QUESTION: Where do I apply for a license?

ANSWER: At the sheriff's office where you reside or in an adjacent county.

Q: When can I apply?

REQUIREMENTS

Ohio's law permitting people to carry concealed weapons takes effect Thursday. Here are general requirements: 1. Complete 12-hour mandatory training, which includes two hours of firearm shooting. Instructors must be certified. 2. Obtain an application from you local sheriff's office, or from the state Attorney General's Office. 3. Take completed application to sheriff's office, along with a current 2-by-2-inch photograph, evidence of completed firearms training and valid identification. You will be asked to provide a fingerprint and a $45 application fee. 4. Sheriff completes background check and has 45 days to either issue or decline application. Source: Ohio attorney general

A: You can apply on Thursday.

Q: Do I have to get a license before I get training?

A: No. In fact, it's recommended that people get training first.

Q: If I have been trained already, do I have to do it again?

A: No, as long as the training occurred within three years of your application for a license and it was done by a certified instructor who teaches the law's minimum educational requirements.

Q: How much training do I need?

A: A minimum of 12 hours, including two hours on a firing range, and a written and physical test provided by a certified trainer.

Q: How do I find a licensed instructor?

A: You can search for a licensed instructor on the Ohio attorney general's Web site, where you will find the following links, "Search for OPOTC Certified Concealed Carry Instructors" and "Search for NRA Certified Instructors."

Q: How do I know if someone is certified?

A: Ask to see their certificate and verify that they will teach the law's educational requirements. Q: Is cost of training part of the license fee?

A: No.

Q: What does the license cost?

A: The law says up to $45. However, if a federal criminal history check is made of an applicant who has been an Ohio resident for less than five years, the fee can be the actual cost of the federal check, plus the $45.

Q: Once I start the process, how long before I get my license?

A: Sheriffs expect a high demand initially. The law requires the sheriff to issue a license within 45 days of receipt of a completed application unless you do not qualify.

Q: Who keeps all this information and is it public?

A: The county sheriff keeps license information. Supporting documentation, which is not a public record, must be destroyed within 20 days. The Attorney General's Office must keep statistical information about the licenses, to be compiled in an annual report to be issued no later than July 8, 2005.

Q: Do I have to carry the license with me?

A: Yes, as long as you have the gun with you, either on your person or in your vehicle.

Q: Do I have to tell a police officer I have a concealed weapon?

A: Yes, if you are stopped by an officer and transporting a loaded weapon inside the vehicle, you must promptly announce that you have a license, and that a weapon is in the vehicle or on your person. Officials recommend that anyone, with a weapon or not, put their hands on the steering wheel of their vehicle. Do not reach for anything. Doing so may suggest to an officer that you are reaching for a gun.

Q: How do I carry my concealed handgun while driving?

A: Make sure the handgun is in a holster on your person in plain sight, locked in a glove compartment or locked in a transport box in plain sight.

Q: Should I bring my gun with me when I apply for a license at the sheriff's office?

A: No. You cannot carry a gun into a sheriff's office.

Source: Ohio Attorney General

For the full Concealed-Carry Weapons law, go to Web site.