A quick update, as I just today did my Ohio CHL training.
It's $55 to register for the concealed handgun permit in Ohio as a resident. Ohio is reciprocal with many other states, but does not issue out of state permits to anyone. If you live in Ohio and you move away, your Ohio permit is revoked.
It's good for 5 years, and only a visit to the issuing Sheriff is needed for renewal the first time. (and a fee? Not sure) The second renewal? That's still new territory here, no word on it yet.
Today I completed the mandatory 12 hours. 10 hours of class, two hours on the range. The range time is basically showing that you know how to load/unload, safety and clear a stoppage, and which end does all the damage. It's incredibly basic. The class instruction is also basic, but spends a good bit of time trying to educate on the ramifications of legal concealed carry and the use of deadly force. It's only the tip of the iceberg, but it's a good start. After having taken it, I
honestly can't complain about the class requirement-- we had some really new folks, a small handful had never discharged a firearm before the range session.
As an aside, when we looked at the map showing which states were reciprocal with Ohio, Indiana and PA were not, and these two were the most obvious because they are adjacent states. While the instructor did not elaborate on PA's situation, he did mention that Ohio elected
not to be reciprocal with Indiana chiefly because (as was stated early in this thread) Indiana requires no training.
At my class, for a small fee, they prepared our Florida application. With a Florida out of state permit, and all the states reciprocal to that Florida permit (and all the ones reciprocal to Ohio), Ohioans with both permits are legal in 33 of 50 U.S. States. Florida needs $117 to issue their permit, along with proof of instruction, finger prints, application, photo, etc etc.
And yeah... the Florida permit makes us legal with both Indiana and Ohio. And better still, the Florida permit is a life-time permit. They do expect you to renew, but that renewal is through the mail and may not be anything more than a renewal form, but should not incur the large fee.
Months ago when we had a thread in here about the Florida permit, I asked everyone
why it is that Florida issue out of state permits so easily. Our instructor today pretty much summed it up by saying that Jeb Bush when to the Dept of Ag in Florida and said (paraphrase) , "Go and generate income for the State of Florida by offering out of state concealed carry permits" and to date, 800,000+ people have taken Florida up on the offer, at $75 (plus $42 to process finger prints) per person. That's some income, for sure.
To sum it up, reading over this thread points toward Indiana as the better choice for the original poster. But all I can say is this-- I wasn't born here in Ohio and I do have my favorite places in this country, but I'm pretty happy that I live here. And as far as gun laws, it's been a banner decade or so for us, and each year brings more good news. From the recent Castle Doctrine to the newest tweaks to the concealed carry laws (going in to effect in September), this is a darn good place to be. It's not like some of the real pro-gun states like in the open west or in the south, but I'm relatively happy here in Ohio. (and for the record, I am not a Buckeye fan
)