Open Carry In Columbus

[Northman69]

Ok ill start by giving you guys a little info... I live in new albany ohio... suburb of columbus... I have my concealed carry permit and I am well versed on the laws that go along with that... But I have and always will exercise my rights... I am going to start open carrying and there are a few things I need to know... I have read quite a few threads on here and have a good idea on what to say... I have a good cell phone to record audio and video if need be... also I have the codes on my phone as well stating the legality of open carry... my questions are these.............. #1 do you have to show the officer ID? Even though if I was asked I would just because it makes things easier for the officer as well as on me so I dont have to argue as much with him but I might challenge this as it is my right............... #2 when you approach a place that has a sign in the door saying no guns is it "ILLEGAL" to enter? Or can you get into trouble? Or does it mean that they can just ask you to leave? I know when I conceal I dont pay attention to them as my instructor said "WHAT SIGN I SAW NO SIGN LOL"

[Cruiser]

#2 - yes it is illegal to knowingly enter and your instructer was very negligent in telling his students that!

[Chuck]

First of all, you'll NEVER get the phone into recording mode fast enough.
You'll be fumbling in your pockets when you are approached

If the cops has RAS you have to comply with ID. Ask him what crime he suspects you of if you have doubts
I would never enter a place and then try to claim I didn't see their sign simply because if a place is hostile enough against my civil rights I refuse to do business with them.

That said, I OC daily in Central Ohio

Carry on,,,,

[Tweed Ring]

If that is an accurate quote from an instructor, then, eventually, one or more of his/her students, following that advice, will get into trouble.

So...if one chooses to follow this advice, please have an attorney on speed-dial.

[Northman69]

WOW I had no idea about the sign thing... I will be sure to never carry into one of those places... as far as the ID thing goes if asked I would provide id any way just to comply and to make it quicker for me to be on my way... what about concealed carry into a place with a no gun sign? also on my phone it has 1 button on the side I can hit to start recording and I carry it on a belt clip so its very easy to get to... I think my first open carry will be at easton mall "outside of course"... me and a friend who also has his permit are going to take a little stroll around today... as far as the id thing again it seems questionable so I would just provide them one if asked

[BB62]

Ok ill start by giving you guys a little info... I live in new albany ohio... suburb of columbus... I have my concealed carry permit and I am well versed on the laws that go along with that... But I have and always will exercise my rights... I am going to start open carrying and there are a few things I need to know... I have read quite a few threads on here and have a good idea on what to say... I have a good cell phone to record audio and video if need be... also I have the codes on my phone as well stating the legality of open carry... my questions are these.............. #1 do you have to show the officer ID? Even though if I was asked I would just because it makes things easier for the officer as well as on me so I dont have to argue as much with him but I might challenge this as it is my right............... #2 when you approach a place that has a sign in the door saying no guns is it "ILLEGAL" to enter? Or can you get into trouble? Or does it mean that they can just ask you to leave? I know when I conceal I dont pay attention to them as my instructor said "WHAT SIGN I SAW NO SIGN LOL"

Paragraphs, proper punctuation & capitalization make for much easier reading.

My strong suggestion is that you not OC until you have done a LOT of reading on the forums here and those on OpenCarry.org.

[muxtech]

Ok ill start by giving you guys a little info... I live in new albany ohio... suburb of Columbus... I have my concealed carry permit and I am well versed on the laws that go along with that... But I have and always will exercise my rights... I am going to start open carrying and there are a few things I need to know... I have read quite a few threads on here and have a good idea on what to say... I have a good cell phone to record audio and video if need be... also I have the codes on my phone as well stating the legality of open carry... my questions are these.............. #1 do you have to show the officer ID? Even though if I was asked I would just because it makes things easier for the officer as well as on me so I don't have to argue as much with him but I might challenge this as it is my right............... #2 when you approach a place that has a sign in the door saying no guns is it "ILLEGAL" to enter? Or can you get into trouble? Or does it mean that they can just ask you to leave? I know when I conceal I don't pay attention to them as my instructor said "WHAT SIGN I SAW NO SIGN LOL"

It would help to go back to several infamous OC incidents with audio and/or video to see what LE typically does in response to OC'ers. This would be useful to help you anticipate their arguments and prepare your actions in advance. I am of the opinion that LE in Ohio know that OC is legal, but choose to attempt to enforce prohibitions that do not exist because they perceive OC as inconveniencing them.

[Mrs. Daspirate]

I would also advise you to practice around your house a lot, if you don't already, where you feel comfortable, and where there aren't strangers watching you. Many people act differently open-carrying than they do when the gun is concealed. And many people, cops in particular, may interpret your behavior other than what you intended. While you may in the right during any encounter, and while it's a very good thing to prepared for dealing with one, the goal should be not to have an encounter. Practice not looking nervous, many people interpret that as suspicious. Practice not making a big thing out of having your gun out in the open - the more aware of it you are, the more aware of it others will be. Decide beforehand how you will react to some of the common comments people get. Someone else mentioned watching videos from other encounters. I second that idea - it's a good idea to gauge beforehand how much assertiveness is good in any situation, it can easily come off as arrogant and looking for trouble. You have to remember that while you may be in the right legally, it can become a bigger hassle than you can afford if you act the wrong way at the wrong time in the wrong place while carrying in the open.

[brian0918]

There are many videos on youtube about how to best go about open carrying. You don't want to purposely terrify people, so don't OC with a hoodie and strut like a thug. Dress professionally, get a secure holster that is made for your firearm, and don't walk around all shifty-eyed, but also don't act so friendly as to seem creepy.

I wouldn't recommend giving your ID unless of course the officer has reasonable suspicion and says so. You have no way of knowing what other incidents could be occurring simultaneously in your area, for which the police could later connect you if they have your ID. Simply keep asking "am I being detained", "am I suspected of a crime" and "can I leave now?" - and that is it. Watch this at least once a week for a refresher:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (most important reminder is at 26:25)

[pirateguy191]

I would also advise you to practice around your house a lot, if you don't already, where you feel comfortable, and where there aren't strangers watching you. Many people act differently open-carrying than they do when the gun is concealed. And many people, cops in particular, may interpret your behavior other than what you intended. While you may in the right during any encounter, and while it's a very good thing to prepared for dealing with one, the goal should be not to have an encounter. Practice not looking nervous, many people interpret that as suspicious. Practice not making a big thing out of having your gun out in the open - the more aware of it you are, the more aware of it others will be. Decide beforehand how you will react to some of the common comments people get. Someone else mentioned watching videos from other encounters. I second that idea - it's a good idea to gauge beforehand how much assertiveness is good in any situation, it can easily come off as arrogant and looking for trouble. You have to remember that while you may be in the right legally, it can become a bigger hassle than you can afford if you act the wrong way at the wrong time in the wrong place while carrying in the open.

I see what you did right there.

[BobK]

... I think my first open carry will be at easton mall "outside of course"...

If you sat down and asked the question, "Where is the worst place in Central Ohio to open carry", it would be hard to find any private business that is worse than Easton.

Don't open carry there. There is a long history of Easton actively stating they do not want firearms, they have a huge room full of closed circuit TV cameras that are actively monitored, and they have an aggressive and active security force including Columbus Police officers. This will be the second time today I'll type "You mess with the bull, you get the horns" when referring to Easton.

If you want to start with open carrying, try a few simple ones like filling your car with gas in a convenient station.

BTW, a concealed carry instructor saying "WHAT SIGN I SAW NO SIGN LOL" is simply displaying his profound ignorance of the legal standard to the disservice of his customers. Although the statute does say "knowingly", that does not mean simply saying, "I didn't know" will work. The "knowingly" standard means a jury will look at the totality of the circumstances and evaluate whether a reasonable person should have known, based on how conspicuous the sign is.

[Northman69]

RE:BobK I will take your advice. I was go on walks through easton a lot. Thought I would start there. But I am not looking for trouble so I will do as you suggested. I would like to make others in my area aware of the fact that it is ok to open carry and that they should not be afraid to do so. I am a member at the New Albany range and have a lot of friend I shoot with on a weekly basis. A few of them open carry in westerville and newark. I think I have read enough posts and watched enough videos to know how to handle the situation if one should arise. But again I was under the impression that the signs in store windows and doors that say no guns was more just the store saying no guns. I had no idea it was a legality issue.

[XDSC9G30]

But again I was under the impression that the signs in store windows and doors that say no guns was more just the store saying no guns. I had no idea it was a legality issue.

I would suggest asking your instructor for a refund of the class cost, when they ask why explain to them the ignorance of their teachings. Either your instructor was awful or you did not pay attention in the class. Maybe even take another course just to ensure you understand the laws correctly.

At this point I would say you were very mistaken in your first post of this thread. More specifically this quote "I have my concealed carry permit and I am well versed on the laws that go along with that". Please READ more on the laws, use your AG handbook that should've been provided with your course to help steer you in the right direction. "read" is in caps because of the importance of reading it and not just browsing. Then if you have questions feel free to ask on here.

Sorry if this sounds like I am jumping on you, I just want you to understand the severity of what could happen if you follow your instructors advice. I would rather be hard on you now than see a post explaining why you got arrested for carrying into a CPZ.

[FlyinCedar]

If you had no idea it was a legal issue, what exactly did your instructor cover in class? It really begs the question, what else did the instructor say that was total crap? Are you confident that you got the proper training, now that you know something very basic that you learned was totally wrong, and illegal?

I wouldn't be

[Chuck]

I would also advise you to practice around your house a lot, if you don't already, where you feel comfortable, and where there aren't strangers watching you. Many people act differently open-carrying than they do when the gun is concealed. And many people, cops in particular, may interpret your behavior other than what you intended. While you may in the right during any encounter, and while it's a very good thing to prepared for dealing with one, the goal should be not to have an encounter. Practice not looking nervous, many people interpret that as suspicious. Practice not making a big thing out of having your gun out in the open - the more aware of it you are, the more aware of it others will be. Decide beforehand how you will react to some of the common comments people get. Someone else mentioned watching videos from other encounters. I second that idea - it's a good idea to gauge beforehand how much assertiveness is good in any situation, it can easily come off as arrogant and looking for trouble. You have to remember that while you may be in the right legally, it can become a bigger hassle than you can afford if you act the wrong way at the wrong time in the wrong place while carrying in the open.

I see what you did right there.

I did too