(a) No person shall knowingly possess an object in a school safety zone if both of the following apply:
(1) The object is indistinguishable from a firearm, whether or not the object is capable of being fired.
(2) The person indicates that the person possesses the object and that it is a firearm, or the person knowingly displays or brandishes the object and indicates that it is a firearm.
(b) (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 who is authorized to carry deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance and is acting within the scope of the officer’s, agent’s, or employee’s duties;
B. A law enforcement officer who is authorized to carry deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance;
C. A security officer employed by a board of education or governing body of a school during the time that the security officer is on duty pursuant to that contract of employment;
D. 1. Any person not described in subsections (b)(1)A. to (b)(1)C. of this section who has written authorization from the board of education or governing body of a school to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone or to possess a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone and who conveys or possesses the deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in accordance with that authorization, provided both of the following apply:
a. Either the person has successfully completed the curriculum, instruction, and training established under Ohio R.C. 5502.703, or the person has received a certificate of having satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace officer training program or is a law enforcement officer;
b. The board or governing body has notified the public, by whatever means the affected school regularly communicates with the public, that the board or governing body has authorized one or more persons to go armed within a school operated by the board or governing authority;
2. A district board or school governing body that authorizes a person under subsection (b)(1)D. of this section shall require that person to submit to an annual criminal records check conducted in the same manner as Ohio R.C. 3319.39 or Ohio R.C. 3319.391.
E. Any person who is employed in this state, who is authorized to carry deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance, 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 (b)(1)E. of this section does not apply to the person.
(2) This section does not apply to premises upon which home schooling is conducted. This section also does not apply to a school administrator, teacher or employee who possesses an object that is indistinguishable from a firearm for legitimate school purposes during the course of employment, a student who uses an object that is indistinguishable from a firearm under the direction of a school administrator, teacher or employee, or any other person who, with the express prior approval of a school administrator, possesses an object that is indistinguishable from a firearm for a legitimate purpose, including the use of the object in a ceremonial activity, a play, re-enactment or other dramatic presentation, school safety training, or a ROTC activity or another similar use of the object.
(3) This section does not apply to a person who conveys or attempts to convey a handgun into, or possesses a handgun in, a school safety zone if, at the time of that conveyance, attempted conveyance, or possession of the handgun, all of the following apply:
A. The person does not enter into a school building or onto school premises and is not at a school activity.
B. The person has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time of the conveyance, attempted conveyance, or possession 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).
C. The person is in the school safety zone in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)(B).
D. The person is not knowingly in a place described in Ohio R.C. 2923.126(B)(1) or (B)(3) to (8).
(4) This section does not apply to a person who conveys or attempts to convey a handgun into, or possesses a handgun in, a school safety zone if at the time of that conveyance, attempted conveyance, or possession of the handgun all of the following apply:
A. The person has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time of the conveyance, attempted conveyance or possession 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 leaves the handgun in a motor vehicle.
C. The handgun does not leave the motor vehicle.
D. If the person exits the motor vehicle, the person locks the motor vehicle.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of illegal possession of an object indistinguishable from a firearm in a school safety zone. Except as otherwise provided in this division, illegal possession of an object indistinguishable from a firearm in a school safety zone is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of this section, illegal possession of an object indistinguishable from a firearm in a school safety zone is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(d) (1) In addition to any other penalty imposed upon a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section, and subject to subsection (d)(2) of this section, if the offender has not attained nineteen years of age, regardless of whether the offender is attending or is enrolled in a school operated by a board of education or for which the Director of Education and Workforce prescribes minimum standards under Ohio R.C. 3301.07, the court shall impose upon the offender a class four suspension of the offender’s probationary driver’s license, restricted license, driver’s license, commercial driver’s license, temporary instruction permit, or probationary commercial driver’s license that then is in effect from the range specified in Ohio R.C. 4510.02(A)(4) and shall deny the offender the issuance of any permit or license of that type during the period of the suspension. If the offender is not a resident of this State, the court shall impose a class four suspension of the nonresident operating privilege of the offender from the range specified in Ohio R.C. 4510.02(A)(4).
(2) If the offender shows good cause why the court should not suspend one of the types of licenses, permits or privileges specified in subsection (d)(1) of this section or deny the issuance of one of the temporary instruction permits specified in subsection (d)(1) of this section, the court in its discretion may choose not to impose the suspension, revocation or denial required in subsection (d)(1) of this section, but the court, in its discretion, instead may require the offender to perform community service for a number of hours determined by the court.
(e) As used in this section, "object that is indistinguishable from a firearm" means an object made, constructed or altered so that, to a reasonable person without specialized training in firearms, the object appears to be a firearm.
(ORC 2923.122(C) - (G); Ord. 2023-05. Passed 4-13-23; Ord. 2024-03. Passed 4-11-24.)