Yost shares annual CCW report

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Attorney General Dave Yost has issued Ohio’s annual report on concealed handgun licensing, showing that a total of 90,582 permits were issued in the state in 2023.

According to the statistics reported to the Attorney General’s Office, county sheriffs issued 15,581 new licenses and 75,001 renewals. Permit holders who wish to renew their licenses must do so every five years.

On June 13, 2022, changes to the law allowed qualifying Ohioans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit while also preserving the permitting system.

Under Ohio law, county sheriffs are responsible for issuing concealed-carry licenses and renewing them, as well as suspending and revoking licenses. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office compiles this annual report, as required by law, about the number of licenses issued each year.

The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office issued 22 concealed-carry licenses in 2023, along with 264 renewals. Four licenses were suspended.

Each sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics quarterly to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission within the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Ohio county sheriffs began issuing concealed-carry licenses in 2004.

To learn more about Ohio’s concealed-carry laws or to view this year’s report and other statistics, click here.