COLUMBUS – Ohio is making it easier for people to buy guns.
The state will no longer require background checks for people buying guns if they already have a valid concealed-carry permit.
Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the change Wednesday, saying the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agreed to the exemption to the mandatory National Instant Criminal Background Check to eliminate some of the red tape in gun purchases.
The exemption is granted to Ohio permit holders whose concealed handgun license was issued on or after March 23, 2015, and has not expired or been revoked, DeWine said.
People who have already passed all the background checks for a concealed carry permit after March 23, 2015, will no longer be subjected to the background-check process every time they buy a gun.
DeWine says the exemption was made possible by passage of a state law that requires the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for all new and renewed concealed handgun licenses in Ohio.
DeWine’s office says Ohio is the 25th state to get the federal exemption.