Most Ohio business owners don't realize a new state law removes a major liability barrier for those offering firearm storage.
Most Ohio trucking and transportation business owners have never heard of it, but a provision buried in SB273—the Keep Them Safe Act—could matter significantly if you've ever considered offering firearm storage as a service or ancillary business line.
The provision grants Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers statutory civil immunity when they voluntarily offer firearm storage to customers. For small business owners, this is a big deal because liability exposure has historically been the main reason many won't touch storage services, even when customers ask.
Under Section 2923.26(G) of the Ohio Revised Code—effective upon enactment of SB273 with no stated sunset date—FFL dealers who offer firearm storage are now protected from civil lawsuits arising from injury, death, or loss connected to that storage, with one critical exception: the immunity disappears only if a dealer maliciously withholds a firearm without legal cause.
This is narrower protection than it might sound. It covers storage operations themselves—theft, damage, loss—but not gross negligence or intentional misconduct. The law also explicitly allows dealers to charge fees for storage and to set their own policies governing how storage works.
Why does this matter to you? If you operate a truck stop, logistics facility, or other transportation-related business that holds a federal firearms license and has considered offering secure storage—whether for employees, customers, or as a standalone service—this removes the legal barrier that previously made the liability math too risky.
This applies to FFL dealers: typically small-business owners licensed by the federal government to deal in firearms. If that's you, or if you've thought about getting licensed partly to offer storage as a revenue stream or customer service, the immunity changes the risk calculation.
It does not apply to non-FFL businesses. You cannot rely on this immunity if you're not federally licensed.
If you hold an FFL, you can now:
• Offer firearm storage without the same level of civil liability exposure you faced before
• Set your own storage policies and fee structure
• Operate under statutory protection as long as you don't maliciously withhold firearms without legal cause
This doesn't eliminate all risk—criminal liability, federal compliance, and contractual obligations still apply—but it removes a major civil barrier that previously discouraged small businesses from offering the service.
The law took effect upon enactment of SB273. There is no sunset date, meaning this protection is permanent unless the legislature changes it.
If you operate a transportation or logistics business with an FFL and want to understand how this provision might apply to your specific situation, consult with a business attorney familiar with Ohio firearms law. The details matter, and so does compliance with federal regulations.
Source: Ohio SB273, Section 2923.26(G), effective upon enactment.