You can renew your Ohio concealed handgun license at any time before it expires. You can also file at any time after it expires, and there is no cutoff...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
You can renew your Ohio concealed handgun license at any time before it expires. You can also file at any time after it expires, and there is no cutoff date. You file with a county sheriff and certify that you reread the state safety pamphlet. You do not retake the firearms course. The renewed concealed handgun license runs five years from the date it is issued.
A person who holds or held an Ohio concealed handgun license may file for renewal, subject to the bars described below. The sheriff renews it if you still meet the original eligibility requirements, except the competency certification. An applicant must be at least 21 years old. A person who lives in another state may apply if employed in Ohio.
You file with the sheriff of the county where you live or with the sheriff of an adjacent county. If you live in another state, you file with the sheriff of the county that issued your previous concealed handgun license.
Under R.C. 2923.125(F)(1)(a), a licensee may renew at any time before the expiration date, with no early-filing limit. The same division lets you file at any time after the expiration date and sets no late deadline. With the application, you certify that since the concealed handgun license was issued you reread the Ohio peace officer training commission pamphlet on firearms, dispute resolution, and use of deadly force.
If you have lived in Ohio for five or more years, the nonrefundable renewal fee is $50 under R.C. 2923.125(F)(4)(a). If you have lived in Ohio for less than five years, or you live elsewhere and work in Ohio, the fee is $50 plus the actual cost of an FBI background check under R.C. 2923.125(F)(4)(b).
Under R.C. 2923.125(F)(2), a renewed concealed handgun license expires five years after the date it is issued. Under R.C. 2923.126(A), your concealed handgun license remains valid for a grace period of thirty days after it expires. After those thirty days, the expired concealed handgun license authorizes nothing, because it must be valid while you carry it. A holder who still meets every condition of a qualifying adult, which means being at least 21, not being barred from possessing a firearm under federal or Ohio law, and satisfying the eligibility criteria the licensing statute lists, may carry concealed as a qualifying adult without a concealed handgun license.
A licensee who no longer lives in Ohio, or no longer works in Ohio where the concealed handgun license rested on employment, may not renew under R.C. 2923.125(F)(5). That concealed handgun license stays valid until the expiration date printed on it.
If your concealed handgun license expires during a suspension for certain misdemeanor carry convictions, you may not apply for a new one or renew until the suspension ends. Under Ohio Revised Code 2923.128(A)(2)(b), a suspension imposed for a misdemeanor violation of Ohio Revised Code 2923.12(B)(2) or 2923.16(E)(3) ends 1 year after the conviction or guilty plea. Under that same division, Ohio Revised Code 2923.128(A)(2)(b), a suspension imposed for a misdemeanor violation of 2923.12(B)(4) or 2923.16(E)(5) ends 2 years after the conviction or guilty plea. The renewal division does not address renewing a revoked concealed handgun license.
Under R.C. 2923.128(C), a sealed or expunged conviction, or one from which you were legally relieved of disability, does not count toward suspension or revocation.
Under R.C. 2923.125(F)(1)(b), a licensee, spouse, or dependent on active military, Peace Corps, VISTA, or foreign service duty is exempt from the license requirements during that duty and for six months after.
If you are charged with carrying a concealed handgun after the grace period, a concealed handgun license that expired within the two years before the arrest, presented within forty-five days of the arrest with a written speedy-trial waiver, reduces the offense to a misdemeanor with a $500 fine.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Earliest filing | Any time before expiration, with no early-filing limit |
| Latest filing | Any time after expiration, with no deadline |
| Grace period | Stays valid for thirty days after it expires |
| Renewed term | Expires five years after the date of issuance |
| Where to file | Sheriff of your county of residence, an adjacent county, or for out-of-state residents the sheriff who issued the previous concealed handgun license |
| New competency certification | Not required for a routine renewal |
| Pamphlet certification | Certify you reread the OPOTC pamphlet on firearms, dispute resolution, and use of deadly force |
| Fee, resident five or more years | $50, nonrefundable |
| Fee, resident under five years or nonresident employed in Ohio | $50 plus the actual FBI background-check cost |
A concealed handgun license issued under Ohio Revised Code 2923.125(D)(2)(a) expires 5 years after the date of issuance, and that is the term a renewal buys. Getting the license the first time takes a competency certification and a certification of having read the safety pamphlet, under Ohio Revised Code 2923.125(D)(1)(l). The qualifying course must include at least 8 hours of training in the safe handling and use of a firearm, under Ohio Revised Code 2923.125(G)(1). Under Ohio Revised Code 2923.125(G)(1)(e), that course must include live-fire training.
Yes, you may renew at any time before the expiration date, with no early-filing limit.
The renewed concealed handgun license expires five years after the date it is issued.
Yes, you may file for renewal at any time after the expiration date. A suspension or a move out of Ohio can bar renewal, as described above.
Your concealed handgun license stays valid for thirty days after it expires. After that, the concealed handgun license itself authorizes nothing, though a person who is at least 21, is not barred from possessing a firearm under federal or Ohio law, and satisfies the eligibility criteria the licensing statute lists may still carry concealed as a qualifying adult.
No, a routine renewal does not require a new competency certification. You certify that you reread the Ohio peace officer training commission pamphlet.
You file with the sheriff of your county of residence, an adjacent county, or, if you live in another state, the sheriff who issued your previous concealed handgun license.
No, a licensee who no longer lives or works in Ohio, as applicable, may not renew, though the concealed handgun license stays valid until its printed expiration date.
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.