(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that Ohioans with concealed carry permits will be able to use those permits in five additional states. Pursuant to changes adopted in House Bill 234 of the 130th General Assembly, Ohio now has concealed carry permit reciprocity with Colorado, Georgia, New Hampshire, Texas, and Wisconsin.
House Bill 234 strengthened background check procedures by requiring sheriffs to contact the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to verify that a concealed carry applicant is lawfully eligible to possess a firearm in the United States. This change allowed Attorney General DeWine to execute a concealed carry reciprocity agreement with Texas, which already had such standards.
Additionally, House Bill 234 provides that a concealed carry permit issued by another state is valid in Ohio so long as the permit holder is not an Ohio resident and is in the state temporarily. This change allowed Attorney General DeWine to confirm similar reciprocity privileges for Ohio citizens with Colorado, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.
Including the five additional states, Ohio now has concealed carry reciprocity with 28 total states. Ohio had already confirmed reciprocity with Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The changes enacted by House Hill 234 became effective today. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has updated its concealed carry laws manual, as well as the State of Ohio concealed carry license and renewal application to reflect the changes in law. The manual is available online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CCWManual, and the application is available at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CCWApplication.
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