until it expires. If no agreement, your license is valid for six months after you become an Ohio resident. Ohio Revised Code 109.69 explains this. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/109.69

The Ohio Attorney General link above also has a link to all the reciprocity agreements so you can check to see if any of those apply to your licenses.

 

[bearcreek]

I'm a CHL instructor here in Ohio, FWIW.

The one thing about moving to Ohio that bothers me is obtaining a CHL is more challenging than other states with its requirements for 8+ hour firearm course. I've already taken three of these (TN, NC and one in OR Firearms Academy) and it's a real pain with my limited time and disability (bad neck/back from years of software work). The worst part is the hours of sitting for the courses. As well , with the Pandemic it makes it even more complex as some states have shut down their governments processing of CHLs and even driver licenses for new residents.

Check out this site. https://handgunlaw.us/ It's the best resource I know of for researching the details of each state's handgun carry laws. Most of the class, other than the range portion, can now be done online. Processing of CHL applications is still ongoing. Some Sheriff's departments tried to shut down but were told that they were not permitted to do so (as it should be).

I even called one Sheriff department and they didn't seem to know the laws of their state in regards to new residents with out of state permits. I didn't dig too deep there and may try to call a few more and ask for a deputy than a receptionist.

Police officers are often a very poor source of information regarding firearms laws. To be blunt, you're wasting your time asking them questions and it may cause problems due to false information. If you get in trouble, the court isn't going to care what you were told by a cop on the phone.

I still cannot figure out if I move to Ohio if my various concealed handgun licenses will be valid. I read a case scenario about 7 years ago of a jogger getting stopped by the police in a park. He had a Florida CHL and after the officers detained him shortly and researched the law he was let go. It turned out that at that time Ohio recognized a FLorida CHL even for a resident without an Ohio CHL. I have read that Ohio recognizes out of state CHLs from every staet. Currently I have an in-state TN Enhanced permit (which I hear is only valid if I am TN resident, but is never deactivated), but I also have a valid out of state Arizona, Utah and Idaho CC/CWP permits.

Idon't know of anything that would prevent your nonresident permits from being valid here (obviously assuming that they're not expired) but I'm not sure. All of my students have been Ohio residents. Check that website I linked above.

Also, does anyone know with Covid outbreak if Ohio is processing CHLs , Driver Licenses

They are

and that there are training courses available?

There are some. My brother will be conducting one next weekend. I'm sure the choices are more limited than in the past, partly because of Covid fears but mainly because so many people are rushing to get permits right now and classes fill up fast.

I am told my out of state training certificates are not valid in Ohio.

Told by whom? The relevant portion of the ORC is here. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.125

 

[JN01]

I recently moved from just north of Cincinnati to Sevier Co Tennessee. Cost of living is much lower here. Concealed carry laws are less restrictive here as well.

 

[Evergreen]

Wow, thanks so much for these responses, they have been very helpful.. I definitely have more research to do but people here have definitely educated me more..

The Ohio Attorney General website has a concealed carry manual that will help you become familiar with Ohio concealed carry laws. Also, it is a requirement that you read the manual when you apply for an Ohio CHL.

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Concealed-Carry

How long your out-of-state licenses are valid for depends on whether or not that state has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio. If there is an agreement, your license is valid until it expires. If no agreement, your license is valid for six months after you become an Ohio resident. Ohio Revised Code 109.69 explains this. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/109.69

The Ohio Attorney General link above also has a link to all the reciprocity agreements so you can check to see if any of those apply to your licenses.

I will definitely review the AG website and that is usually my ultimate source of knowledge ,assuming the site is laid out easy enough for me to understand it. After looking at a reciprocity map, it appears Ohio has reciprocity with AZ, UT and ID.. My TN permit will become invalid (I believe) when I leave TN, so won't rely on that. My permits will be valid for quite a few years as I obtained them just last year. Of course, I would hope to obtain a local Ohio CHL before then, it is just I am going through a hard time in life, have some disabilities and considering I just did this already in TN I am hoping I can hold off a bit if possible. Although, I always usually want tot get the permit of the state I am in. In TN you had to wait 8 hours at DMV to get your CHL.. I didn't even bother here until the Pandemic hit and the wait time was reduced. Waiting in DMV all day was torture or having to get there 3 hours early. It looks like Sheriffs issue CHLs in Ohio which is so much better. However, because of long courses, I would have to hold off, although will be reading the laws there maybe even before visiting. I always need to the know firearm laws of any state I plan on residing or even travelling through. On my cross country journey from Seattle to Charlotte I read every states law I was passing through. Illinois was a real headache, e.g.

I'm a CHL instructor here in Ohio, FWIW.
Check out this site. https://handgunlaw.us/ It's the best resource I know of for researching the details of each state's handgun carry laws. Most of the class, other than the range portion, can now be done online. Processing of CHL applications is still ongoing. Some Sheriff's departments tried to shut down but were told that they were not permitted to do so (as it should be).

Great information, if I could do some of course online that would be great.. I've been on that site before and will check i out again. It is the classroom stuff that is the biggest pain.. Don't mind the range portion. Ironically, in TN if you fail the written or range you have to take the whole course all over again. Hahah. Not that most people do fail it. But the written exam was not easy, actually; thankfully, it had a low passing score. The written exam I took in North Carolina was super easy.

Police officers are often a very poor source of information regarding firearms laws. To be blunt, you're wasting your time asking them questions and it may cause problems due to false information. If you get in trouble, the court isn't going to care what you were told by a cop on the phone.
Idon't know of anything that would prevent your nonresident permits from being valid here (obviously assuming that they're not expired) but I'm not sure. All of my students have been Ohio residents. Check that website I linked above.

I agree, but I always just start with Sheriff (esp if they are the ones issuing permits. Sometimes I will call a few different departments. Sometimes they are knowledgeable, but many times they are not only not knowledgeable, they don't know the laws themselves. Yeah, I probably should even avoid calling LE agencies for this info. Although, sometimes I worry if the local cops don't know the laws, what happens at a traffic stop? They did seem to know that my out of state permits were legal as a visitor, it just was the complex question if I became a resident they didn't get. You are a much better resource and I appreciate you sharing with me; which is another reason I posted it here. I feel there are much more knowledgeable people on this forum to ask than LE agencies.

Evergreen said: ↑
and that there are training courses available?

Told by whom? The relevant portion of the ORC is here. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.125

I'm referring to the North Carolina and Tennessee 8-hour NRA course certificate for each of those states conceal carry licenses. I actually called a gun range in Ohio that does CCW course and they told me my Tennessee and North Carolina 8-hour NRA course would not be valid for obtaining an Ohio CHL permit. Some states , like Florida, allow out of state course certificates if they have range time. I am assuming she was correct, but I also know that many of places that teach CCW courses could just say that so you sign up for their course and can collect the training fee. Not saying she was doing that, she could be correct, possibly or maybe doesn't know. Do you know if I can use one of my TN or NC 8-hour certificates to get an Ohio CHL? Or would I have to do the Ohio courses and get an Ohio certificate? Ironically, neither TN or NC would accept either state's certificates which is why I had to take both courses. Both were taught by NRA Certified Law enforcement/Former LE instructors, including written test and live range qualification.

I recently moved from just north of Cincinnati to Sevier Co Tennessee. Cost of living is much lower here. Concealed carry laws are less restrictive here as well.

Hey JN01.. Glad to hear you are doing well in Cincinnati and that the conceal carry laws are less restrictive. Coming from the Pacific Northwest (where I am from), I was surprised at the increased amount of restrictions that Tennessee had for conceal carry and even a permit to open carry (not that I do that unless I am hiking in rural area). Gun signs have force of law among other things. Of course, the future of gun freedom in the Pac NW is debatable. Tn has been loosening its gun restrictions little by little. But, I am glad to hear Ohio is better than here. Yeah, the cost of living in Nashville is skyrocketing (property tax increase) even with the hit to the economy and jobs are disappearing. Many cannot understand why I am moving to Ohio, but I tell them reasonable cost of living , similar scenery and similar , if not higher wages. I am looking at Columbus, but have also considered Cincinnati as well. Might be taking a trip up there after July 4th.

 

[George P]

What type of work are you looking for? Maybe Ohio is the best place, maybe another place is...............Are you still doing software type work? Are you looking to work from home? If so,m then you can live anywhere and I would look at states with no income tax like TX, FL and TN.. Income and job should be first priority over CCW....... JMO, YMMV

 

[Evergreen]

What type of work are you looking for? Maybe Ohio is the best place, maybe another place is...............Are you still doing software type work? Are you looking to work from home? If so,m then you can live anywhere and I would look at states with no income tax like TX, FL and TN.. Income and job should be first priority over CCW....... JMO, YMMV

George, this is not solely about CCW. Although, I wont live in any place that doesn't respect the 2A and has crappy gun laws. Yeah, I am unemployed and desperate for work. I've been an application software developer for many years and looking to transform myself into a back-end web developer. I ran and developed a dental software business for many years. Which is why I need to move to a cheaper place where I maybe can even get a part-time job. Yeah, I would prefer working from home. I will need a year to study for interviews, since I have not been on job market for so long and have to acquire some skills I am wanting for a better job.

I live in TN and its very expensive here. If I stay in TN I will be living in some very bad areas. Texas is far (cost more to move) and the cities are not cheap there. I had a friend in Tampa and did want to live there at a time, but the cost of living is like 3-4 times that of Ohio. Nashville 3-4x, even Knoxville is 2x as expensive as Columbus. THe lack of state income tax doesn't make up for how much more I would be spending to live here. Even worst parts of Nashville are more expensive than nice parts of Columbus. Ohio's state tax would only be around 3-4% for me and TN has 10% sales tax (even on online purchases and food purchases).

I've been thinking long and hard and don't have any more time to think about it.. I'm pretty set on going to COlumbus (possibly Cincinnati), I may need local part-time job while I do my training. Right now I have zero income, so state tax is least of my worries, esp with lower income tax state like Ohio.

 

[George P]

PM sent to not stray off topic

 

[bearcreek]

Great information, if I could do some of course online that would be great.. I've been on that site before and will check i out again. It is the classroom stuff that is the biggest pain.. Don't mind the range portion. Ironically, in TN if you fail the written or range you have to take the whole course all over again. Hahah. Not that most people do fail it. But the written exam was not easy, actually; thankfully, it had a low passing score. The written exam I took in North Carolina was super easy.

Here in Ohio there isn't a specific test or curriculum that is mandated, just a list of subjects that the course must cover. Many instructors use the NRA curriculum, but they don't have to (I don't).

I actually called a gun range in Ohio that does CCW course and they told me my Tennessee and North Carolina 8-hour NRA course would not be valid for obtaining an Ohio CHL permit.

Something I tell my students is that the four biggest culprits when it comes to spreading misinformation about gun laws are (in no particular order) gun store employees, cops, random folks on internet forums and CHL instructors. Anything that any of them says needs to be back checked with the official source. If they can't (or won't) provide the official source, they're either too busy, too lazy, too ignorant or they're lying. That being said, I can't find anything in the ORC that says the course must be taught in the state of Ohio in order to qualify. It only gives the required qualifications for the instructor and the subject matter of the class, not it's geographic location. The certificates that our students receive don't have the class location on them, only the name of the school, and the instructors names and NRA certification numbers.

 

[Evergreen]

Here in Ohio there isn't a specific test or curriculum that is mandated, just a list of subjects that the course must cover. Many instructors use the NRA curriculum, but they don't have to (I don't).
Something I tell my students is that the four biggest culprits when it comes to spreading misinformation about gun laws are (in no particular order) gun store employees, cops, random folks on internet forums and CHL instructors. Anything that any of them says needs to be back checked with the official source. If they can't (or won't) provide the official source, they're either too busy, too lazy, too ignorant or they're lying. That being said, I can't find anything in the ORC that says the course must be taught in the state of Ohio in order to qualify. It only gives the required qualifications for the instructor and the subject matter of the class, not it's geographic location. The certificates that our students receive don't have the class location on them, only the name of the school, and the instructors names and NRA certification numbers.

Wow, that is a great news breakcreek! That would be so wonderful if I don't have to take another one of those courses and could just use the certificates I have. Ugh.. I mean if I have no choice, but if I can use my certificates then I will be golden. I will have to go and figure out who is the right person I talk to verify that my certificate is acceptable. In North Carolina, I could call their Attorney General and talk to a human, wonder if I could do the same in Ohio. Sometimes its a little hard to read through all the legal jargon in the state law statutes. Do you think if I call the department of the Sheriff in Franklin County that handles concealed handgun applications if they could verify if my Tennessee or North Carolina certificates would be valid for the application? They are the ones I see that handle the CHL applications.

I totally agree with you to take everything with a grain of salt when it comes to all the various culprits of potentially false info that you mention. Haha, yeah I know gun stores that have CCW courses and make money on them can be very suspicious. Even in TN when I went for my CHL course you would have been shocked some of the things they told me just about the TN test. One person said I had to qualify with a very tiny target and he said many people fail the test the first time..He said I should come over and do some practice at the range before taking it. Hahha.. I went to another place for my course where they laughed that one off. The live range test was pretty easy.. LOL

Anyway, it's sounding pretty good with Ohio's CHL laws and maybe I won't even have to take another course. I will cross my fingers

 

[bearcreek]

Wow, that is a great news breakcreek! That would be so wonderful if I don't have to take another one of those courses and could just use the certificates I have. Ugh.. I mean if I have no choice, but if I can use my certificates then I will be golden.

One thing that may be a factor is that the date on the certificate has to be within three years in order to be valid. I've had several students procrastinate getting their permit (drives me nuts) and have to take the class again.

 

[JN01]

Hey JN01.. Glad to hear you are doing well in Cincinnati and that the conceal carry laws are less restrictive. Coming from the Pacific Northwest (where I am from), I was surprised at the increased amount of restrictions that Tennessee had for conceal carry and even a permit to open carry (not that I do that unless I am hiking in rural area). Gun signs have force of law among other things. Of course, the future of gun freedom in the Pac NW is debatable. Tn has been loosening its gun restrictions little by little. But, I am glad to hear Ohio is better than here. Yeah, the cost of living in Nashville is skyrocketing (property tax increase) even with the hit to the economy and jobs are disappearing. Many cannot understand why I am moving to Ohio, but I tell them reasonable cost of living , similar scenery and similar , if not higher wages. I am looking at Columbus, but have also considered Cincinnati as well. Might be taking a trip up there after July 4th.

Sorry you misunderstood, I moved out of Ohio and currently live in Tennessee. Ohio laws are more restrictive than TN. Gun buster signs have force of law in OH, but unlike TN, violating them in some areas is a felony. You must also immediately notify any LE who makes contact with you in an official capacity that you have a CHL if you are carrying. This has led to problems on occasion (guy arrested for failing to notify in spite of the fact that the cop wouldn't allow him to speak, guy arrested for notifying the first 5 officers on scene but not the 6th, etc). License is good for 5 years instead of 8. For a young guy, a lifetime license in TN is a good deal, no such thing in OH.

They have had incremental changes over the years, when first passed, it was a terrible law. When travelling in a car, the gun had to be in "plain view" (even with a CPL) which could be defined by whatever police officer stopped you. It was a felony to carry in any place that served alcohol, but the business was not required to post the fact. Essentially, you could sit down in a restaurant, look at the menu and discover that they serve beer at that you were an inadvertent felon. Luckily, those provisions are gone.

The most frustrating part is that even with a Republican House, Senate, and Governor, the legislature is very slow at making any improvements. They have a 2 year legislative session, any bill not passed at the end of the term is dead. Typically, as soon as they meet after the election, you will have a bunch of fantastic bills introduced. Then they have to go through committee hearings, then they vote on it, and usually pass it. Then it goes to the other chamber where committee hearings start again. Then they sit until the last month of the session when all the bills they should have been working on the previous 2 years come up for votes and conference committee. If the bill passes at all, it is usually ripped to shreds in conference so that instead of that great bill you started with, you get a few crumbs, and your reps pat themselves on the back about what a great job they did for you.

 

[Evergreen]

One thing that may be a factor is that the date on the certificate has to be within three years in order to be valid. I've had several students procrastinate getting their permit (drives me nuts) and have to take the class again.

BearCreek, Well, thankfully both of my certificates are within 3 years and my TN one I just acquired. My only fear from reading the requirements is this 2 hours of range time. How does that translate to range time that qualifies you at 5, 10 and 15 ft like I had to do with NC & TN tests? Will they accept any range time qualifications. I don't know how that translates to hours, since the NC & TN were not hourly , but rather qualified shooting. Do you literally spend two hours shooting? Is there a certain amount of ammo that they require to be shot? It is a little vague and I will have to figure out how these requirements could translate to other types of 8 hour firearm courses and if my range time can make the "2 hour qualification" that the Ohio one has.

Sorry you misunderstood, I moved out of Ohio and currently live in Tennessee. Ohio laws are more restrictive than TN. Gun buster signs have force of law in OH, but unlike TN, violating them in some areas is a felony. You must also immediately notify any LE who makes contact with you in an official capacity that you have a CHL if you are carrying. This has led to problems on occasion (guy arrested for failing to notify in spite of the fact that the cop wouldn't allow him to speak, guy arrested for notifying the first 5 officers on scene but not the 6th, etc). License is good for 5 years instead of 8. For a young guy, a lifetime license in TN is a good deal, no such thing in OH.

They have had incremental changes over the years, when first passed, it was a terrible law. When travelling in a car, the gun had to be in "plain view" (even with a CPL) which could be defined by whatever police officer stopped you. It was a felony to carry in any place that served alcohol, but the business was not required to post the fact. Essentially, you could sit down in a restaurant, look at the menu and discover that they serve beer at that you were an inadvertent felon. Luckily, those provisions are gone.

The most frustrating part is that even with a Republican House, Senate, and Governor, the legislature is very slow at making any improvements. They have a 2 year legislative session, any bill not passed at the end of the term is dead. Typically, as soon as they meet after the election, you will have a bunch of fantastic bills introduced. Then they have to go through committee hearings, then they vote on it, and usually pass it. Then it goes to the other chamber where committee hearings start again. Then they sit until the last month of the session when all the bills they should have been working on the previous 2 years come up for votes and conference committee. If the bill passes at all, it is usually ripped to shreds in conference so that instead of that great bill you started with, you get a few crumbs, and your reps pat themselves on the back about what a great job they did for you.

Oh crap JN01.. Sorry , I read your post in reverse. Ouch.. Yeah, after reviewing Ohio's gun laws they are in general worse than Tennessee's, although not much different. The Must Inform law sucks and that is a particularly bad one.. I always leave all my stuff on the dashboard when I get pulled over and always anticipate any time I am out it can happen. It's a bad law.. North Carolina and South Carolina also have those crappy laws. South Carolina's is the worst, where you literally have to inform even a person whose home you are entering you have a gun. Defeats the purpose of "Conceal carry". WHat if it is small lady entering the house of a big 250lb guy she doesn't know for whatever reason (maybe her work, etc). As well, restrictions on place of worship carry is so unconstitutional. That is a law I always had a hard time digesting.

I am glad you manage to get to Sevier county, that is a very beautiful place. Yeah, I considered moving to Knoxville area, but the cost of living is higher than Ohio and it has very bad economy and the wages are lower than Ohio. Tennessee is a tough state to make it unless you have some means to make a living, like work from home business or manage to land a really good job. Lot of nice things about Tennessee, I just cannot afford to live here. I don't want to be stuck in Memphis or living in the hood of Nashville which I cannot even afford.

Tough times.. Sorry, that you didn't like Ohio. Heard interesting things about Cincinnati. I do know cities in Ohio do got some crime.. Columbus seemed like one of better ones. Hope Ohio will only loosen its gun laws with its current government, but who knows if that will happen.

Glad they got rid of the laws about forbidding carry in restaurants. Believe it or not, Tennessee had the same laws and same penalties. TN and OH laws about carrying in bars/restaurants are identical from what I see. I cannot see anywhere you can be charged with a felony for carrying with a no gun sign, it seems similar to the law TN has.. In TN its barely enforced from what I hear, but penalties are not good.

 

[JN01]

In Ohio private entities can post their property, violation is a misdemeanor. There are other places that the law itself prohibits such as any building owned or operated by a government entity (unless the government entity allows it but they don’t have to have a sign indicating that), schools, day cares, houses of worship (unless you have permission from the governing body of the church), violation in those areas is a felony.

Also, you cannot carry a knife as a weapon, even if you have a CHL. Typical locking folders are OK, but a switchblade or a double edge combat dagger will probably be perceived as a weapon. Law is a bit vague and subject to interpretation.

 

[bearcreek]

BearCreek, Well, thankfully both of my certificates are within 3 years and my TN one I just acquired. My only fear from reading the requirements is this 2 hours of range time. How does that translate to range time that qualifies you at 5, 10 and 15 ft like I had to do with NC & TN tests? Will they accept any range time qualifications. I don't know how that translates to hours, since the NC & TN were not hourly , but rather qualified shooting. Do you literally spend two hours shooting? Is there a certain amount of ammo that they require to be shot? It is a little vague and I will have to figure out how these requirements could translate to other types of 8 hour firearm courses and if my range time can make the "2 hour qualification" that the Ohio one has.

I'm not really sure how that would all work, or if it would work at all. It may be a bit of an uphill battle for you, depending largely on the deputy processing the application. It's quite possible that you may end up having to take a class after all. I'm just saying that I don't see anything in the law that says you must. The local sheriff doesn't care about what I've found in the ORC though so......

To address a couple of your questions.

Ohio has no specified distance or accuracy standards that the students must meet. That's up to the instructor. In our class, the students shoot at distances from 3 to 10 yards. Targets vary in size from a 2 inch dot to 8 inch steel plates.

The legal requirement is 2 hours of range time, which would include time for loading magazines and instruction. We usually do 3-4 hours in our class. There is no legally specified amount of ammo. We tell them to bring 200 rds. and they usually use most of that.

You should be aware that our class is far from typical though. It's much more comprehensive than most. The vast majority of CHL classes in Ohio are essentially just "how to not shoot yourself or others on a square range". They don't even address carry methods or how to draw the weapon, even though it's supposed to be a concealed CARRY class.

 

[Evergreen]

I'm not really sure how that would all work, or if it would work at all. It may be a bit of an uphill battle for you, depending largely on the deputy processing the application. It's quite possible that you may end up having to take a class after all. I'm just saying that I don't see anything in the law that says you must. The local sheriff doesn't care about what I've found in the ORC though so......

To address a couple of your questions.

Ohio has no specified distance or accuracy standards that the students must meet. That's up to the instructor. In our class, the students shoot at distances from 3 to 10 yards. Targets vary in size from a 2 inch dot to 8 inch steel plates.

The legal requirement is 2 hours of range time, which would include time for loading magazines and instruction. We usually do 3-4 hours in our class. There is no legally specified amount of ammo. We tell them to bring 200 rds. and they usually use most of that.

You should be aware that our class is far from typical though. It's much more comprehensive than most. The vast majority of CHL classes in Ohio are essentially just "how to not shoot yourself or others on a square range". They don't even address carry methods or how to draw the weapon, even though it's supposed to be a concealed CARRY class.

Oh crap.. Well, I guess I will have to take the course.. If I can take it sooner than later I will. However, I am not sure if I will have the money and time to be honest, so if my current CHLs will be valid that will be a convenience for the next year as I survive this craziness.. Once my life is sorted out and I get some work I will have more options.. Too bad my Oregon Firearms Academy cert is so old, I had 8 hours of range time on that one I definitely need to hone my shooting skills, but just want my basic RKBA taken care of before I invest more time.. Sadly, my biggest fear is food, clothing and shelter right now, but all the crime and insanity going on, I know being able to defend yourself is also essential.

I am also not 100% sure on Columbus and I wonder if the county is fairly anti-gun and if, God forbid, I was in a defensive shooting and with all the craziness that is happening what things could be like in Franklin county. I know no large city is great these days or immune to these legal issues; many seeming to be pretty anti-gun. Even Nashville is a fairly anti-gun type of city in "Gun Friendly" Tennessee and both Nashville and Memphis at one time banned guns in all its parks and various other city property until the state overruled it through preemption statutes. It's ironic. Not sure how Ohio big cities fare as far as gun rights and attitude of gun owners.. I hear Cleveland is pretty bad. A former Cleveland Detective is on my local gun forum and told me he fled the city because of issues there with city government, esp bias against police and an attitude of seemingly protecting criminals and punishing law abiding citizens.

I got this right off of the city of Columbus's website and it didn't give me a good feeling in my stomach. It appears the City Council is vehemently anti-gun and scolding how state laws prohibit them from issuing AWBs, UBCs, ban firearm sales in residential areas (so much for going to your FFL) among other things.
https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147503071

In Ohio private entities can post their property, violation is a misdemeanor. There are other places that the law itself prohibits such as any building owned or operated by a government entity (unless the government entity allows it but they don’t have to have a sign indicating that), schools, day cares, houses of worship (unless you have permission from the governing body of the church), violation in those areas is a felony.

Also, you cannot carry a knife as a weapon, even if you have a CHL. Typical locking folders are OK, but a switchblade or a double edge combat dagger will probably be perceived as a weapon. Law is a bit vague and subject to interpretation.

Wow, a felony to carry in a church. That particular law really angers me quite a bit and seems to help promote church shootings, seeing the law abiding will be forcefully disarmed. How many people will ask their pastors for a written letter to carry in church? Oh, I know they exist, but let's face it, people should have the right to carry in a church and not risk being ostracized for being "that guy who carries a gun to church".

Blatant violation of both 1st and 2nd Amendments:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

It seems like many states mandate schools be GUN FREE ZONES. The South is particularly bad for that. I don't know of many Southern states where it is not a Felony or high Misdemeanor to carry on a school campus (with exceptions of universities in some states like Texas). Tennessee has very strict laws about that, so think twice if you ever carry at U of T campus. I remember in North Carolina it was a felony. Shocking to me. In Oregon, it's actually legal, but schools can boot you from campus if they have a no gun policy. Beats prison. Outside of churches, it sounds like No Gun Rules are similar to Tennessee and North Carolina. Maybe, they are a bit more enforced than TN as a new law was passed in TN where they cannot arrest you for carrying in a No Gun Zone, but would have to file a criminal complaint with the county clerk. It turns it into a huge legal hassle that most businesses don't want to deal with. So they usually just tell you to leave. North Carolina and South Carolina, however, they will arrest you and it can be a felony or Class 1 Misdemeanor I am told in many cases.

Knife laws are always really weird. I have to say the one thing I thought was funny in Canada was how much better their knife "carrying" laws were than ours. Their knife laws were more restrictive in what you can buy (no switchblades, gravity knives), but not what you can carry compared to most US states. You can carry a sword in Canada as long as its not concealed and any size knife as long as the clip is showing even in downtown Vancouver, BC. Hahaha, weird laws. I am from Oregon, which had the best knife laws for a long time. Not sure about now. I avoid carrying anything than a small folding knife because of how volatile knife laws are. And add carrying a gun to that and its double trouble if you break one law.

Off the topic of guns, but I wonder if it is legal to carry high concentration pepper spray in Ohio? In North Carolina, pepper spray is illegal if its in any size container larger than tiny breath mint size can. I always thought that was a dumb law. I use to carry spray for dogs (and as additional non-lethal backup weapon), especially on my walks. After having enough run ins with aggressive dogs over the years it was nice to have.

 

[bearcreek]

I hear Cleveland is pretty bad. A former Cleveland Detective is on my local gun forum and told me he fled the city because of issues there with city government, esp bias against police and an attitude of seemingly protecting criminals and punishing law abiding citizens.

I live about an hour outside of Cleveland and have heard some similar things. I've also heard good things about Cleveland PD, so it's tough to say. I'd just stay away from bigger cities altogether if I were you. Plenty of work in small towns.

Wow, a felony to carry in a church. That particular law really angers me quite a bit and seems to help promote church shootings, seeing the law abiding will be forcefully disarmed. How many people will ask their pastors for a written letter to carry in church?

Doesn't have to be written permission, FWIW.

Maybe, they are a bit more enforced than TN as a new law was passed in TN where they cannot arrest you for carrying in a No Gun Zone, but would have to file a criminal complaint with the county clerk.

I've never heard of someone getting in legal trouble for carrying in a posted private business. In order for that to happen, the business owner has to know that the person is carrying, so that eliminates a lot of the possibility right there.

You can carry a sword in Canada as long as its not concealed and any size knife as long as the clip is showing even in downtown Vancouver, BC. Hahaha, weird laws.

Ohio is similar. You can open carry pretty much any blade you want. Concealing it is when you get into murky legal waters. The thing that can get really confusing is the fact that Ohio has full state preemption regarding firearms and carrying them, but not other weapons. So I can legally carry as many handguns as I please in Cleveland, but I can't legally carry a 5 inch knife.

 

[guyfromohio]

Schools....government buildings...post office..... Those are my non-negotiable. Churches may allow carrying as may college campuses. Duty to inform doesn’t bother me. It actually makes the interaction less tense according to reports and my one ticket since CHL issue. You will usually get a “where is it?....thank you, please keep it there while we process this”.

 

[Perfesser]

In regards to the problem of cities being against CCW, Ohio has tasked the COUNTY SO's with issuing permits. If your home county is anti or
obstructs the process you can take the application to any adjacent county SO for processing. I was told in the class that Summit was obstructive so I went to Portage County, did the interview with 2 officers, and had the permit in hand the next week.
At this time some counties are seriously backed up on both applications and renewals; some are running by appointment only and WAAAAY out. Mine renews this month and the first appt I could get was Oct 1.
FYI if you are a veteran, some counties are waiving the fees.