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Ohio gun laws

pyroman5k2

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I am most likely going to be moving ot Ohio within the next month or so. I was curious as to the states open carry policies and any other gun laws the state has. I am currently residing in Califirnia, the worst state for gun owners. Are the officers well informed of open carry and does the state have any weapons bans or mag capacity limits?
 

Deanimator

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1. Ohio gun laws are few and far between. There is state preemption, so there are effectively no local laws, beyond "discharging within city limits", etc. There are no licenses for mere possession or registration. We have a VERY pro-gun Democrat governor.

2. There is a 30 round magazine limit, although I've never heard of it being enforced since I moved here from Apartheid Chicago in 1986.

3. There is shall issue concealed carry.

4. Open carry is totally legal. There are a few cops who either don't know it or don't like it. They and their departments are looking at hefty judgements against them.

There are better places for gun owners than Ohio, but a HELL of a lot of worse ones.
 

pyroman5k2

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how hard is it to obtain a ccw permit besides the usual training course and fee?

can you loaded open carry or is it like California's uoc?
 

BB62

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pyroman5k2 wrote:
how hard is it to obtain a ccw permit besides the usual training course and fee?

can you loaded open carry or is it like California's uoc?


Ohio is "shall issue"- take, or have taken a qualifying handgun course (e.g. the NRA's Basic Pistol class) in the past 3 years, or have been honorably discharged from the military in the past 6 years, apply (assuming no criminal disqualifiers), and you're in. Some Sheriff's require pictures with your app, some don't.

EDITED TO ADD: Ohio requires 10 hours of classroom time andtwo hours range time. The NRA's Basic Pistol Course is designed to be only 8 hours classroom. Your class certificate must state that the course meets Ohio's requirements.

Must be a resident of Ohio for 45 days to apply, cost to those in Ohio < 5 years = $79.

Open carry loaded, unloaded, all in the mag, whatever - no license required.

Some light reading material (required reading before you apply for a CHL): http://www.ag.state.oh.us/le/prevention/pubs/200808_ccw_book.pdf

Three of Ohio'sRKBA orgs:

Buckeye Firearms Association

Ohioans for Concealed Carry

People's Rights Organization

plus various other gun interest organizations.
 

BB62

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pyroman5k2 wrote:
...Are the officers well informed of open carry and does the state have any weapons bans or mag capacity limits?

It all depends. There have been (and still are) problems with LEOs everywhere in the state, although northern Ohio is the worst, IMHO.

You should know the laws and be prepared to deal with uninformed (that's UN INFORMED, not uniformed) LEOs.

Carry an audio and/or video recorder just in case.

Read the Ohio threads to get a feel for things. Be specific about where you intend to move to, and you will get more specific answers.

btw, OFCC has a forum specifically devoted to OC:

http://ohioccwforums.org/viewforum.php?f=21
 

pyroman5k2

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i would be moving to Columbus.

Is ohio as strict as california on the "ar15 type" rifles? here in ca we have to have a fixed mag and the lame 10rd mag capacity. i finished putting mine together but have been unable to fire it yet for fear of it getting consficasted. a few of my friends who HAD ar15's had then consficated by leo who were unknowledgeable of the laws. this was over a year ago and the are still battleing with lawers trying to get their rifles back.
 

BB62

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pyroman5k2 wrote:
i would be moving to Columbus.

Is ohio as strict as california on the "ar15 type" rifles? here in ca we have to have a fixed mag and the lame 10rd mag capacity. i finished putting mine together but have been unable to fire it yet for fear of it getting consficasted. a few of my friends who HAD ar15's had then consficated by leo who were unknowledgeable of the laws. this was over a year ago and the are still battleing with lawers trying to get their rifles back.

There are no statewide restrictions on ownership of any type of firearm - none - exceptthe 30 round magazine limit previously mentioned.

A suggestion - you may want to use proper capitalization - it makes your post easier to read and looks more professional.
 

JSK333

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There are a few places off-limits to open carry, including vehicles. Without a CHL, no loaded carry inside a vehicle, and any mags in the car for related firearms must be unloaded as well.
 

Deanimator

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JSK333 wrote:
There are a few places off-limits to open carry, including vehicles. Without a CHL, no loaded carry inside a vehicle, and any mags in the car for related firearms must be unloaded as well.
To clarify, OPEN CARRY in a vehicle is NOT prohibited. Open carry in a vehicle WITHOUT A CHL is prohibited. Until recently, people with CHLs were REQUIRED to open carry in automobiles.
 
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