549.04 IMPROPERLY HANDLING FIREARMS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE.

   (a)   No person shall knowingly transport or have a firearm in a motor vehicle, unless the person may lawfully possess that firearm under applicable law of this state or the United States, the firearm is unloaded, and the firearm is carried in one of the following ways:

      (1)   In a closed package, box or case;

      (2)   In a compartment which can be reached only by leaving the vehicle;

      (3)   In plain sight and secured in a rack or holder made for the purpose;

      (4)   If the firearm is at least twenty-four inches in overall length as measured from the muzzle to the part of the stock furthest from the muzzle and if the barrel is at least eighteen inches in length, either in plain sight with the action open or the weapon stripped, or, if the firearm is of a type on which the action will not stay open or which cannot easily be stripped, in plain sight.

   (b)   No person who has been issued a concealed handgun license, or who is an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States and is carrying a valid military identification card and documentation of successful completion of firearms training that meets or exceeds the training requirements described in division (G)(1) of Ohio R.C. 2923.125, who is the driver or an occupant of a motor vehicle that is stopped as a result of a traffic stop or a stop for another law enforcement purpose or is the driver or an occupant of a commercial motor vehicle that is stopped by an employee of the motor carrier enforcement unit for the purposes defined in Ohio R.C. 5503.34, and who is transporting or has a loaded handgun in the motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle in any manner, shall do any of the following:

      (1)   Before or at the time a law enforcement officer asks if the person is carrying a concealed handgun, knowingly fail to disclose that the person then possesses or has a loaded handgun in the motor vehicle, provided that it is not a violation of this division if the person fails to disclose that fact to an officer during the stop and the person already has notified another officer of that fact during the same stop;

(2)   Before or at the time an employee of the motor carrier enforcement unit asks if the person is carrying a concealed handgun, knowingly fail to disclose that the person then possesses or has a loaded handgun in the commercial motor vehicle, provided that it is not a violation of this division if the person fails to disclose that fact to an employee of the unit during the stop and the person already has notified another employee of the unit of that fact during the same stop;

      (3)   Knowingly fail to remain in the motor vehicle while stopped, or knowingly fail to keep the person’s hands in plain sight at any time after any law enforcement officer begins approaching the person while stopped and before the law enforcement officer leaves, unless the failure is pursuant to and in accordance with directions given by a law enforcement officer.

      (4)   Knowingly disregard or fail to comply with any lawful order of any law enforcement officer given while the motor vehicle is stopped, including, but not limited to, a specific order to the person to keep the person’s hands in plain sight.

   (c)   (1)   This section does not apply to any of the following:

         A.   An officer, agent or employee of this or any other state or the United States, or a law enforcement officer, when authorized to carry or have loaded or accessible firearms in motor vehicles and acting within the scope of the officer’s, agent’s or employee’s duties;

         B.   Any person who is employed in this State, who is authorized to carry or have loaded or accessible firearms in motor vehicles, and who is subject to and in compliance with the requirements of Ohio R.C. 109.801, unless the appointing authority of the person has expressly specified that the exemption provided in subsection (c)(1)B. does not apply to the person.

      (2)   Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a person who transports or possesses a handgun in a motor vehicle if, at the time of that transportation or possession, both of the following apply:

         A.   The person transporting or possessing the handgun has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time in question or the person is an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States and is carrying a valid military identification card and documentation of successful completion of firearms training that meets or exceeds the training requirements described in Ohio R.C. 2923.125(G)(1).

         B.   The person transporting or possessing the handgun is not knowingly in a place described in division (B) of Ohio R.C. 2923.126.

      (3)   Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a person if all of the following apply:

         A.   The person possesses a valid all-purpose vehicle permit issued under Ohio R.C. 1533.103 by the Chief of the Division of Wildlife.

         B.   The person is on or in an all-purpose vehicle as defined in Ohio R.C. 1531.01 on private or publicly owned lands or on or in a motor vehicle during the open hunting season for a wild quadruped or game bird.

         C.   The person is on or in an all-purpose vehicle as defined in Ohio R.C. 1531.01 or a motor vehicle that is parked on a road that is owned or administered by the Division of Wildlife.

   (d)   (1)   The affirmative defenses authorized in Section 549.02(d)(1) and (2) are affirmative defenses to a charge under subsection (a) that involves a firearm other than a handgun.

      (2)   It is an affirmative defense to a charge under subsection (a) of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle that the actor transported or had the firearm in the motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and while the motor vehicle was on the actor’s own property, provided that the affirmative defense is not available unless the person, immediately prior to arriving at the actor’s own property, did not transport or possess the firearm in a motor vehicle in a manner prohibited by subsection (a) while the motor vehicle was being operated on a street, highway, or other public or private property used by the public for vehicular traffic.

   (e)   (1)   No person who is charged with a violation of subsection (a) shall be required to obtain a concealed handgun license as a condition for the dismissal of the charge.

      (2)   If a person is convicted of, was convicted of, pleads guilty to, or has pleaded guilty to a violation of subsection (b) of this section as it existed prior to September 30, 2011, and the conduct that was the basis of the violation no longer would be a violation of subsection (b) of this section on or after September 30, 2011, or if a person is convicted of, was convicted of, pleads guilty to, or has pleaded guilty to a violation of subsection (a) of this section as the subsection existed prior to June 13, 2022, the person may file an application under Ohio R.C. 2953.37 requesting the expungement of the record of conviction.

   (f)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle. Violation of subsection (a) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. A violation of subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. A violation of subsection (b)(3) or (4) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree or, if the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of subsection (b)(3) or (4) of this section, a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law. In addition to any other penalty or sanction imposed for a misdemeanor violation of subsection (b)(3) or (4) of this section, the offender’s concealed handgun license shall be suspended pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2923.128(A)(2).

   (g)   If a law enforcement officer stops a motor vehicle for a traffic stop or any other purpose, if any person in the motor vehicle surrenders a firearm to the officer, either voluntarily or pursuant to a request or demand of the officer, and if the officer does not charge the person with a violation of this section or arrest the person for any offense, the person is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and the firearm is not contraband, the officer shall return the firearm to the person at the termination of the stop. If a court orders a law enforcement officer to return a firearm to a person pursuant to the requirement set forth in this subsection, division (B) of Ohio R.C. 2923.163 applies.

   (h)   As used in this section:

      (1)   “Commercial motor vehicle” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 4506.25(A).

      (2)   “Motor carrier enforcement unit” means the motor carrier enforcement unit in the Department of Public Safety, Division of State Highway Patrol, that is created by Ohio R.C. 5503.34.

      (3)   “Motor vehicle”, “street” and “highway” have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 4511.01.

      (4)   A.    “Unloaded” means:

            1.   With respect to a firearm other than a firearm described in subsection (h)(4)B. of this section, that no ammunition is in the firearm in question, no magazine or speed loader containing ammunition is inserted into the firearm in question and one of the following applies:

               a.   There is no ammunition in a magazine or speed loader that is in the vehicle in question and that may be used with the firearm in question.

               b.   Any magazine or speed loader that contains ammunition and that may be used with the firearm in question is stored in a compartment within the vehicle in question that cannot be accessed without leaving the vehicle or is stored in a container that provides complete and separate enclosure.

            2.   For the purposes of subsection (h)(4)A.1.b. of this section, a “container that provides complete and separate enclosure” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

               a.   A package, box or case with multiple compartments, as long as the loaded magazine or speed loader and the firearm in question either are in separate compartments within the package, box, or case, or, if they are in the same compartment, the magazine or speed loader is contained within a separate enclosure in that compartment that does not contain the firearm and that closes using a snap, button, buckle, zipper, hook and loop closing mechanism, or other fastener that must be opened to access the contents or the firearm is contained within a separate enclosure of that nature in that compartment that does not contain the magazine or speed loader;

               b.   A pocket or other enclosure on the person of the person in question that closes using a snap, button, buckle, zipper, hook and loop closing mechanism, or other fastener that must be opened to access the contents.      

            3.   For the purposes of subsection (h)(4)A. of this section, ammunition held in stripper-clips or in en-bloc clips is not considered ammunition that is loaded into a magazine or speed loader.

         B.   “Unloaded” means, with respect to a firearm employing a percussion cap, flintlock, or other obsolete ignition system, when the weapon is uncapped or when the priming charge is removed from the pan.

   (i)   Subsection (h)(4) of this section does not affect the authority of a person who has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time in question to have one or more magazines or speed loaders containing ammunition anywhere in a vehicle, without being transported as described in those divisions, so long as no ammunition is in a firearm, other than a handgun, in the vehicle other than as permitted under any other provision of this chapter. A person who has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time in question may have one or more magazines or speed loaders containing ammunition anywhere in a vehicle without further restriction, as long as no ammunition is in a firearm, other than a handgun, in the vehicle other than as permitted under any provision of this chapter.

(ORC 2923.16)