By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

BATAVIA - With the date of Ohio's new concealed carry law quickly approaching, hundreds of people in Clermont County are gearing up to apply for permits to legally carry concealed firearms.

"We've given out almost 200 applications today already," Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg said Monday, the first day his office made applications available. "People could come by and pick them up."

Authorities in other Southwest Ohio counties also are preparing to accommodate the new law, which goes into effect April 8.

The application can also be downloaded from the Ohio attorney general's Web site (www.ag.state.oh.us) . A passport-type photo of the applicant taken within the last 30 days and a certificate demonstrating that the applicant has had the required firearms training must accompany the application.

Applicants will also have to pay a $45 or $69 fee, depending on how long they have lived in the state, Rodenberg said. The office will accept cash, money order or certified check.

Applications will not be accepted in Clermont County until the law goes into effect, Rodenberg said.

"Everything seems to be on track," he said.

In Hamilton County, sheriff's officials are encouraging those who want to fill out an application early to download it, spokesman Steve Barnett said. The office expects to have everything ready to accept the applications when the law goes into effect.

Butler County will have the applications available on April 8. Officials there have not released plans for when they will be able to accept applications, Butler County Sheriff's Detective Monte Mayer said.

Warren County Sheriff Tom Ariss said he expects that his office will be fully functional for the concealed-carry process by the time the law becomes effective.

"The first several weeks or few months, I think, are going to be hectic," Rodenberg said.

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E-mail daveck@fuse.net