Spending 1 month in Cleveland, can I carry?

K

KevinOpp

Inactive
I am licensed in Delaware County, NY to carry a handgun, concealed or open. I will be spending about 5 weeks in Cleveland soon and the last time that I was there, I was startled by all of the storefront signs that said "No firearms permitted". So I assume that firearms are permitted in most other locations. Can someone let me know where I stand? I would like to have my S&W .38 Chief's Special on me if I'm allowed.

p.s.--I will be driving there from NY.
 
Ohio is an open carry (without license) state, but you need an Ohio license to carry concealed.

Not sure about reciprocity but I doubt they'd accept a NY permit.
 
Ohio is an open carry (without license) state, but you need an Ohio license to carry concealed.

Not sure about reciprocity but I doubt they'd accept a NY permit.



so are you saying that i can put a holster on my side and open carry? the link that was provided above said there was no reciprocity. i feel MUCH more uncomfortable with an obvious gun on my hip than i would with it under my jacket or in briefcase. i certainly didn't notice anyone else with openly displayed weapons on my last visit to Cleveland.

i'm staying in a hotel downtown for a month. i just hate feeling that exposed in an strange city.
 
Open carry is not legal in NY State. Concealed is mandatory. The concealed limitation is not enforced while hunting or at the gun club, but you can't carry openly in the state even with a license! Fishing with open carry is a little vague. A lot depends on where you are.

NY recognizes no other state's permit/license, so there is no reciprocity agreement between NY state and any other state. :mad:
 
This is another example of why it can be helpful to have one or more widely recognized, non-resident permits that may generally be obtained by mail. Ohio recognizes, among others, Florida, Utah and Arizona. Unfortunately, the OP might not have enough time before his trip.
 
KevinOpp said:
so are you saying that i can put a holster on my side and open carry?
Click to expand...
That is what I was saying. Open carry is legal in Ohio without a license, and that was established about six years ago in a decision by the Ohio Supreme Court. In fact, it was that decision that led to Ohio's enacting a concealed carry license law -- prior to that, there was no concealed carry (at least, not legally).

Whether or not you choose to carry openly is obviously a personal decision, and I'm not saying I would want to carry openly around a strange city. But ... the option is there.

FWIW, I am very disappointed in the www.handgunlaw.us information for Ohio, because it addresses only concealed carry licenses and completely fails to mention that open carry is legal without a license.

Opencarry.org covers it better http://www.opencarry.org/oh.html
 
Last edited:
I would not recommend open carry while in Cleveland unless you don't mind potentially ending up face down in the snow with a police officer's knee in your back. Cleveland is not gun friendly. I live east of the city, in the country, and I would not do it. I carry concealed so it is not an issue for me, but if I did not have a CHL and I really was concerned about my safety, I would either not go to Cleveland, or I would carry concealed anyway. I am not recommending that you, or anyone else break the law, I am only stating how I would handle the situation, knowing Cleveland, if I had to travel into and stay in Cleveland. Even the downtown area has sections that are blighted and not safe, so be careful where you travel down there.
 
Open carry is not legal in NY State. Concealed is mandatory. The concealed limitation is not enforced while hunting or at the gun club, but you can't carry openly in the state even with a license! Fishing with open carry is a little vague. A lot depends on where you are.


not true. it's a county by county decision. where i live, Delaware County, we do have open carry avaiable (i have read other posts before about people envious of a Delaware County permit).

we do have our local "characters" that always carry open wherever they go, everyone around here knows who they are. i've sat in restaurants next to a particular fellow who has holsters on each hip. and all perfectly legal.



Restrictions on New York State handgun licenses vary wildly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In contrast to "practically no carry" New York City, and some county Judges who only issue "to and from target shooting, hunting and fishing" licenses, many upstate New York counties issue "unrestricted" handgun licenses that allow unrestricted concealed carry of a loaded handgun (except for important exceptions such as schools, court houses/rooms, secure areas of airports). Some of the most rural upstate counties (such as Delaware County) specifically do not enforce the "concealed" language in New York State's licensing law, thereby effectively allowing open carry.
 
Open carry is not legal in NY State. Concealed is mandatory. The concealed limitation is not enforced while hunting or at the gun club, but you can't carry openly in the state even with a license! Fishing with open carry is a little vague. A lot depends on where you are.
Click to expand...

KevinOpp[/quote said:
not true. it's a county by county decision. where i live, Delaware County, we do have open carry available.

...

Some of the most rural upstate counties (such as Delaware County) specifically do not enforce the "concealed" language in New York State's licensing law, thereby effectively allowing open carry.
Click to expand...
Ummm ... choosing not to enforce a law that prohibits something does not make that something legal. It only means the police are not enforcing the law ... which sort of sounds like dereliction of duty. Not that I think open carry should be illegal, but when police choose to ignore state law, then the rule of law means ... nothing.
 
you are correct-----as i posted, i actually read what i was typing, but it kind of "kicked in" after i hit the submit button.

anyhoo, it's a riot to see the old coot with his two holsters and dachshund under his armpit making his way around our town. definitely turns the head of many of our weekenders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top