OHIO — Ohio officials are urging state lawmakers to clarify Ohio’s firearm laws following a recent announcement by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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In a letter to Senate President Rob McColley and House Speaker Matt Huffman, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson cited the ATF’s Oct. 9 announcement that it will no longer require individuals to obtain its approval under the National Firearms Act before making or transferring short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, or firearm suppressors.
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Ohio law currently prohibits the creation, possession, or use of these items without ATF approval.
Wilso warned that confusion surrounding the ATF announcement may lead otherwise law-abiding firearm owners to unknowingly break Ohio law.
“Under current Ohio law, Ohioans wishing to own or use a short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun or firearm suppressor must register those items with the federal government or face the risk of criminal prosecution. If that reflects the policy of this legislature, so be it. If, on the other hand, the legislature sees these registration requirements as archaic remnants of an overly restrictive past, it is time to eliminate them from Ohio law,” Wilson wrote in the letter.
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