Ohio allows qualified individuals to carry concealed handguns.
The Ohio concealed handgun law sets out a number of criteria before an Ohio resident can receive a license. The law requires applicants to complete a training regimen, pass a criminal background check and meet residency and age requirements. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a license denial. The licenses are issued by the county sheriff, who must approve or deny a license within 45 days of the application.
Instructions
1. Obtain a copy of Ohio's Concealed Carry Law pamphlet from any county sheriff, local gun shops, or the Ohio Attorney General's office. The pamphlet, written by the Attorney General, is available online at the Attorney General's website. You must attest that you have read this pamphlet before applying for the license.
2. Confirm that you meet or exceed the training requirements by taking a CCW course. For most people, the law requires that they successfully complete a 12-hour handgun course that includes 10 hours of classroom instruction and 2 hours of firing range time. To find a CCW class in Medina County, visit the Medina County Sheriff's Office website for listings of qualified instructors.
3. Confirm that you meet the age and residency requirements. You must be at least 21 years old and have been a resident of Ohio for 45 days before applying. You must be a resident of Medina County or an adjacent county to apply at the Medina County Sheriff's Office.
4. Confirm that you do not have a disqualifying criminal conviction or other legal situation that prevents you from receiving the license. You can not have been recently convicted of any felony or drug offense, or certain misdemeanor crimes. You cannot be the subject of a protective order or have been adjudicated as mentally incompetent.
You must apply for the license within three years of completing your training.
5. Fill out the application available through the Medina County Sheriff's Office, your CCW class instructor, or the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
6. Contact the Medina County Sheriff's Office CCW section at 330-764-3629 to make an appointment to apply. The sheriff's office is located at 555 Independence Drive, Medina, OH 44256
7. Bring the application, your certificate, a 2x2 passport-style photograph, and a check for the appropriate application fee. Veterans must bring a copy of their DD-214 discharge certificate.
The application fee varies based on your length of residency in Ohio. For persons with more than five years of residency, the fee for a license was $67 as of March 2010. For persons with less than five years of residency the fee was $91. The sheriff will conduct a criminal background check and verify the information you provided on the application, as well as verify that you meet the training requirements.
