Increase penalty for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
S. B. No. 75

2025-2026

Senators Hicks-Hudson, Ingram

Cosponsors: Senators Weinstein,
Smith, Craig, DeMora

A
BILL

To
amend section 2923.20 of the Revised Code
to
increase the penalty for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 2923.20 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec.
2923.20.
(A)
No person shall do any of the following:

(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

Recklessly

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

first

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.

Section
2.
That
existing section 2923.20 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.