Open Carry in a Hotel

I am a retired bouncer who prefers hand to hand combat over firearms, though I am prepared to defend my self with lethal force if necessary. This came into play on Christmas night, as I had to arm myself after an altercation with some of the less than reputable party goers. Six men attacked a vehicle with only two occupants. SOP in my neck of the woods is to pepper spray the lot, and let the vehicle get clear to get out. After the spraying, some of the six said , "Be careful with that pepper spray, :cuss: . We got something for you."

I went back to my vehicle, removed my security shirt, and put my sidearm in my holster. After the spineless left, I went in to get paid for my services, only to be detained by the hotel security. The police later said that I was on violation of bringing a firearm into an establishment that sells liquor. They released me after a paperwork mix-up with my serial number, as they understood both the nature of my profession, and the extenuating circumstances.

I say all of that to ask, is it legal to open carry in a hotel, and does the presence of a liquor license or not make a difference, i.e. if the establishment had no anti-firearms postings and NO liquor license, would I have been detained, vs the establishment having no anti-firearms postings BUT does have a liquor license.

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The answer to this post would vary state by state. I would recommend that you have a moderator move this to the Ohio forum where you are more likely to get an accurate answer. If the police were involved you may want to consider consulting with an attorney to make sure your bases are covered. Why weren't you carrying your gun in the first place? Were you working security for the hotel at the time?

thebigsd said:

Why weren't you carrying your gun in the first place? Were you working security for the hotel at the time?

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Thank you kindly for the warm welcome. I was working as a bouncer for the event promoter (the hotel had their own security), and in the state of OH you have to be certified to carry a sidearm as security. Even if I did have the appropriate documentation, I wouldn't feel comfortable in a situation where I usually rely on CQ while I have a live weapon. In this particular case, when I felt the need to arm myself, I removed my security shirt. At that point, since I was off the clock, I was just a private citizen who isn't worried about thugs.

What I found the most interesting is how the police officers were convinced that it is ILLEGAL to open carry under any circumstances. I decided to let their betters correct them.