As of 2022, Ohio is a “constitutional carry” state, meaning people 21 and older who can legally own guns can also carry them, either openly or concealed.
But can your workplace keep you from bringing it into the office?
Many private businesses choose to forbid guns from their premises, but Ohio law limits how far they can go.
Can your employer prevent you from bringing your gun to work in Ohio?
Ohio has no law requiring employers to allow guns on the job. Ohio allows private businesses the authority to ban guns from their premises, and that extends to employees.
That means your employer is within their rights to tell you not to bring your gun into the office.
Can I leave my gun in my car in the work parking lot?
Ohio does limit employers’ abilities to ban their employees from storing firearms and ammunition in locked vehicles on company property. Several states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota and Mississippi, have similar laws.
In 2017, Ohio adopted a law allowing people with valid concealed carry permits to store guns in their cars on company premises, regardless of their employers’ wishes. Ohio no longer requires permits for people who carry concealed firearms in public, but the parking lot law still refers only to concealed carry license holders.
File photo: Customers shop for a handgun at Metro Shooting Supplies on November 12, 2014, in Bridgeton, Missouri.
The gun must be in the trunk, glove box or other enclosed compartment in the vehicle. The vehicle has to be legally parked.
Gun owners should be cautious if they choose to do this, though, because thieves often search for guns when they break into cars. In 2022, over half of stolen guns were stolen from cars, according to gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
Ohio does not prevent private employers from banning guns from company vehicles, which are considered an extension of company property.
What about police officers?
Law enforcement officers are generally required to carry guns as part of their job duties. Businesses that are open to the public are not allowed to forbid them from bringing guns onto the premises as long as the officer has valid identification.
This still applies when the the officer is off-duty or not wearing a uniform, according to the Ohio Attorney General.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio gun laws: Can you carry at your job?