The States Where Guns Don’t Have to Be Locked Away From Children
Summary
Ohio is considering a new law that would require gun owners to store firearms safely out of reach of children. This change would place Ohio among 26 states that have laws for safe gun storage, but many states still do not have such rules, leading to a patchwork of laws across the country.Key Facts
- There is no federal law requiring safe storage of guns, so states set their own rules.
- Currently, 26 states have some form of safe storage or child access prevention (CAP) laws.
- Ohio is one of 24 states without a statewide law requiring locked or secured guns around children.
- States with storage laws vary: some require safe storage at all times, others only if a child gains access and harm occurs, and some have no rules at all.
- States like California and New York require guns to be secured before any incident happens.
- States like Florida and Texas enforce laws only after a child accesses a gun and causes harm.
- The 24 states with no safe storage laws treat gun storage as personal responsibility without legal demands.
- Research shows that CAP laws can reduce accidental shootings and youth suicides linked to firearms.
- Ohio’s proposed “Amya’s Law” is named after a child who died from a gunshot, aiming to improve safety by requiring locked storage.
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