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Buying a gun in Columbus

We are an online store, so there is no counter of ours to visit on Morse Road or anywhere else. You order here and collect the firearm from a licensed dealer you choose in central Ohio.

Columbus is the one big Ohio city that is still growing, and a lot of the people buying their first handgun in this state live inside the I-270 outerbelt or in the ring of suburbs around it. It is also twenty minutes from real farm country in every direction. That mix shows in what central Ohio buys: compact 9mm pistols for carry, a pump shotgun for the house, an AR for the range, and a straight-wall rifle that comes out the Monday after Thanksgiving.

1. Pick your dealer
Any FFL in Columbus or the suburbs that accepts shipped transfers. Call and ask the fee.
2. Order here
Name that dealer at checkout. We get a copy of their license before the gun ships.
3. Paperwork
ATF Form 4473 at the counter, and the dealer runs the check through FBI NICS.
4. Same visit
Ohio has no waiting period. A "proceed" answer means the gun goes home with you.

What to bring to the dealer

  • Government photo ID with your current address. If your license shows an old address, bring a government document with the new one, such as a vehicle registration, and ask the dealer what they accept.
  • The transfer fee, paid to the shop. Central Ohio dealers commonly charge $20 to $50, and some charge more for a second gun on the same visit. Call ahead.
  • Your order number so they can match the box to you.

State law, and the Columbus ordinances

Under state law, buying in Franklin County is the same as buying in any other county: no permit, no registration, no waiting period, no magazine limit, and a NICS check run by the dealer. ORC 9.68 reserves firearm regulation to the state, and the Ohio Supreme Court upheld it in Cleveland v. State in 2010.

Columbus has pushed against that. In December 2022 the city passed ordinances on safe storage around minors and on magazines holding 30 or more rounds, and the state and private plaintiffs sued. Courts have paused and revived pieces of those ordinances more than once. We cannot tell you what a judge decided last month, so if you live inside the city limits and the question affects you, look up the current status or ask a lawyer. We ship magazines to Ohio addresses in line with state law and will cancel and refund any item that cannot lawfully go to yours.

General information, not legal advice. The statutes are collected on our Ohio gun law page.

Carrying in the city

Since June 13, 2022 a qualifying adult may carry a concealed handgun in Ohio without a license (ORC 2923.111). The off-limits list is unchanged and it bites harder in a capital city: the Statehouse and state office towers, the Franklin County courthouse complex, the Ohio State campus unless the university allows it, and any business posted with a no-firearms sign. Arena and stadium events are private venues with their own screening. The concealed carry guide has the full list and the case for getting the license anyway.

Where central Ohio shoots and hunts

The Division of Wildlife ranges at Delaware and Deer Creek handle rifle, pistol and shotgun, and fill up early on autumn Saturdays when everyone is checking zero before gun week. Public hunting ground within an hour includes Delaware, Deer Creek and Big Island wildlife areas, with deer, squirrels, rabbits and stocked pheasants on certain dates. For bigger woods, people from Columbus drive southeast to the Hocking and Vinton County hills and the Wayne National Forest. Deer there are hunted with straight-wall rifles, slug guns and muzzleloaders, not .30-06s.

What Columbus buys

Carry pistols9mm & .380.350 Legend riflesdeer legalAR-15 riflesrange daysPump shotgunshouse & field.22 riflesplinking & squirrels9mm ammunitionby the case

Carry pistols

Carry guide →

Deer-legal rifles

Deer rifle guide →

Common questions

Can I buy a gun online and pick it up in Columbus?

Yes. Order here, name a licensed dealer in Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, Hilliard or anywhere else in central Ohio, and we ship the firearm to them. You complete Form 4473 and the background check at their counter.

What do I need to bring?

A valid government photo ID showing your current address, the dealer transfer fee, and your order number so the shop can match the package to you.

How long does a transfer take in Franklin County?

Usually one visit. Most NICS checks answer in minutes and Ohio has no waiting period. Busy shops may ask you to book a pickup time.

Does Columbus have its own gun laws?

Columbus City Council passed ordinances in late 2022 dealing with firearm storage and magazines holding 30 rounds or more. They were challenged at once under the state preemption statute, ORC 9.68, and have been in and out of court since. State law says cities may not regulate firearms, components or ammunition. Because the litigation has moved several times, check the current status with the City Attorney or an Ohio attorney rather than relying on any summary, this one included.

Do I need a permit to buy a handgun in Columbus?

No. Ohio requires no purchase permit and no registration. You must be 21 to buy a handgun and 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun, and not be prohibited under ORC 2923.13 or federal law.

Where do I apply for a concealed handgun license?

At the sheriff of the county where you live or any adjacent county (ORC 2923.125). For Columbus residents that is the Franklin County Sheriff, or the sheriff in Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Madison or Union County. Offices generally take applications by appointment. A license is optional for qualifying adults since June 2022.

Where can I shoot near Columbus?

The ODNR Division of Wildlife runs public ranges at Delaware Wildlife Area to the north and Deer Creek Wildlife Area to the southwest, and there are private clubs and indoor ranges around the outerbelt. ODNR ranges require a shooting range permit for adults, and each range posts its own hours and caliber rules, so check before you drive.

Can I hunt deer with a rifle around Columbus?

Only with a straight-walled cartridge rifle, a slug shotgun, a muzzleloader or a qualifying handgun, as everywhere in Ohio. Many suburbs also restrict discharging a firearm inside city limits, which state preemption does not remove. See our Ohio deer rifle guide.

More Ohio guides