A provision buried in Ohio's Keep Them Safe Act changes liability rules for gun storage—and it may affect how your business handles workplace safety decisions.
Most Ohio trucking and transportation owners have never heard of a specific provision in SB273, the Keep Them Safe Act. Yet it reshapes liability rules around firearm storage in ways that could matter to your workplace safety planning and insurance decisions.
Under Section 2923.26(F) of SB273, federally licensed firearms dealers—a category that includes many small gun shops across Ohio—may now accept firearms from the public for voluntary storage and charge fees for that service. That alone isn't surprising. What is: the law grants these dealers broad civil immunity from liability for injury, death, or loss related to accepting, storing, or returning a firearm.
The immunity applies unless the dealer acts with "malicious purpose" or "willfully withholds" a firearm. Those are high legal bars. In practical terms, a dealer could face a lawsuit over a stored firearm only in extreme circumstances—not ordinary negligence, not poor security, not a theft from their premises.
If your business operates in Ohio and employs drivers or warehouse staff, this provision affects how you think about workplace firearms policy. Some transportation companies allow employees to store personal firearms on-site or in vehicles. Others prohibit it entirely. A few may have considered third-party storage as a middle ground.
SB273 now makes third-party storage through a licensed dealer a legal option with clearer liability boundaries. If an employee wants to store a firearm off-site rather than in a company vehicle or facility, a licensed dealer can accept it—and that dealer has strong legal protection if something goes wrong.
For your business, this could reduce liability exposure if you have a clear policy directing employees to use licensed storage rather than keeping firearms in trucks or on company property. It also clarifies that if storage is lost, stolen, or mishandled by a licensed dealer, your company's exposure is limited because the dealer—not you—bears the liability risk.
SB273 became effective upon enactment during the 136th General Assembly. The storage provision is codified in Section 2923.26(F), located on Page 2 of the bill. There is no sunset date; this is permanent law unless the legislature amends or repeals it.
If your company has a firearms policy—whether you allow, restrict, or prohibit them—review it in light of this change. Consider whether directing employees to licensed storage aligns with your safety and liability goals. If you don't have a written policy, this is a good moment to develop one, especially if firearms are present in your operations.
Talk with your insurance broker or employment counsel about how this provision fits into your overall workplace safety and liability strategy. The law is clear, but how it applies to your specific business model deserves professional review.
For a more detailed, business-specific summary of SB273 and other recent Ohio transportation regulations, contact your industry association or local business counsel.