Ohio firearms and concealed carry laws change Friday

[MP_OHIO]

Ohio firearms and concealed carry laws change Friday, September 30 -


Change to Ohio's Firearm Disability Law

Effective this Friday, non-felony drug convictions (i.e. misdemeanor and minor misdemeanor) are no longer firearm disabilities under Ohio law. (These non-felony convictions were never disabilities under federal law.) People with non-felony drug convictions do not need to take any action; they will automatically be relieved from disability on Friday. HOWEVER, any drug conviction, felony or otherwise, is still a disqualifier for the Ohio concealed carry license. Persons with non-felony drug
convictions may still obtain and fully use other states' concealed carry licenses, so long as that state does not impose a drug conviction disqualifier.

Change to Ohio's Restoration of Rights Law

Ohio's restoration of firearm rights law was previously invalid in the eyes of the federal government. Effective Friday, this should change automatically and the federal government should once again accept any Ohio court order restoring firearm rights. The area that remains to be seen is whether orders restoring firearm rights PREVIOUSLY granted will be honored by the federal government. Our "fix" specifically says it is retroactive to all prior restoration of rights orders. It remains to be seen whether the federal government honors this intent.

Change to Ohio's Car Carry Provisions

Effective Friday, Ohio no longer places explicit restrictions on how someone with a concealed carry license may carry a gun in a vehicle. In other words, Ohio joins the other 48 states allowing concealed carry. Keep in mind that just because Ohio no longer micro-manages vehicle carry does not mean that people are free from potential criminal charges. Firearms in a vehicle still may not be accessible to children, persons under firearm disability etc. Stated another way, if you are alone in your car, whatever you want to do is fine. If you have children in the car, you must carry the handgun in a manner that the children cannot access if you want to be free of potential criminal charges.

Change to Ohio's Liquor Permit Prohibition

Effective Friday, Ohio's liquor permit prohibition, R.C. 2923.121, no longer applies to licensees so long as 1.) they do not consume alcohol in the liquor permit facility, not even a sip, and 2.) they are not already under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The licensee is cautioned, however, that liquor permit facilities are still private property, and private property owners may ban all firearms (or all yellow neckties etc) simply by posting a sign to that effect. The important difference is that a liquor permit facility owner posting a sign is only creating a trespass violation; they are not putting the licensee back under the felony penalties of our liquor permit prohibition.

Please keep in mind that no-gun signs will likely start to go up in the next month, just as they did in April of 2004 when Ohio adopted a concealed carry license. Just as back in 2004, these signs will start to come down as the law goes into effect over the upcoming months. In the meantime, take your business where it is welcome.


http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8003

[SONYtec]

Ohio firearms and concealed carry laws change Friday, September 30 - What do these improvements mean for you?

Not a thing, since I don't live in Ohio.