Friends don't let Ohio friends carry on a non-resident permit
By Ken Hanson
So, you've decided that Ohio's license is too much of a bother to get? Why get a license from Ohio, and reward their absurd regulations, when you can carry in Ohio on your Florida non-resident permit, right?
Granted, Ohio's law leaves a lot to be desired, and there is a lot of work to come in improving Ohio's CHL. However, a large part of improving Ohio's CHL law is going to be in proving that there is a NEED to improve the law.
Like it or not, Ohio's CHL program is going to be judged, in large part, upon the number of OHIO licenses issued in the first year. Newspapers are already making stories about the 'low number' of permits issued, and gun ban extremists almost always makes reference to the 'vocal minority' when they are on a rant about Ohio's CHL.
If you are considering only getting another state's non-resident permit to carry in Ohio, please consider the following:
1.) That state's non-resident permit will only be good in Ohio for so long as Ohio has a CHL law. While some congress critters voted for this law out of deeply held beliefs, others did so because they felt their was a constituency to be won over. Are those same people going to be willing to stick out their necks a second time in defending, or improving, Ohio's CHL law if their constituency didn't materialize in the form of Ohio licenses issued?
2.) That state's non-resident permit is only good so long as the Ohio Attorney General enters into a reciprocity agreement with the other state, based upon a vaguely defined standard of "substantially similar" to Ohio's CHL. Attorney General Jim Petro has been very aggressive in pursuing these agreements. What happens in 2006 when he is no longer AG? The new AG is under absolutely no obligation to continue these agreements, and is under no obligation to seek these agreeements.
3.) Ohio's CHL acceptance rate has risen far more rapidly than expected, and by this time next year it is probable that Ohio's CHL will be as accepted as Florida's.
4.) Even if you get another state's non-resident permit, you are still bound by Ohio's rules and regulations on concealed carry, and these rules and regulations will only be improved if there appears to be a need to do so, meaning a bad law that impacts a lot of voters. See 1.) above.
It is great that you are considering getting another state's non-resident permit, so you can reward those foreign states for serving a recognized need. However, if you do that and don't get Ohio's license also, don't complain when the law isn't improved over the upcoming years because "hardly anyone has a license anyway."
Get the Ohio CHL.
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