HB 119 Summary

• Prohibits the manufacture and sale of imitation firearms in Ohio starting January 1, 2016, with violations classified as first-degree misdemeanors.

• Bans the public display or exposure of imitation firearms in public places, with exceptions for theatrical productions, sporting events, military activities, hunting, shooting ranges, museums, and permitted parades or ceremonies.

• Prohibits modifying imitation firearms to look more like real firearms or modifying real firearms to look like imitation firearms, both classified as first-degree misdemeanors.

• Requires imitation firearms legally manufactured in Ohio to include written warnings in packaging stating the product may be mistaken for a firearm, altering it may be a crime, and displaying it in public may be a crime.

• Provides exemptions for historically significant collector's replicas, certain BB devices with non-standard calibers, airsoft guns meeting federal requirements, exports, theatrical props, certified sporting events, and military or civil defense activities.