Ohio Senate Passes SB 215 for Constitutional Carry

On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the Ohio Senate brought Senate Bill 215 to the floor and passed it with a vote of 23 to 8. The bill now moves to the House.

Sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson, SB 215 is a Constitutional Carry bill that seeks to make concealed carry licensing optional as well as change the requirement to "promptly" inform a law enforcement officer when carrying a concealed handgun to informing when asked by the officer.

"We want to thank bill sponsor Sen. Terry Johnson as well as Senate Veterans and Public Safety Committee Chairman Sen. Frank Hoagland for their leadership on this bill," said Dean Rieck, Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association.

"Despite the dire predictions by opponents, SB 215 is a simple bill that merely makes licensing optional for carrying a concealed firearm. It does not change the law in any way on who can legally possess a firearm."

Rieck continued, "SB 215 will align Ohio with 21 other states with permitless or 'Constitutional' carry, including neighbors West Virginia and Kentucky.

"The bill also clears up confusion in the current law about how and when to notify a police officer if you're carrying a firearm. The bill specifies that you must notify an officer when the officer asks whether you are carrying a firearm or have one in your vehicle. This will make law enforcement encounters less stressful and safer for everyone."

Last month, on November 17, the Ohio House passed House Bill 227, which was then introduced into the Senate.

This means there are now two Constitutional Carry bills which have cleared their respective chamber. Odds are good that one of these bills will move through the next series of hearings and be put before the Governor for his signature.

Buckeye Firearms Association has been working hard on both bills and would support either becoming law. We urge legislators to act quickly and make Constitutional Carry law in Ohio.