Illustration of sunrise landscape inside a blue circle

COLUMBUS — Attorney General Dave Yost issued Ohio’s annual report on concealed handgun licensing on Friday.

It showed that a total of 90,582 permits were issued in the state in 2023.

According to the statistics reported to the Attorney General’s Office, county sheriffs issued 15,581 new licenses and 75,001 renewals. Permit holders who wish to renew their licenses must do so every five years.

On June 13, 2022, changes to the law allowed qualifying Ohioans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit while also preserving the permitting system.

Under Ohio law, county sheriffs are responsible for issuing concealed-carry licenses and renewing them, as well as suspending and revoking licenses. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office compiles this annual report, as required by law, about the number of licenses issued each year.

Each sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics quarterly to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission within the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Ohio county sheriffs began issuing concealed-carry licenses in 2004.

To learn more about Ohio’s concealed-carry laws or to view this year’s report and other statistics, please visit OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ConcealedCarry

What's the impact of our reporting?

The Community Development Section is dedicated to reporting on the intersection of the private sector and public funding, economic development efforts, and community engagement. We want to know what impact our reporting is having. Please complete this short survey.

"*" indicates required fields

Have you done any of the following as a result of a community development story published by Richland Source?*
Please select all that apply.
If you made a decision or took action, which of the following apply?*
Please select all that apply.
What is the primary emotion this story triggered?*

If so, please provide your name and contact email in the box below. We will only contact you about this project.

Community investment made this reporting happen. Independent, local news in Shelby and Northern Richland County is brought to you in part by the generous support of Phillips Tube GroupR.S. HanlineArcelorMittalLloyd RebarHess Industries, and Shelby Printing.