Ohio Concealed Carry Law (CCW)

CCW applications are accepted by APPOINTMENT ONLY.

WALK INS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

***WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH.  CHECK OR MONEY ORDERS ONLY

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will process CCW applications on the following days:

MONDAY AND FRIDAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9:30 AM TO 11:00 AM AND 2:00 PM TO 5:00 PM,   TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY between the hours of 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. 

If you have any questions concerning the Ohio Concealed Carry Law or if you need to schedule an appointment, please call 937-645-4103 ext. 4468.

Qualifications to Obtain a Concealed Carry License in Ohio:

1. You must be at least 21 years of age.
2. You must be a legal resident of the United States and an Ohio resident or resident of another state and employed in Ohio (employment proof required; i.e. current paystub, letter from employer). 
3. You must provide the sheriff’s office with complete information about your background. There are many laws and conditions that prohibit you from owning or carrying a handgun. To obtain an Ohio Concealed Carry License, the following must be true:
   • You must not have had a concealed carry license issued by another state suspended.
   • You must not have been discharged from the United States armed forces under dishonorable conditions.
   • You must not have renounced your United States citizenship.
   • You cannot be an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance as defined in the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802). Be advised that marijuana is listed in the federal Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I controlled substance and there are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by state law. Therefore, if you are legally using medical marijuana under the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP), you may be prohibited from carrying a concealed handgun under federal law.
   • You must not have been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated as delinquent for committing a violation of section 2919.25 of the Ohio Revised Code (Domestic Violence) or a similar violation in another state.
   • You cannot have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or been adjudicated as delinquent for assaulting a peace officer.
   • You must not be under indictment, be charged with, or convicted of any felony. You also must not be under indictment, be charged with, or convicted of an offense that involves trafficking in drugs, a misdemeanor offense of violence, or negligent assault.
   • You must not have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or been adjudicated as delinquent in connection with a crime that involves the illegal use, sale, possession administration, distribution, or trafficking of a drug of abuse.
   • Within the last 3 years of your application, you must not have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or been adjudicated as delinquent in connection with a misdemeanor offense of violence.
   • Within the last 5 years of your application, you must not have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or been adjudicated as delinquent in connection with two or more assaults or negligent assaults.
   • Within the last 10 years of your application, you must not have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or adjudicated as delinquent in connection with resisting arrest.
   • You must not have been charged with falsification of a concealed handgun license.
4. You must pass a federal NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) check. The NICS system is maintained and administered by the FBI and the NICS check will be completed by the sheriff’s office when you apply. If you cannot purchase a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer, you will not be able to obtain an Ohio concealed carry license. Questions regarding NICS, NICS checks, and appealing NICS-based denials should be directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics.
5. You must not have been adjudicated as a mental defective, committed to any mental institution, under a current adjudication of incompetence, found by a court to be mentally ill subject to hospitalization by court order, or an involuntary patient other than one who is a patient only for purposes of observation.
6. You must not be subject to a civil protection order or a temporary protection order of an Ohio court or a similar protection order issued by another state.
7. You must provide proof of training and competency certification by:
   • A certificate of completion of a firearms safety course that was offered by or under the auspices of a national gun advocacy organization that meets the minimum educational requirements; or
   • A certificate of completion of a class that was open to the public that used instructors approved by a national gun advocacy organization or Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC), or approved instructors of another state and was offered under the authority of a law enforcement agency of Ohio or another state, college, or firearms training school that meets the minimum educational requirements; or
   • A certificate of completion of a state, county, municipal, or Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) peace officer training school that is approved by the executive director of OPOTC that complies with the law’s training requirements and meets the minimum educational requirements; or
   • A document that shows the applicant is an active or reserve member of the armed forces, has retired from, or was honorably discharged, or is a retired highway patrol trooper, or is a retired peace officer or federal law enforcement officer and who, through the position, acquired experience with handguns or other firearms that was equivalent to the minimum educational requirements; or
   • A certificate of completion of a class not otherwise described that was conducted by an instructor who was certified by an official or entity of Ohio, another state, the United States government, or a national gun advocacy organization that complies with the minimum educational requirements; or
   • An affidavit from a qualified instructor that attests to the applicant’s completion of a course that satisfied the minimum educational requirements; or
   • A document that shows the applicant has successfully completed the Ohio Peace Officer Training Program contained in ORC 109.79
   • Retirees from the military and those honorably discharged from the armed forces do not need to submit proof of firearms training

Minimum Education Requirements

The Union County Sheriff’s Office does not offer training courses nor endorse any particular form of training or instructor. However, a list of instructors certified by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) who wish to teach classes to the public is available on the Attorney General’s website at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Concealed-Carry/Concealed-Carry-Instructor-Search. If you are considering private handgun training, the Union County Sheriff’s Office recommends that you verify the instructor is qualified to teach and that they know the requirements of the law.

The total time required for training is 8 hours with a minimum of 2 hours of in-person training that consists of range time and live-fire training.

The law requires certified training in the following matters:

• The ability to name, explain, and demonstrate the rules for safe handling of a handgun and proper storage practices for handguns and ammunition;
• The ability to demonstrate and explain how to handle ammunition in a safe manner;
• The ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to shoot a handgun in a safe manner;
• Gun-handling training

You must complete an examination that tests your competency. The test must include a written section on the ability to name and explain the rules for the safe handling of a handgun and proper storage practices for handguns and ammunition. Additionally, the exam must include an in-person physical demonstration of competency on handgun usage and rules for safe handling and storage of a handgun. It must also require a physical demonstration of the attitude necessary to shoot a handgun in a safe manner.

The training and written exam may be completed online or as a combination of in-person and online training. The online portion of the training must include a component that regularly engages the person.

The Application Process for Concealed Carry Licenses

Upon successful completion of the training course and receipt of a competency certificate, you must complete a State of Ohio Application for License to Carry a Concealed Handgun and review the Ohio Concealed Carry Law Pamphlet as prepared by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. These documents are available in the lobby of the Union County Sheriff’s Office or online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Law-enforcement/Concealed-Carry.  

To apply for a new concealed carry license at the Union County Sheriff’s Office, you must schedule an appointment and bring the following items with you at the time of your appointment:

• A completed State of Ohio Application for License to Carry a Concealed Handgun
• One passport-size (2x2) color photograph taken within the last 30 days
• A copy of your competency certificate (applications must be made within 3 years)
• A current photo identification (i.e. driver’s license, state ID)

Also, you must pay a non-refundable application fee at the time of your appointment. The Union County Sheriff’s Office accepts money order, personal check, or certified bank check ONLY. Cash and credit/debit cards are NOT accepted. If you have lived in the State of Ohio for five (5) or more years, the application fee is $67.00. If you have lived in Ohio less than five (5) years, there is an additional $10.00 fee for an FBI background check. All money orders and checks must be made payable to the “Union County Sheriff’s Office.”

During your appointment, your application will be reviewed for completeness and accuracy. Fingerprints will be obtained and submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification (BCI&I) and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for a background check.

If your application is approved, your concealed handgun license will be mailed to you within 45 days. If your application has been denied, a certified letter will be mailed to explain the reason(s) for the denial. The appeal process will also be explained in the certified letter. PLEASE DO NOT CALL to check on the status of your application unless you fail to receive your license or a certified letter within 45 days.

Concealed Carry License Renewals and Competency Recertification

All licenses expire 5 years after the issue date. If you wish to renew your license, you may do so at any time.

If your license expires, you can carry a concealed handgun for an additional 30 days after the expiration date. After this 30-day grace period, you may not carry a concealed handgun until you have reapplied and received a new concealed handgun license. This is no additional training required to renew your license, regardless of how long ago it expired.

Applicants residing in another state must renew with the sheriff’s office that issued their previous license. If you are no longer employed in Ohio, you may not renew your license after it expires.

You must file a renewal application and certify that you have reviewed the updated Ohio Concealed Carry Law Pamphlet as prepared by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. These documents are available in the lobby of the Union County Sheriff’s Office or online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Law-enforcement/Concealed-Carry. 

To renew your license at the Union County Sheriff’s Office, you must schedule an appointment and bring the following items with you at the time of your appointment:

• A completed State of Ohio Application for License to Carry a Concealed Handgun. Please make sure you fill out the most recent application distributed by the Ohio Attorney General.
• One (1) passport-size (2x2) color photograph taken within the last thirty (30) days.
• A previously issued concealed carry license – the license may be either expired or currently valid.
• A current photo identification (i.e. driver’s license, state ID).

You must also pay a non-refundable application fee at the time of your appointment. The Union County Sheriff’s Office accepts money order, personal check, or certified bank check ONLY. Cash and credit/debit cards are NOT accepted. If you have lived in the State of Ohio for five (5) or more years, the application fee is $50.00. If you have lived in Ohio less than five (5) years, there is an additional $10.00 fee for an FBI background check. All money orders and checks must be made payable to the “Union County Sheriff’s Office.”

Special Considerations for Members of the Armed Forces

You may not need to obtain a concealed handgun license to carry under certain circumstances. If you are an active duty member of the United States armed forces (this term does NOT include full-time National Guard duty) and you have a valid military identification card and documentation of successful firearms training that meets or exceeds that required of Ohio licensees, you do not need to obtain an Ohio license. You may also transport a loaded firearm in a vehicle under the same circumstances as a concealed handgun license holder.

Effective November 5, 2018: If you are an active member, reserve member, retired, or honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces, you can apply for an Ohio concealed handgun license without completing an 8-hour training course or receiving a competency certificate. The application fee is also waived; however, this fee waiver is subject to a statewide cap of $1.5 million dollars each year. If the cap is reached, the application fee can no longer be waived until the following year. You must present an active military identification card or qualifying DD214 to benefit from these waivers.

Replacement Concealed Carry Licenses

If your concealed carry license has been lost or stolen, you must report it to the county that issued your license. If the license was issued by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, you must schedule an appointment to have your license replaced. You must appear in person and provide either a report filed with a law enforcement agency OR a notarized statement advising that the license was lost or stolen. You must also pay a nonrefundable fee of $15.00. The Union County Sheriff’s Office accepts money order, personal check, or certified bank check ONLY. Cash and credit/debit cards are NOT accepted. All money orders and checks must be made payable to the “Union County Sheriff’s Office.”

If you need to change your name or address on your concealed carry license, you must report the change to the county that issued your license. To change your name, Union County license holders must provide legal documentation of your name change (i.e. marriage license). To change your address, Union County license holders may fill out an Address Change Form at the Union County Sheriff’s Office or mail an Address Change Form to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Attn: Concealed Carry License at 221 West 5^th Street, Marysville, Ohio 43040.

Click here to download an Address Change Form

Although it is not required, if you wish to obtain a replacement license displaying your new name or address, you must schedule an appointment and pay a nonrefundable fee of $15.00. The Union County Sheriff’s Office accepts money order, personal check, or certified bank check ONLY. Cash and credit/debit cards are NOT accepted. All money orders and checks must be made payable to the “Union County Sheriff’s Office.”

Temporary Emergency Licenses

The law allows for the issuance of an emergency license without proof of competency certification under extraordinary circumstances. The law states that upon receipt of evidence of imminent danger, a sworn affidavit, an application fee, and a set of applicant fingerprints for a background check, a license will be issued. This license can be issued to an Ohio resident or non-resident temporarily staying in Ohio.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office must immediately conduct a criminal background check on the applicant and determine whether the applicant is prohibited from having a license and, if not, immediately issue the license.

Evidence of imminent danger must take two forms:

1. A sworn statement by the applicant that states he or she has reasonable cause to fear a criminal attack upon themselves or a member of their family such as would justify a prudent person to arm themselves; or
2. A written document from a government entity or public official describing facts that give the person reasonable cause to fear such a criminal attack. Such documents may include, but are not limited to, temporary protection orders, civil protection orders, a protection order from another state, a court order, and any report filed with or made by a law enforcement agency or prosecutor. 

A sworn affidavit must attest that the applicant is a legal resident of the United States, at least 21 years of age, not a fugitive from justice, is not under indictment or charged with a crime, and has not been convicted of disqualifying crimes listed in ORC 2923.125(D)(1).

If the applicant has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a disqualifying offense and they have been relieved from this disability under operation of law or legal process, the offense(s) shall not be relevant for purposes of the sworn affidavit. For information on relief from disability, consult a private attorney.

The temporary emergency license lasts for 90 days and MAY NOT BE RENEWED.  If you wish to have your license last longer, you must apply for the license through the normal process and present proof of competency certification.

If you need to apply for a temporary emergency license, please contact Director Betsy Spain by calling (937) 645-4131 or email bspain@co.union.oh.us.