Ohio Gun Laws Provide Interesting Case Nationally

While it has concealed carry and permit-holding legislation that is on par with nearly half of the American states, Ohio’s gun laws have come into the spotlight in recent years, particularly when it comes to the so-called Stand Your Ground law.

Stand Your Ground, closely intertwined with the Castle Doctrine, pertains to when a person can claim self-defense in such instances as an intruder unlawfully entering a person’s home.

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In late 2013, the Ohio House of Representatives voted in favor of a series of large-scale changes to the Buckeye State’s already-in-force concealed-weapons laws. The most notable aspect of the state representatives’ House Bill 203 was the loosened restrictions in the Castle Doctrine.

While still stiffer than the Castle Doctrine types of laws in force in some other American states, the state Assembly in Ohio had, at the time, advocated to overhaul some of the state’s laws related to the Second Amendment.

In terms of the Castle Doctrine, the changes would eliminate a requirement that states a person has to retreat before using deadly force in the name of self-defense in cases involving intrusions.

The Senate began considering the bill in November 2014.

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Ohio politicians who favor the overhaul of the state’s gun laws say the new regulations are aimed at streamlining the steps toward lawfully bearing arms in the state.

The rights of gun owners have been such a hot topic in Ohio in recent years that the state House is considering a bill that would loosen or lift restrictions concerning concealed firearms at day care centers, schools, universities and churches — venues traditionally off limits for firearms in most American states.

“We refer to these places as ‘victim zones’ because the only people who are armed are the criminals,” Ken Hanson of the Buckeye Firearms Foundation told WBNS-10TV. "Removing these victim zones will allow the people who have passed the training and gotten their licenses to go into these places armed."

This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.

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