Thousands In Ohio Await Conceal-Carry Licenses

CINCINNATI -- New laws passed this year mean you or someone you know can legally carry a concealed gun.

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Conceal-Carry Applications Available April 7

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New Law: Your Thoughts?

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And it appears that hundreds in one local county already are planning on doing just that, WLWT Eyewitness News 5's Brian Hamrick reported.

Applications will become available April 7, and if the rolls of those signed up to take classes are any indication, the measure could be far more popular than originally thought, Hamrick reported. More than 10,000 residents are expected to apply, and that's just in Hamilton County.

Local instructor Carl Rauschenberger said the required 12-hour class he teaches at Target World is booked up, Hamrick reported.

"We start with the very basics," Rauschenberger said. "We teach them site alignment, trigger control, how to grip the firearm and things like that."

Interested instructee Robert Ayers said the first class available to him isn't until May, but he's still looking forward to it.

"After you wait this many years, a couple of months is nothing to wait to get your permit," Ayers said.

Candidates must be 21 years old, residents of Ohio and are required to pass a criminal background check. But when it comes to checking an applicant's mental history, some think improvements can be made, Hamrick reported.

"There's a severe loophole in that part of the law," Clermont County Sheriff Tim Rodenberg said. "The only way we'll be able to check anyone is through court records that deal with competency."

Rodenberg said his office can't check hospital records, and added that they're given few ways to disqualify a person if they meet the standard requirements.

"The sheriff's office really has very little discretion in this," Rodenberg said.

The Attorney General's Office estimated that 100,000 people statewide already have their sites set on the conceal-carry license, Hamrick reported.

If you've been an Ohio resident for at least five years, the application fee is $45. Otherwise, the fee is $65. Also, if your application does not pass, the money is not refundable.

There are still plenty of places that prohibit weapons, including government buildings, schools, airplanes, places of worship, day-care centers, private property, places of business and any establishment with a liquor permit.