Ohio became a constitutional-carry state on June 13, 2022, when Senate Bill 215 of the 134th General Assembly took effect. SB 215 amended Ohio Rev....
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Ohio became a constitutional-carry state on June 13, 2022, when Senate Bill 215 of the 134th General Assembly took effect. SB 215 amended Ohio Rev. Code § 2923.12 (carrying concealed weapons) and added a new section, Ohio Rev. Code § 2923.111, that allows any "qualifying adult" to carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without first obtaining a Concealed Handgun License (CHL). A "qualifying adult" under § 2923.111(A)(2) is a person 21 or older who is not legally prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)-(9)), under § 2923.13, or under any other Revised Code provision. The CHL issued under § 2923.125 remains available - and is still required for reciprocity outside Ohio. Open carry was lawful before SB 215 and remains lawful; SB 215 added permitless concealed carry. Permitless concealed carriers are still subject to the duty-to-inform rules in § 2923.12(B), including the duty to disclose to a peace officer who asks during a lawful stop.
The rest explains the SB 215 rewrite, who qualifies, what it does not change, and why the CHL still matters.
SB 215 was passed by the 134th General Assembly and signed by Governor Mike DeWine on March 14, 2022, taking effect on June 13, 2022. SB 215 did two things: it amended § 2923.12 to carve out conduct by a "qualifying adult" carrying a concealed handgun, and it added § 2923.111 to define "qualifying adult" and supply the statutory authority for permitless concealed carry.
The amendment is structural rather than declaratory. Ohio did not enact a free-standing "Constitutional Carry Act." It modified the existing concealed-weapons offense so that a qualifying adult is no longer subject to it and is treated, for almost all other Revised Code purposes, as if the person had been issued a valid CHL. The CHL-only carve-outs in §§ 2923.12, 2923.124, 2923.126, and related provisions all extend to qualifying adults by operation of § 2923.111(C)(1). The expungement provision at § 2923.12(E)(2) provides a date-stamp by allowing any person convicted of § 2923.12(B)(1) "as it existed prior to June 13, 2022" to apply for expungement under § 2953.35.
Section 2923.111(A)(2) defines "qualifying adult" as a person who is all of:
"(a) Twenty-one years of age or older; (b) Not legally prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) to (9) or under section 2923.13 of the Revised Code or any other Revised Code provision; (c) Satisfies all of the criteria listed in divisions (D)(1)(a) to (j), (m), (p), (q), and (s) of section 2923.125 of the Revised Code."
Subsection (B) is the operative carry rule: a qualifying adult is not required to obtain a CHL and may carry a concealed handgun that is not a restricted firearm "anywhere in this state in which a person who has been issued a concealed handgun license may carry a concealed handgun."
Two structural points matter. First, § 2923.111(B)(3) makes the qualifying-adult right co-extensive with the licensed-CHL right: a qualifying adult "is subject to the same restrictions as apply to a person who has been issued a concealed handgun license." The two pathways converge inside Ohio. Second, § 2923.111(C)(1) deems a qualifying adult to "have been issued a valid concealed handgun license" for purposes of every other Revised Code section that references a CHL. Rather than rewriting every cross-reference in Title 29, the legislature collapsed the two categories. The duty-to-inform in § 2923.12(B), the prohibited-places list in § 2923.126, the vehicle rules in § 2923.16, and the suspension regime in § 2923.128 all apply to qualifying adults exactly as they apply to CHL holders, with the exceptions called out in § 2923.111(C)(2).
Section 2923.12(A)(2) makes it an offense to knowingly carry, concealed on the person or concealed ready at hand, a handgun other than a dangerous ordnance. Section 2923.12(C)(2) creates the licensee carve-out: (A)(2) does not apply to any person who has been issued a valid CHL. Combined with § 2923.111(C)(1)(a) - which deems a qualifying adult to have been issued a valid CHL - the (C)(2) carve-out reaches qualifying adults too. A § 2923.12(A)(2) violation by a person under 21 or a § 2923.13 prohibited person remains a first-degree misdemeanor under § 2923.12(F)(1), with felony enhancements for priors, loaded firearms with ammunition ready at hand, dangerous ordnance, or aircraft.
You can carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without a CHL if you meet all of the following criteria from § 2923.111(A)(2):
If any of these conditions fails, permitless carry does not protect you. The fix is not "get a CHL instead" - a § 2923.13 prohibited person cannot lawfully possess a firearm at all. An 18-to-20-year-old in Ohio cannot carry concealed in public absent the narrow active-duty military exception; open carry is the only practical pathway.
Ohio's permitless-carry framework is concealed-only by addition, not by extension. SB 215 did not change open carry, because Ohio open carry was already lawful for adults 18 or older not otherwise prohibited. Compare to Texas: HB 1927 (2021) extended permitless authority to both concealed and open handgun carry, because Texas had previously required a license for both. Ohio's structure is closer to Florida, where HB 543 (2023) made permitless concealed carry lawful but left a longstanding open-carry prohibition intact.
For an Ohio carrier, the practical map looks like this:
Long guns are not subject to § 2923.111 or § 2923.12(A)(2) - those reach concealed handguns.
SB 215 stripped out the licensing requirement for concealed handgun carry by qualifying adults. It left the rest of Ohio firearms law intact.
Section 2923.126(B) lists locations where a CHL - and, by operation of § 2923.111(C)(1), a qualifying adult - may not carry a concealed handgun: police stations, sheriff's offices, and BCI premises; correctional institutions, jails, and detention facilities; the secured area of an airport passenger terminal; mental-health institutions operated under § 5119.14 or § 5123.03; school safety zones in violation of § 2923.122; courthouses in violation of § 2923.123; D-permit liquor establishments and certain open-air arenas in violation of § 2923.121; college and university premises (with narrow locked-vehicle and written-policy exceptions); places of worship that have not posted or otherwise permitted; state or political-subdivision government buildings (with narrow exceptions); and any place where federal law prohibits carry. See PROHIBITED_PLACES for the complete treatment.
The state-law disabilities in § 2923.13 and the federal disabilities in 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) are unaffected by SB 215. SB 215 actually layers an additional automatic-loss provision on top: § 2923.111(C)(2) provides that if a qualifying adult subsequently becomes a person within any § 922(g)(1)-(9) category or any § 2923.13 category, "both of the following apply automatically and immediately": the (B) carry authority no longer applies, and the person is no longer deemed to have been issued a valid CHL. There is no grace period and no notice requirement.
This is the part students most often miss. Ohio retained the duty-to-inform rule in § 2923.12(B), and § 2923.111(B)(3) and (C)(1)(c) extend it to qualifying adults. When stopped for a law-enforcement purpose, it is an offense to: (B)(1) knowingly fail to disclose, before or at the time the officer asks, that the person is carrying a concealed handgun; (B)(2) knowingly fail to keep hands in plain sight after the officer begins approaching; (B)(3) knowingly remove, grasp, hold, or have hand contact with the loaded handgun after the officer begins approaching, except as directed; or (B)(4) knowingly disregard a lawful order of the officer.
SB 215 narrowed (B)(1) from a pre-existing affirmative "promptly notify" duty to a "do not lie or stay silent if asked" duty - the duty triggers when the officer asks. But the duty did not disappear, and (B)(2), (B)(3), and (B)(4) remain unchanged. A first violation of (B)(1) is a second-degree misdemeanor under § 2923.12(F)(3); (B)(2) or (B)(4) is a first-degree misdemeanor on first offense and a fifth-degree felony on subsequent offenses; (B)(3) is a fifth-degree felony. See DUTY_TO_INFORM.
Section 2923.111(A)(1) defines a "restricted firearm" as a firearm that is dangerous ordnance or that any law of Ohio prohibits the subject person from possessing. The qualifying-adult authority covers only "a concealed handgun that is not a restricted firearm." Permitless carry does not authorize concealed carry of dangerous ordnance and does not override any other Revised Code provision that bars a particular person from possessing a particular firearm.
Federal law overlays Ohio law. The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. § 922(q), continues to apply and prohibits possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school, with an exemption at § 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) for license holders carrying within their issuing state. An Ohio permitless carrier does not get the § 922(q) license-holder exemption; an Ohio CHL holder does. Federal prohibitions on possession in federal facilities, post offices, federal courthouses, military installations, and the secure areas of airports apply regardless of state law.
Section 2923.126(C) preserves the right of private employers and property owners to exclude firearms. A property owner who posts a firearms-prohibited notice can lawfully exclude both CHL holders and permitless carriers; entering or remaining after notice is criminal trespass under R.C. § 2911.21.
The Ohio CHL is technically optional for in-state concealed carry by qualifying adults. It is not optional for several adjacent purposes:
Treat the CHL as optional for in-state concealed carry and effectively required for out-of-state travel, federal school-zone proximity, and NICS exemption at the point of sale.
The practical scope of "constitutional carry" varies. Texas (HB 1927, 2021) extends permitless authority to both concealed and open handgun carry for qualifying adults (open must be holstered). Florida (HB 543, 2023) extends permitless authority to concealed only and continues to ban open carry generally. Kansas (SB 45, 2015) extends permitless authority to both modes for adults 21 or older. Ohio (SB 215, 2022) extends permitless authority to concealed only; open carry was already lawful for adults 18+ before SB 215 and remains lawful. Ohio and Florida are structurally similar in tying permitless eligibility to the licensed pathway's substantive eligibility floor - § 2923.111(A)(2)(c) cross-references the CHL floor at § 2923.125(D)(1).
"Do I need to take a class?" No. SB 215 imposes no training requirement on qualifying adults. Ohio still requires eight hours for a CHL under § 2923.125(G). Training is voluntary by statute and necessary in fact.
"Can I carry openly without a permit?" Yes, if you are 18 or older and not federally or state-prohibited.
"What do I tell an officer if I am stopped while carrying concealed?" Comply with § 2923.12(B). Keep your hands in plain sight. Do not touch the handgun unless directed. If the officer asks whether you are carrying, answer truthfully and disclose. Comply with any lawful order. The proactive "promptly notify" duty was narrowed by SB 215, but the duty to disclose when asked is intact.
"Can I carry in my car?" Yes, as a qualifying adult or CHL holder. § 2923.16 governs vehicle carry of loaded handguns. See VEHICLE_CARRY.
"K-12 schools and college campuses?" Off-limits. § 2923.122 makes possession in a school safety zone an offense regardless of carry mode. § 2923.126(B)(5) bars concealed carry on college and university premises except in a locked motor vehicle or under an institution's written policy. Federal § 922(q) compounds the K-12 risk for permitless carriers.
"Visiting from another state?" Yes, if you are 21 or older and meet § 2923.111(A)(2). The catch is the return trip - when you cross the state line, the receiving state's law controls.
"18, 19, or 20?" No permitless concealed carry. Open carry remains available for non-prohibited 18-to-20-year-olds.
"What if I become a prohibited person after I started carrying permitlessly?" Stop immediately. § 2923.111(C)(2) terminates the (B) carry authority and deemed-CHL status "automatically and immediately." Continued carry exposes you to § 2923.12(A)(2) and § 2923.13 third-degree-felony prosecution.
| Question | Answer | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless concealed carry? | Yes, qualifying adults 21+, not prohibited, meeting the § 2923.125(D)(1) floor. | §§ 2923.111(B), 2923.12(C)(2) |
| Permitless open carry? | Already lawful before SB 215; no license required for adults 18+ not prohibited. | R.C. § 9.68 |
| Effective date? | June 13, 2022. | SB 215, 134th Gen. Assem. |
| 18-to-20-year-olds? | No permitless concealed. Open carry available. | § 2923.111(A)(2)(a) |
| Resident-only? | No. Any qualifying adult may carry permitlessly while in Ohio. | § 2923.111 |
| CHL still issued? | Yes, by the county sheriff. | § 2923.125 |
| Federal prohibited persons? | Not covered. § 922(g) controls. | 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) |
| State prohibited persons? | Not covered. § 2923.13 disabilities incorporated. | § 2923.13 |
| Out-of-state recognition? | Permitless is not portable. Use a CHL. | Receiving-state law |
| Prohibited locations? | § 2923.126(B) applies to qualifying adults. | §§ 2923.126(B), 2923.111(C)(1) |
| Duty to inform? | Yes - applies to qualifying adults; (B)(1) triggers when the officer asks. | §§ 2923.12(B), 2923.111(B)(3) |
| Federal school zones? | Off-limits within 1,000 feet for permitless carriers; CHL holders get the (q)(2)(B)(ii) exemption. | 18 U.S.C. § 922(q) |
| Restricted firearm permitlessly? | No. Covers only a non-restricted concealed handgun. | § 2923.111(A)(1), (B) |
| Loss of qualifying-adult status if prohibited? | Automatic and immediate. | § 2923.111(C)(2) |
| Training required for permitless? | No. (Eight hours required for CHL.) | § 2923.125(G) |
| NICS point-of-sale exemption? | CHL only. | 18 U.S.C. § 922(t) |
Ohio permitless concealed carry says one thing clearly: an adult 21 or older who is not a prohibited person and who meets the eligibility floor cross-referenced into § 2923.111(A)(2)(c) does not need a CHL to carry a concealed handgun in Ohio. Everything else - the federal § 922(g) prohibitions, the state § 2923.13 disabilities, the prohibited-places list in § 2923.126(B), the duty-to-inform in § 2923.12(B), the vehicle rules in § 2923.16, the school safety zone and courthouse restrictions, the under-21 bar, and the reciprocity question - remains in full force. Permitless carry adds a concealed-carry pathway; it does not roll back any other restriction in Title 29. Treat the CHL as optional for in-state carry and effectively required for out-of-state travel, federal school-zone proximity, and NICS at the point of sale.
This page covers one part of our Ohio concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Ohio guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.