Q: Do I have to register my firearms?
A: No. There is no law passed by the Legislature of the State of Ohio that requires you to register your firearms with any law enforcement entity/agency.
Q: Do I need a firearms license, "gun license," permit, or ID card to buy a gun?
A: No. There is no requirement for a license, permit, or a Firearms Owner Identification Card in order to purchase a firearm in the State of Ohio.
Q: Do firearms possession laws vary between towns within Ohio?
A: No. As of 2007, Ohio Revised Code 9.68 enacted statewide preemption that allows a citizen to conduct themselves in spite of any local legislation passed.
"Except as specifically provided by the United States Constitution, Ohio Constitution, state law, or
federal 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."
The only laws that need to be complied with are those in Chapter 2923 of the Ohio Revised Code. That said, a municipality may still attempt to charge you with a local ordinance that is preempted by ORC 9.68.
Q: Can I own machine guns and suppressors/silencers in Ohio?
A: Yes. If a person has the proper Federal tax stamps and registration, there is no state prohibition on owning machine guns, short barreled shotguns, short barreled rifles, silencers/suppressors, any other weapons, all commonly known as "NFA Weapons".
Q: Is there an "Assault Weapons Ban" or "High Capacity Magazine" ban in Ohio?
A: No, there is no state level ban on "Assault Weapons" or "High Capacity Magazines." You are free to own as many as you wish.
Q: Is Open Carry legal in Ohio?
A: Yes. Open carry is not listed in any statue, but has been acknowledged as a right by the Ohio Supreme Court in State v. Hogan, 63 Ohio 202, 58 N.E. 572, 575-76 (1900) and in subsequent cases.