Questions For Knowledgable Gun Owners in Ohio

[Speedo66]

My wife has brought up the issue of possibly moving to OH to be closer to our daughter. I'm a retired peace officer with a few rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

What is required under OH law to bring those long guns and pistols into the state? Are pistols required to be licensed just for possession, are they required to be licensed to carry? Any registration or prohibitions for long guns? Magazine restrictions?

How difficult to obtain licenses if required? Are instructors available to qualify retired officers to state police standards so they can carry under LEOSA (Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act)?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is a whole new situation for me. I'll do my due diligence if and when it becomes certain, but for now just interested in some simple answers.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-laws/ohio.aspx

What your looking for is at the NRA, ILA site above. Ohio is gun friendly. Not as much as constitutional carry states. You need a concealed carry permit, but it's shall issue. Otherwise there are no permits to own, etc. Now....heres the disclaimer. I'm not a lawer, visit the above site.

We used to prohibit magazines greater than 31, but we've been working on that and I dont know the current status. You could own 32+ but inserting them into your gun created an "Automatic" weapon. The only other catch I'm aware of is, that in Ohio a gun is loaded in your car if the magazine is loaded. The magazine can be locked seperate from the gun, but if its loaded, the gun is considered loaded.

Overall, Ohio is a very gun friendly state, State laws superceed local / city laws, but Cleveland still tries to violate that.

Please see the above link to the NRA and ILA. IF youre moving to Central Ohio, I can give you some more info. WELCOME! (Go Bucks!, get used to that! )

 

[dwstone1227]

I suggest you check out the Buckeye Fireams web page. It is a pretty good group. You can join and post your question there. The law on magazines just changed in March 2013. There is a link below that covers that topic.

Look at the bright side of things. Not only will you be closer to your daughter, you will also be closer to Camp Perry and the annual National Matches in July/August of each year.


http://forums.buckeyefirearms.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17523

 

[highorder]

OGG has it all laid out nicely.

It took me one day in Hamilton county (Cincinnati) to get my CPL.

Private sales are cash on the barrel and no registration of any sort.

 

[Speedo66]

Thanks to all for their responses. The NRA site was very helpful. No permit needed to possess a pistol, only to carry. No long arm regulations.

Still have to find out if police equivalent training is available.

 

[Invisible Swordsman]

LEOSA qualification should be available, but you may have to do some searching to find someone to do it. Individual departments have their own rules as to who they allow to qualify, but there are OPOTA certified instructors who will do it privately.

The Ohio Attorney General has OPOTA instructors listed on his web site who are willing to do CCW classes, so that could be a good starting point. It's under the section for Concealed Carry.

 

[valnar]

Just don't move to Cleveland (city). Cuyahoga county in general isn't that friendly, but anything outside of that isn't too bad.

 

[pockets]

We used to prohibit magazines greater than 31, but we've been working on that and I dont know the current status. You could own 32+ but inserting them into your gun created an "Automatic" weapon.

Nope...that was not changed for centerfire arms, only .22 rimfire (rimfire used to say 51 rounds before reloading).
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.11
2923.11 Weapons control definitions.
(E) "Automatic firearm" means any firearm designed or specially adapted to fire a succession of cartridges with a single function of the trigger
"Automatic firearm" also means any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than thirty-one cartridges without reloading, other than a firearm chambering only .22 caliber short, long, or long-rifle cartridges.


.

The only other catch I'm aware of is, that in Ohio a gun is loaded in your car if the magazine is loaded. The magazine can be locked seperate from the gun, but if its loaded, the gun is considered loaded.

Nope.....That changed with HB495 passing and was effective March 27, 2013.
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.16
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8845
The basics are:
For someone who does not have a Concealed Handgun License, that person may have loaded magazines or speed loaders in the vehicle so long as:
1. The magazine or speed loader does not fit any firearm being transported in the vehicle; or
2. The magazine or speed loader is in a compartment reachable only by leaving the vehicle; or
3. The magazine or speed loader is in a closed package, box or case that has multiple compartments (i.e. a gun case) as long as the magazine or speed loader is in a separate compartment in the closed package, box or case from the firearm, OR, if the closed package, box or case only has one compartment, the magazine or firearm is separately enclosed in something using a snap, buckle, zipper, button, hook and loop etc.; or
4. The magazine or speed loader is on the person of the occupant in a pocket that is closed using a snap, buckle, zipper, button or hook and loop.


Buckeye Firearms is a great place to keep abreast of the changes and when they actually become law (as opposed to when they pass or are signed).


.

 

[Speedo66]

Just don't move to Cleveland (city). Cuyahoga county in general isn't that friendly, but anything outside of that isn't too bad.

Actually, she's way down south, just over the northern city limits of Cincinnati.

I'm a little confused about the magazine law. I have a 31 round Glock 9mm mag with the usual 2 shot extender. If the extender is removed, back to 31 rounds, is that a legal mag, or would they also count the possibility of one in the chamber?

 

[SpentCasing]

33rd Glock mags (and 75rd AK drums, AR beta mags, etc.) are bought and sold openly everywhere. Even the big chain stores. I feel its an "add-on" crime. I have never heard of anyone being in trouble for using them. To me (as well as thousands of others not even aware of the archaic law)its a non-issue. Do as you wish though but Im not even sure anyone has even been charged with that law. Its a joke here.

They are legal to buy, own and posses. But when inserted into a non NFA firearm is where the law goes into affect. Its silly and never enforced. IANAL ,YMMV, and all.

 

[Reloadron]

Actually, she's way down south, just over the northern city limits of Cincinnati.

I'm a little confused about the magazine law. I have a 31 round Glock 9mm mag with the usual 2 shot extender. If the extender is removed, back to 31 rounds, is that a legal mag, or would they also count the possibility of one in the chamber?

Back to the Buckey Firearms Association.

Cincy can be weird with this as the link points out. However, Ohio's home rule laws were recently overturned in Ohio so State Law trumps local laws.

Give the link a read as it does address exactly what you are asking and what you have is fine. Less the extender with two rounds. Additionally you can legally possess a 40, 50 or for that matter 100 round magazine as long as it is not in the gun.

Ron

 

[matrem]

Ohio is somewhere near average, or even a bit better on overall gun laws.

Additionally you can legally possess a 40, 50 or for that matter 100 round magazine as long as it is not in the gun.

Just one more senseless law that should make us ask ourselves:
Just how did we get to this point?
And (more importantly) what do we need to do about it?

 

[pockets]

At least Ohio's laws are steadily improving. Can't say that for every state.

Would you rather that silly law read: "No magazine over 7 rounds." ??

At least they recently deleted the 51 round limit for .22 rimfire.

.

 

[rtroha]

Googling "Ohio LEOSA instructor" brought up this web site.

http://www.swohioccw218.com/

 

[Speedo66]

RTROHA said "Googling "Ohio LEOSA instructor" brought up this web site.

http://www.swohioccw218.com/"

That's great, thank you very much!

I did a few searches on Google and came up with pre-license classes, but not what I was looking for.

Their price is very reasonable too.

 

[carbine85]

Actually, she's way down south, just over the northern city limits of Cincinnati.

I'm north of Cincy in Bulter County. It beats the you know what out of Cincy. We also have some decent indoor and outdoor ranges near by.
Overall Ohio gun laws are good. We also have guns shows and a few gun flea markets.

 

[Cee Zee]

Much of Ohio is governed by locals who not only don't fight gun ownership they actually encourage it. In my home county the sheriff's office people will tell you they welcome all the help they can get holding off the bad guys. Even before the CCW law was passed I had LEO's tell me that I should carry a gun and that no one would try to do anything about it since they knew all the bad guys had them and they knew it was a sane reaction to have one too. I don't advocate breaking laws but the point is the county government there was very gun friendly. Other counties are nothing like that though. Generally it's the big cities that cause problems (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Columbus) and they have been reined in by the state government for the most part. They will still try to hassle people if they think they can though.

Another great site for learning about Ohio gun laws is http://ohioccw.org/. They are also involved in lobbying for less restrictive gun laws and they have been very effective at doing it. This page is particularly useful but it looks like some of the links have been removed since I was there last. They try not to give out bad info when it comes to laws probably because some bozo will try to file a lawsuit against them if something goes wrong in their life.

Currently I'm living east of Cincinnati in Brown Co. about 30 feet from the Adams Co. line. Guns are a big part of the culture here like they are in most of Ohio. People don't have problems with gun ownership here that I know about.