Who Cannot Carry
ORC 2923.13 — the disability that outranks everything else
Permitless carry describes who may carry without a licence. 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.
| Category | What triggers it |
|---|---|
| Fugitive from justice | Being a fugitive, on its own |
| Felony offence of violence | Under indictment for one, or convicted of one |
| Felony drug offence | Under indictment or convicted for illegal possession, use, sale, distribution, or trafficking in a drug of abuse |
| Juvenile adjudication | An adjudication for conduct that would be either of those felonies for an adult |
| Mental health findings | Adjudicated incompetent or a mental defective, committed to an institution, or found mentally ill subject to hospitalisation 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 offence 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 offence 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. Talk to a licensed Ohio attorney about your situation.