Yes, you can carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without a concealed handgun license if you are a qualifying adult and the handgun is not a restricted...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Yes, you can carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without a concealed handgun license if you are a qualifying adult and the handgun is not a restricted firearm. A qualifying adult must be 21 or older. You carry with the same rights, and under the same restrictions, as a concealed handgun license holder. If you are stopped and an officer asks, you must disclose the handgun.
Ohio's statute calls a person who may carry without a license a "qualifying adult" in R.C. 2923.111(A)(2). Under R.C. 2923.111(A)(2)(a), one requirement is age, since the person must be 21 or older. Under R.C. 2923.111(B)(1), a qualifying adult need not obtain a concealed handgun license to carry a concealed handgun that is not a restricted firearm.
Ohio still issues the concealed handgun license through the county sheriff under R.C. 2923.125(D)(1). Under R.C. 2923.125(D)(1)(b), an applicant must be at least 21 to receive one.
R.C. 2923.12(A) makes it an offense to knowingly carry or have, concealed on your person or concealed ready at hand, a deadly weapon other than a handgun, a handgun other than a dangerous ordnance, or a dangerous ordnance. Under R.C. 2923.12(C)(2), the handgun part of that offense does not apply to a person whose concealed handgun license is valid at the time, or to an active-duty member of the armed forces carrying a valid military identification card and documentation of firearms training. That exemption does not reach a person who is knowingly in a restricted place.
A qualifying adult may carry a concealed handgun that is not a restricted firearm anywhere in Ohio a licensee may carry one, under R.C. 2923.111(B)(2). R.C. 2923.111(B)(3) gives the qualifying adult the same right as a licensee and the same restrictions.
A valid concealed handgun license does not authorize carrying a concealed handgun into this place:
On foot, a licensee stopped for any law enforcement purpose while carrying a concealed handgun must disclose it before or at the time an officer asks, under R.C. 2923.12(B)(1). A qualifying adult is treated as a licensee for that duty while carrying a handgun that is not a restricted firearm, concealed on the person or ready at hand.
In a vehicle, a licensee who is the driver or an occupant of a stopped vehicle must disclose a loaded handgun before or when the officer asks, under R.C. 2923.16(E)(1). It is not a violation if you already told another officer during the same stop. The vehicle duty also applies to an active-duty member of the armed forces carrying a military identification card and documentation of firearms training.
During a vehicle stop, a licensee with a loaded handgun must remain in the vehicle, keep hands in plain sight, not touch the handgun, and obey lawful orders, unless an officer directs otherwise, under R.C. 2923.16(E)(3).
In a motor vehicle, R.C. 2923.16 lets a concealed handgun license holder transport or have a loaded handgun, unless the handgun is knowingly in a restricted place. An active-duty member of the armed forces carrying a military identification card and documentation of firearms training has the same exemption. A qualifying adult gets it only while the handgun is concealed on the person or ready at hand and is not a restricted firearm.
A person who is not a licensee, not an active-duty member with training documentation, and not a qualifying adult carrying under that exemption may not knowingly transport or have a loaded firearm that the operator or any passenger can reach without leaving the vehicle. Anyone outside the exemption may transport or have a firearm in a motor vehicle only if it is unloaded and stowed in a listed way. The listed ways are a closed package, box, or case; a compartment reachable only by leaving the vehicle; in plain sight secured in a rack or holder made for the purpose; or, for a long gun of the stated size, in plain sight with the action open or the weapon stripped.
The unloaded transport rule in R.C. 2923.16(C) is open only to a person who may lawfully possess the firearm under state or federal law. The statute does not name a glove box or console, and one a driver can reach from the seat is not a compartment reachable only by leaving the vehicle.
A rifle or shotgun may not be loaded and accessible in a motor vehicle, because the license exemption reaches only a handgun. A long gun rides unloaded and stowed in one of the listed ways.
The grades below come from the carry and vehicle statutes.
| Violation | Grade | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying a concealed weapon | Misdemeanor of the first degree by default; felony of the fourth degree with a prior conviction under the same section or for an offense of violence, a loaded firearm or ammunition ready at hand, or dangerous ordnance; felony of the third degree aboard, or with purpose to board, an aircraft | |
| Failing to disclose a handgun when asked, on foot or in a vehicle | Misdemeanor of the second degree; no license suspension | |
| Leaving the vehicle, hiding hands, or disobeying a lawful order during a stop | Misdemeanor of the first degree, or felony of the fifth degree with a prior conviction for the same conduct; a misdemeanor conviction also suspends a concealed handgun license | |
| Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle | Discharging from the vehicle or an accessible loaded firearm: felony of the fourth degree; unloaded transport violation: misdemeanor of the fourth degree; loaded handgun while under the influence: felony of the fifth degree, or of the fourth degree if concealed on the person; touching the loaded handgun during a stop: felony of the fifth degree |
Under R.C. 2923.12(F)(1), carrying concealed weapons is a misdemeanor of the first degree unless another division applies. A licensee charged with carrying a concealed handgun who presents a license valid at arrest within ten days, and was not knowingly in a restricted place, is guilty only of a minor misdemeanor. If the license expired within the two years before arrest, presenting a license within forty-five days with a written speedy trial waiver, when the person was not knowingly in a restricted place, results in a misdemeanor and a $500 fine. R.C. 2923.16(I) makes failing to disclose a loaded handgun in a vehicle a misdemeanor of the second degree. Touching the loaded handgun during a stop is a felony of the fifth degree. The license suspension for stop conduct reaches a qualifying adult only if that person was actually issued a license.
Under R.C. 2923.125(D)(1)(l), an applicant for a concealed handgun license must submit a competency certification and a certification of having read the safety pamphlet before the license can issue. Under R.C. 2923.125(G)(1), that course must include at least eight hours of training in the safe handling and use of a firearm. Under R.C. 2923.125(G)(1), the course must cover the rules for safe handling of a handgun and proper storage of handguns and ammunition, safe handling of ammunition, the knowledge, skills, and attitude to shoot a handgun safely, gun handling training, and a minimum of two hours of in-person range time and live-fire training. Under R.C. 2923.125(G)(1)(e), the required course must include live-fire training.
No, not if you are a qualifying adult aged 21 or older carrying a handgun that is not a restricted firearm.
Yes, you must disclose the handgun before or at the time an officer asks during a stop. On a commercial motor vehicle stop, the duty runs to an employee of the motor carrier enforcement unit who asks.
Keep your hands in plain sight from the time the officer begins approaching until the officer leaves, unless the officer directs otherwise. Do not touch the handgun unless the officer directs you to.
Under R.C. 2923.16(J), the officer must return a surrendered firearm when the stop ends if there is no charge under that section and no arrest, you may lawfully possess it, and it is not contraband.
The statute does not name a glove box or console, and one a driver can reach from the seat is not a compartment reachable only by leaving the vehicle. A qualifying adult is outside the unloaded transport rule only while carrying a handgun that is not a restricted firearm concealed on the person or ready at hand.
No. A rifle or shotgun may not be loaded and accessible in a motor vehicle, even with a license, because the license exemption reaches only a handgun.
No. A qualifying adult may carry a concealed handgun anywhere in Ohio that a licensee may carry one.
This page covers one part of our Ohio concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Ohio guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.