Who Cannot Carry
ORC 2923.13 — the disability that outranks everything else
Permitless carry describes who may carry without a license. It says nothing about who may possess a firearm at all. That is a different section, it is a felony, and it applies whether or not the firearm was concealed, in a car, or ever touched in public.
Who handles this in Ohio: Ohio State Bar Association lawyer referral; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Ohio directory.
| Category | What triggers it |
|---|---|
| CategoryFugitive from justice | What triggers itBeing a fugitive, on its own |
| CategoryFelony offense of violence | What triggers itUnder indictment for one, or convicted of one |
| CategoryFelony drug offense | What triggers itUnder indictment or convicted for illegal possession, use, sale, distribution, or trafficking in a drug of abuse |
| CategoryJuvenile adjudication | What triggers itAn adjudication for conduct that would be either of those felonies for an adult |
| CategoryMental health findings | What triggers itAdjudicated incompetent or a mental defective, committed to an institution, or found mentally ill subject to hospitalization by court order |
Under indictment is enough. A conviction is not required. For the violence and drug categories, being under indictment triggers the disability by itself. That means a pending case, not a finished one, can make possession a separate felony from the day the indictment lands.
- The offense is knowingly acquiring, having, carrying, or using a firearm or dangerous ordnance while under one of those disabilities.
- It stands alone. It gets charged alongside whatever else is alleged, not instead of it.
- Relief from disability exists and is applied for in court under its own section.
- Federal law bars an overlapping but not identical set of people, so being clear under Ohio law is not the whole answer.
Whether a particular prior offense counts is a question about that specific conviction and its degree, and it is not something a table can answer.
Sources for this section (3)
- ORC 2923.13 — Having weapons while under disability
- ORC 2923.14 — Relief from weapons disability
- ORC 2923.111 — Concealed carry by qualifying adults without a license
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Ohio attorney.