Ohio Code 2923.20 – Unlawful transaction in weapons
(A) No person shall do any of the following:
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Felony of the third degree | 9 months to 5 years | up to $10,000 |
| Felony of the fourth degree | 6 to 18 months | up to $5,000 |
| Misdemeanor of the second degree | up to 90 days | up to $750 |
| Misdemeanor of the fourth degree | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 2923.20
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(1) Recklessly sell, lend, give, or furnish any firearm to any person prohibited by section 2923.13 or 2923.15 of the Revised Code from acquiring or using any firearm, or recklessly sell, lend, give, or furnish any dangerous ordnance to any person prohibited by section 2923.13, 2923.15, or 2923.17 of the Revised Code from acquiring or using any dangerous ordnance;
(2) Possess any firearm or dangerous ordnance with purpose to dispose of it in violation of division (A) of this section;
(3) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, knowingly solicit, persuade, encourage, or entice a federally licensed firearms dealer or private seller to transfer a firearm or ammunition to any person in a manner prohibited by state or federal law;
(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, with an intent to deceive, knowingly provide materially false information to a federally licensed firearms dealer or private seller;
(5) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, knowingly procure, solicit, persuade, encourage, or entice a person to act in violation of division (A)(3) or (4) of this section;
(6) When transferring any dangerous ordnance to another, negligently fail to require the transferee to exhibit such identification, license, or permit showing the transferee to be authorized to acquire dangerous ordnance pursuant to section 2923.17 of the Revised Code, or negligently fail to take a complete record of the transaction and forthwith forward a copy of that record to the sheriff of the county or safety director or police chief of the municipality where the transaction takes place;
(7) Knowingly fail to report to law enforcement authorities forthwith the loss or theft of any firearm or dangerous ordnance in the person’s possession or under the person’s control.
(B) Divisions (A)(3), (4), and (5) of this section do not apply to any of the following:
(1) A law enforcement officer who is acting within the scope of the officer’s duties;
(2) A person who is acting in accordance with directions given by a law enforcement officer described in division (B)(1) of this section.
(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of unlawful transactions in weapons. A violation of division (A)(1) or (2) of this section is a felony of the fourth degree. A violation of division (A)(3), (4), or (5) of this section is a felony of the third degree. A violation of division (A)(6) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. A violation of division (A)(7) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(D) As used in this section:
(1) “Ammunition” has the same meaning as in section 2305.401 of the Revised Code.
(2) “Federally licensed firearms dealer” has the same meaning as in section 5502.63 of the Revised Code.
(3) “Materially false information” means information regarding the transfer of a firearm or ammunition that portrays an illegal transaction as legal or a legal transaction as illegal.
(4) “Private seller” means a person who sells, offers for sale, or transfers a firearm or ammunition and who is not a federally licensed firearms dealer.