“Lucas County sheriff’s deputies recently responded to a call of a man with a gun,” toldeoblade.com reports. “What they encountered took some sorting out: The jogger was a local man with a gun under his shirt who produced an Ohio driver’s license and a concealed-carry permit issued from the state of Florida. It was a circumstance that took officers off guard. Although recognizing that permit holders have a right to carry a concealed weapon, it was unclear if the Florida license satisfied Ohio law.” Yes. Yes it does. Ohio has reciprocity with Florida, which issues non-resident permits. A fact that has riled some Buckeye Staters who “question why Ohio would allow another state to issue permits to its residents.” Or why an Ohio resident would apply to Florida for a permit rather than Ohio . . .
Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said there are a number of reasons Ohio residents apply for and receive out-of-state licenses. He said his organization strongly recommends that all Ohio residents receive an in-state license but said he understands why some don’t.
The main reason gun owners obtain out-of-state licenses is that places such as Florida have reciprocity agreements with more states than Ohio, so a traveler is legal to carry in more states, he said. Other reasons include avoiding the possibility of news media publishing lists of permit holders.
There are some, he acknowledged, that may apply in other states to avoid Ohio’s training requirements.
OMG! Ohio citizens who’ve avoided 12 hours of mandatory training! Given Florida’s reputation as “the Gunshine State,” maybe the Ohio residents carrying under a Florida permit are people who would get denied in land that calls itself The Mother of Presidents.
Uh, no. Florida also runs a criminal background check on applicants and requires written proof that the applicant has proficiency with a firearm. So why all the fuss anyway?
House Bill 495 would amend Ohio’s concealed-carry laws. It was recently approved in a 57-26 vote of the House but has not been considered by the Senate.
In essence, the legislation “authorizes the automatic validity in Ohio of a concealed handgun license issued by another state as long as that jurisdiction recognizes Ohio’s license without the need for a reciprocity agreement,” according to the office of State Rep. Terry Johnson (R., McDermott), who sponsored the bill.
Ah, liberalizing Ohio concealed carry laws, which have already enabled some 300k citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Cue someone, anyone who represents gun control.
[Toby Hoover of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence] said she is concerned about the proposed changes because they open Ohio to “accepting the lowest common denominator” of concealed-carry permits.
“It’s a slippery, creeping slope that ends up with fewer and fewer restrictions on those who want to carry concealed guns,” she said. ” … I just question why that man in [Lucas County] got a permit in Florida. Probably because he wouldn’t get one in Ohio.”
Facts, schmacts.