(A) No person shall knowingly carry or have, concealed on the person’s person or concealed ready at hand, any of the following:
(1) A deadly weapon other than a handgun;
(2) A handgun other than a dangerous ordnance;
(3) A dangerous ordnance.
(B) No person who has been issued a concealed handgun license shall do any of the following:
(1) If the person is stopped for a law enforcement purpose and is carrying a concealed handgun, 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 is carrying a concealed handgun, 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) If the person is stopped for a law enforcement purpose and is carrying a concealed handgun, 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;
(3) If the person is stopped for a law enforcement purpose, if the person is carrying a concealed handgun, and if the person is approached by any law enforcement officer while stopped, knowingly remove or attempt to remove the loaded handgun from the holster, pocket, or other place in which the person is carrying it, knowingly grasp or hold the loaded handgun, or knowingly have contact with the loaded handgun by touching it with the person’s hands or fingers at any time after the law enforcement officer begins approaching and before the law enforcement officer leaves, unless the person removes, attempts to remove, grasps, holds, or has contact with the loaded handgun pursuant to and in accordance with directions given by the law enforcement officer;
(4) If the person is stopped for a law enforcement purpose and is carrying a concealed handgun, knowingly disregard or fail to comply with any lawful order of any law enforcement officer given while the person 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 to a law enforcement officer, who is authorized to carry concealed weapons or dangerous ordnance or is authorized to carry handguns and is 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 concealed weapons or dangerous ordnance or is authorized to carry handguns, 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 this division (C)(1)(b) does not apply to the person;
(c) A person’s transportation or storage of a firearm, other than a firearm described in Ohio R.C. 2923.11(G) to (M), in a motor vehicle for any lawful purpose if the firearm is not on the actor’s person;
(d) A person’s storage or possession of a firearm, other than a firearm described in Ohio R.C. 2923.11(G) to (M), in the actor’s own home for any lawful purpose.
(2) Division (a)(2) of this section does not apply to any person who has been issued a concealed handgun license that is valid at the time of the alleged carrying or possession of a handgun or who, at the time of the alleged carrying or possession of a handgun, 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 R.C. § 2923.125(G)(1), unless the person knowingly is in a place described in R.C. § 2923.126(B).
(D) It is an affirmative defense to a charge under division (A)(1) of this section of carrying or having control of a weapon other than a handgun and other than a dangerous ordnance, that the actor was not otherwise prohibited by law from having the weapon, and that any of the following applies:
(1) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for defensive purposes, while the actor was engaged in or was going to or from the actor’s lawful business or occupation, which business or occupation was of a character or was necessarily carried on in a manner or at a time or place as to render the actor particularly susceptible to criminal attack, such as would justify a prudent person in going armed.
(2) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for defensive purposes, while the actor was engaged in a lawful activity and had reasonable cause to fear a criminal attack upon the actor, a member of the actor’s family, or the actor’s home, such as would justify a prudent person in going armed.
(3) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for any lawful purpose and while in the actor’s own home.
(E) (1) No person who is charged with a violation of this section 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 division (B)(1) of this section as it existed prior to June 13, 2022, the person may file an application under R.C. § 2953.35 requesting the expungement of the record of conviction.
(R.C. § 2923.12(A) - (E))
(F) Whoever violates this section is guilty of carrying concealed weapons. The penalty shall be as provided in § 202.99.
(G) If a law enforcement officer stops a person to question the person regarding a possible violation of this section, for a traffic stop, or for any other law enforcement purpose, if the person 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 division, Ohio R.C. 2923.163(B) applies.
(H) For purposes of this section, “deadly weapon” or “weapon” does not include any knife, razor, or cutting instrument if the instrument was not used as a weapon.
(R.C. § 2923.12(G), (H))
Statutory reference:
Carrying concealed handguns, licensing through county sheriff, see Ohio R.C. 2923.124 et seq.
Conveyance or possession of deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance on school premises, felony offense, see Ohio R.C. 2923.122
Conveyance, possession, or control of deadly weapon or dangerous ordinance in a courthouse, felony offense, see Ohio R.C. 2923.123
Possession of deadly weapon while under detention, felony offense, see Ohio R.C. 2923.131
Possession of firearm in liquor permit premises, felony offense, see Ohio R.C. 2923.121