To apply, prepare to spill the beans

March 28, 2004
Youngstown Vindicator
by Patricia Meade

YOUNGSTOWN — Let's say you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, whatever, and moved a lot over the years — can you list each and every address going back to age 18?

Well, Ohio's application for a license to carry a concealed handgun requires such a list. The three-page application is now available online at the Ohio attorney general's Web site, www.ag.state.oh.us. Click on Citizen Services, then click on Ohio's Concealed Carry Law.

I've already completed the 12-hour firearms training course, so my next step is the application process at the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department. The law takes effect April 8.

I understand that applicants must say where they've lived in order for the sheriff's department and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to do a thorough background check.

Understanding is one thing, answering accurately is another. The instructions say to complete the address section "to the best of your knowledge."

The application has space for three prior residences — street address, city, state, ZIP code and county — which must be shown in chronological order, beginning with the most recent. The instructions say to attach another sheet if you need more space.

I definitely need to attach a sheet — or two.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

The list: whew!

Since turning 18, I've lived in Youngstown; Toul, France; Youngstown, again; Niles (or was it technically McKinley Heights?); Youngstown, again; Campbell; Austintown; New York City; New Rochelle, N.Y.; Staten Island, N.Y.; Baytown, Texas; Hamilton, Ohio (Cincinnati, really); Austintown, again; and Youngstown, again. The residences includes houses, apartments and one trailer (single-wide).

Finding the actual street addresses and the dates (from when to when) is going to take some work. The Internet will help me find counties for out-of-state cities.

I don't believe not being able to furnish every single past address will present a problem, though I suppose the background checkers may want to contact Interpol to see if I knocked over a bank while living in France.

The rest of the application is pretty straightforward.

Ohio wants to know, among other things, if I'm a fugitive from justice, mentally incompetent, prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm, under indictment, a convicted drug trafficker and if I've ever been convicted of resisting arrest.

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