Getting a CCW in Ohio (2026)

Data verified 2026-10-13 · general legal information, not individualized advice · facts cite official sources (see verification dataset)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a Ohio concealed carry permit · Updated October 13, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with your county sheriff and the Ohio Attorney General before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-13.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-13):

• Permit type: Shall Issue — Ohio Concealed Handgun License (CHL), issued by the county sheriff.
• Constitutional carry: Yes — qualifying adults 21+ may carry concealed without a license under SB 215, effective June 13, 2022. The CHL is still issued and is honored by many states.
• Minimum age: 21.
• Duty to inform: No proactive duty to inform (ORC 2923.12(B)(1), amended by SB 215, eff. 6/13/2022). If stopped for a law-enforcement purpose while carrying, you must disclose when an officer asks; knowingly failing to disclose when asked is a misdemeanor. Keep hands in plain sight and do not touch the handgun during the stop.
• Open carry: Allowed, per the site's reciprocity data.

Who can apply

Per ORC 2923.125 and the Ohio Attorney General's concealed-carry manual (accessed 2026-10-13):

• Be at least 21 years old;
• Be eligible to lawfully possess a firearm under Ohio and federal law — the statute expressly requires NICS compliance, and ORC 2923.125(D)(1)(a)–(s) lists the criminal-history bars;
• Ohio residents apply to the sheriff of their county of residence or an adjoining county; nonresidents employed in Ohio may also apply (an FBI background-check cost is added for applicants resident in Ohio less than five years or nonresidents — ORC 2923.125(B)(1));
• Temporary emergency licenses are available under ORC 2923.1213 (sheriffs must accept those applications during normal business hours).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: the county sheriff's office (county of residence or an adjoining county).

1. Get a color photograph of yourself taken within 30 days of the application date (ORC 2923.125(B)(2); some sheriffs' offices take the photo for you — call ahead).
2. Obtain a competency certification (see "Training requirement") — generally dated within 3 years of application (military and retired-law-enforcement evidence has its own windows).
3. Read the Ohio Attorney General's publication "Ohio's Concealed Carry Laws and License Information" (available free at OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CCWManual) and certify on the application that you have read it.
4. Pick up or download the application (free from the sheriff), then submit it to the sheriff with your photo, competency certification, reading certification, and fee (AG manual, accessed 2026-10-13).
5. Submit fingerprints at the sheriff's office as required by ORC 2923.125(B)(5) for the background check. The sheriff cannot charge you extra for the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation check (ORC 2923.125(B)(1)(b)).
6. Wait for the decision: as long as you meet the law's requirements, the sheriff must issue the license within 45 days of receiving your properly completed application (AG manual; ORC 2923.125).

Costs

From ORC 2923.125(B)(1) and (F)(4) and the AG manual (accessed 2026-10-13):

• New license: $67 (Ohio resident 5+ years); $67 plus the actual cost of an FBI background check if you've lived in Ohio less than five years or are a nonresident employed in Ohio. The AG notes the fee "will vary based on the type of background check required" and sets the minimum at $67 — confirm the exact amount with your sheriff.
• Renewal: $50 (resident 5+ years); $50 plus FBI actual cost for newer residents/nonresidents.
• Fee waivers: sheriffs must waive license and renewal fees for active/reserve military members, honorably discharged veterans, retired peace officers, and certain retired federal officers — subject to a statewide annual cap (AG manual, citing ORC 2923.125 and related statutes).
• Photograph: obtained by you (variable cost); training: set by the provider.

Training requirement

Yes — for the CHL. ORC 2923.125(B)(3) and (G) require evidence of competency: an 8-hour firearms course that includes at least two hours of in-person range time and live-fire, covering safe handling and storage, ammunition handling, and safe shooting. Acceptable competency certifications (dated within the 3 years preceding application, except where noted) include (ORC 2923.125(B)(3)(a)–(g)):

• A completion certificate from a firearms safety, training, or requalification (or instructor) course offered by or under the auspices of a national gun advocacy organization (e.g., NRA-type courses) that meets the 8-hour standard;
• A completion certificate from a public course taught by qualified instructors certified by a national gun advocacy organization, the Ohio peace officer training commission, or another state's government, offered through law enforcement, colleges, firearms training schools, or similar entities;
• Completion of an OPOTC-approved peace-officer training school or a basic firearms/requalification program under ORC 109.78 or 109.801;
• Documented active/reserve military service, honorable discharge/retirement, or retired-law-enforcement experience equivalent to such training (current status or within 10 years of retirement);
• Any other course conducted by a government- or national-gun-organization-certified instructor meeting the 8-hour standard, or an instructor affidavit attesting to completion.

No training is required to carry under Ohio's permitless-carry law (21+); the training requirement applies to the license.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: the sheriff must issue or deny within 45 days of a properly completed application (AG manual; ORC 2923.125). A pending charge can suspend processing (ORC 2923.125(D)(3)).
• Validity: 5 years from issuance or renewal (AG manual).
• Renewal: you may renew at any time — file a renewal application with the sheriff, certify you have read the AG publication, and pay the renewal fee (online reading of the manual counts). Nonresidents must renew with the sheriff who issued their previous license; if you are no longer employed in Ohio, you may not renew after expiration (AG manual).

Where to apply

• Your county sheriff's office (residence county or an adjoining county) — find yours via the Ohio Sheriff's Association or your county site.
• Official publication and information: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/ccwmanual and https://ohioattorneygeneral.gov/law-enforcement/concealed-carry

Sources

• Ohio Attorney General — Concealed Carry Laws and License Information (2022 manual, rev. 6/29/2022) — https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/ccwmanual (accessed 2026-10-13)
• ORC 2923.125 — Application and licensing process (fees, photo, competency, 8-hour standard) — https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2923.125 (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Ohio Attorney General — Concealed Carry program page — https://ohioattorneygeneral.gov/law-enforcement/concealed-carry (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Site reciprocity data (Ohio entry) — https://ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-13)