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Important Note: On March 14, 2007, Ohio Revised Code Annotated § 9.68 will take effect. Section 9.68(A) declares that the state “finds the need to provide uniform laws throughout the state regulating the ownership, possession, purchase, other acquisition, transport, storage, carrying, sale, or other transfer of firearms, their components, and their ammunition.” Section 9.68(A) also provides that regardless of local law, a person “without further license, permission, restriction, delay, or process, may own, possess, purchase, sell, transfer, transport, store, or keep any firearm, part of a firearm, its components, and its ammunition” so long as his or her action does not violate federal or state law. Section 9.68(D) provides exceptions for zoning ordinances that:
Regulate or prohibit sale of firearms, components or ammunition in residential or agricultural areas; Specify hours of operation or geographic areas where sale of firearms, components or ammunition may occur so long as the zoning ordinances are consistent with regulation of other retail businesses in the same geographic area and the ordinances do not result in a de facto ban on such sales in an area zoned for commercial, retail or industrial use.
The local ordinances listed on this page were adopted prior to the enactment of Section 9.68.
Several cities have publicly stated they will challenge the law as a violation of Ohio Const. Art. XVIII, §§ 1 and 3.
For more information about preemption in Ohio, see the Ohio Preemption section.
Last updated November 10, 2006.
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The Ohio Local Ordinance
Summary is not intended to be comprehensive. Commonly adopted
ordinances, such as those prohibiting the discharge of firearms, or
those duplicating state law, are not included. For more information
about regulations in a particular jurisdiction, contact the clerk of
that jurisdiction.
To view the text of an ordinance cited in this summary, click on one of the following web sites that corresponds with the local jurisdiction. Once at the site, click on Ohio, then the appropriate local jurisdiction, and enter the relevant citation in the site's search field:
For Akron and Columbus ordinances, visit LexisNexis Municipal Codes. For Cincinnati and Dayton ordinances, visit Municode.com. For Cleveland ordinances, visit Findlaw.com. For Cuyahoga Heights, Dublin, Forest Park, Grove City, Mount Healthy, North Royalton, Piqua, Springdale, Toledo and Waynesville ordinances, visit American Legal Publishing Corp.
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Cincinnati (§ 708-37), Cleveland (§§ 628.01 – 628.99), Columbus (§§ 2323.11(L), (M), 2323.31, 545.04(a)), Dayton (§§ 138.24 – 138.99) and Toledo (§ 549.23) prohibit the sale, transfer and possession of assault weapons.
Shaker Heights (§ 749.13(a)) prohibits any person from knowingly manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering or displaying for sale, giving, lending or transferring ownership of, acquiring or possessing any assault weapon.
Dublin (§ 137.08) prohibits the manufacture, importation, purchase, sale, or other transfer of assault weapons.
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Cleveland (§ 627.10(a)) prohibits any person from carrying or having in his or her possession or ready at hand any BB or pellet gun while at or about a public place.
Akron (§ 137.11) prohibits any person under age 18 from possessing any air gun or ammunition for an air gun. The parent or guardian of any person under age 18 is prohibited from knowingly permitting the person under age 18 from using or possessing an air gun or air gun ammunition. Akron (§ 137.13) also generally prohibits any person or other entity from selling, offering for sale, giving away, distributing, or furnishing an air gun or air gun ammunition to any person under age 18.
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Note: On January 8, 2004, Governor Taft signed Ohio House Bill 12 (now Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2923.11 through 2923.25, among other provisions), which requires sheriffs to issue licenses to carry concealed handguns to eligible applicants. HB 12 states, "No municipal corporation may adopt or continue in existence any ordinance, and no township may adopt or continue in existence any resolution, that is in conflict with those sections, including, but not limited to, any ordinance or resolution that attempts to restrict the places where a person possessing a valid license to carry a concealed handgun may carry a handgun concealed."
Prior to the effective date of HB 12, the following jurisdictions had adopted ordinances to prohibit persons from carrying concealed weapons: Akron (§ 137.02), Cheviot (§ 137.02), Cleveland (§§ 627.02, 627.10, 674.01 et seq.), Columbus (§ 2323.12), Dayton (§ 138.02), Dublin (§ 137.02), Forest Park (§ 132.02), Grove City (§ 549.02), Mount Healthy (§ 137.02), North Royalton (§ 672.02), Piqua (§ 137.02), Springdale (§ 135.02), Toledo (§ 549.02), Waynesville (§ 137.02).
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The following jurisdictions prohibit any person, including parents and legal guardians, from storing or leaving a loaded or unloaded firearm in any place where the person knows or reasonably should know that a person under the age of 18 is able to gain access to it: Akron (§ 137.291), Cleveland (§ 627A.02), Shaker Heights (§ 753.15), Toledo (§ 549.22).
Cincinnati (§ 708-3) prohibits any person from storing, controlling, or possessing a firearm in such a manner that the person knows or should know that a minor is likely to gain possession of the firearm and the minor does gain possession. All firearms owners must obtain liability insurance for the negligent use of a firearm by a minor or negligent entrustment of the firearm to a minor. A parent or guardian who knows that his or her minor child possesses or has been provided a firearm must remove the firearm or notify the police.
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Dealers Prohibited – Cuyahoga Heights (§ 818.01), East Cleveland (§ 549.06(a)(4)) and Shaker Heights (§ 753.07) prohibit any person from engaging in the business of selling firearms.
Licenses – The following jurisdictions require dealers to have licenses to sell firearms at retail: Akron (§ 137.24), Cincinnati (§ 708-9), Columbus (§ 545.02), Springdale (§ 117.01), Toledo (§ 549.12).
Cleveland (§ 674.07) requires that every dealer of a handgun obtain a license.
Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers – Cincinnati (§ 708-11) prohibits pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers from selling any firearms except shotguns and rifles manufactured for hunting and sporting purposes only.
Dublin (§ 118.01) requires a person to have a license to
sell a handgun, including pawnbrokers who sell or redeem
handguns.
Records and Reporting – The following jurisdictions require dealers to record details of all firearm transactions and report them to the chief of police where the dealer is located: Columbus (§ 545.04(c)), Dayton (§§ 138.06, 138.11), Grove City (§ 549.06), Piqua (§ 137.07), Springdale (§ 135.09).
Akron (§ 137.25) requires dealers to maintain records of
firearms transactions and make daily reports to the chief of
police for all firearm transfers.
Cleveland (§ 674.09) requires dealers to maintain records of handgun transactions and make daily reports to the chief of police for such transfers.
Toledo (§
549.14) requires dealers to keep records of all
handgun sales and provide monthly reports to the sheriff or
police chief of the purchaser's place of residence.
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Akron (§ 137.10) prohibits the possession, sale, transfer, delivery or furnishing of certain handguns having a retail value less than $50 and made of certain metals.
Toledo (§ 549.25) bans the sale and possession of handguns that fail to pass a safety test.
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The following jurisdictions prohibit the possession of certain high-capacity ammunition magazines: Cincinnati (§ 708-37), Columbus (§ 2323.32), Toledo (§ 549.23).
Shaker Heights (§ 749.13(a)) prohibits any person from knowingly manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering or displaying for sale, giving, lending or transferring ownership of, acquiring or possessing any large-capacity magazine.
Dublin (§ 137.08) prohibits the manufacture, importation, purchase, sale or other transfer of any large capacity magazine.
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Cleveland (§§ 674.02, 674.04) requires that a person obtain a handgun owner’s identification card to receive, possess, have on or about his or her person or use a handgun.
Columbus (§§ 545.06 – 545.12) requires that any person seeking to purchase or possess a firearm obtain a weapon transaction permit. The permit is valid for 30 days for the purchase of one firearm.
Dayton (§ 138.11) prohibits any person from possessing a firearm unless he or she has obtained a firearm owner’s identification card.
Shaker Heights (§§ 753.02(b), (c); 753.04) requires that a person have a handgun owner’s identification card to receive, possess or have on or about the person any handgun.
Toledo (§ 549.09) prohibits any person from purchasing, owning, possessing, receiving, having on or about his or her person, or using any handgun without acquiring a handgun owner's identification card.
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Akron (§ 137.241) prohibits manufacturers and dealers from selling handguns at retail unless the guns include trigger locks. Purchases of handguns at retail are prohibited unless at the time of the sale the purchaser also purchases a trigger lock or other child-safety lock that is appropriate for the handgun, or unless a trigger lock is an integral component of the handgun.
Cleveland (§ 627A.03) requires dealers, when selling any firearm, to offer to sell or give the purchaser a trigger lock or similar device which prevents the firearm from discharging.
Shaker Heights (§ 753.02(f)) prohibits a person from possessing any firearm that is not secured by a trigger lock, except when the firearm is in use for lawful purposes.
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Akron (§§ 137.01, 137.21) requires a person to be 18 years old to
possess or purchase a pistol (defined as any firearm with a
barrel less than 12 inches in length).
Cincinnati (§ 708-3) prohibits the sale or other transfer of any firearm to a person under age 18, and the sale or other transfer of a handgun to anyone under 21 years of age.
Cleveland (§ 627.08) prohibits any person under age 18 from purchasing, owning, possessing, receiving, having on or about his or her person or using any firearm.
The following jurisdictions require that a person be age 21 to purchase handguns and age 18 to purchase long guns: Dublin (§ 137.07), Forest Park (§ 132.10), Grove City (§ 549.07), Mount Healthy (§ 137.08), North Royalton (§ 672.085), Piqua (§ 137.08), Shaker Heights (§ 749.07), Springdale (§ 135.10), Waynesville (§ 137.08).
The following jurisdictions prohibit the sale or furnishing of a firearm to anyone under age 18 except for hunting, firearms safety instruction, and marksmanship under the supervision of a responsible adult: Columbus (§ 2323.21), Dayton (§ 138.07), Toledo (§ 549.07).
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Columbus (§§ 2323.20, 2323.21) prohibits any person from: 1) selling a firearm to another person unless the transferee has obtained a valid weapon transaction permit (required to purchase or take possession of any firearm); 2) knowingly failing to report to law enforcement the loss or theft of any firearm in the person’s possession; 3) selling or furnishing any firearm to a person under age 18; and 4) selling any handgun to a person under age 21.
Toledo (§ 549.11) prohibits the transfer of a handgun unless both the transferor and transferee exhibit valid local handgun owner identification cards.
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Cleveland (§§ 674.02, 674.05) prohibits any person from receiving, possessing, having on or about the person, or using any handgun unless the person has a registration card for each handgun. Cleveland also prohibits any person from delivering, transferring or furnishing any handgun to any person unless the transferee exhibits at the time of transfer a registration card for each handgun.
Shaker Heights (§§ 753.02(b), (c), 753.05) prohibits the receipt or possession of, or having on or about the person, any handgun without a registration card.
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The following jurisdictions impose waiting periods for
firearm transfers: Cincinnati (§ 708-33) (15 days) and Dublin
(§ 137.06) (7 days).
Columbus (§ 545.06) requires that no weapon transaction permit (required to purchase or take possession of any firearm) may be issued until at least seven days have elapsed from the date of the permit application.
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