Cuyahoga County concealed carry office closing today for relocation

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office is closing its Cleveland concealed handgun licensing (CHL) office today and moving it to Parma.

According to the article, the new office will open Sept. 15 at the auto title office at 12100 Snow Road.

From the article:

"The new location also offers free and plentiful, immediate access parking and evening hours on Wednesdays," spokesman John O'Brien said.

"A second, east side location is under search, and location selection will be based on feedback and analysis of the Parma location issues and benefits."

The Parma office will be open by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays; and 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 216-443-5563.

The article does not indicate how a person may apply for a CHL in Cuyahoga County before the office opens in Parma. According to state law, sheriffs must accept applications for CHLs at least 15 hours per week, and applications for Temporary Emergency Licenses (TELs) during normal business hours.

While the addition of evening hours is certainly a welcome change, and no doubt citizens there hope they are the first of many improvements yet to come.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office does not have a strong record of providing quality customer service to CHL applicants (who should otherwise be known to the Buckeye State's 88 elected county sheriffs as "constituents").

In 2004, then-Sheriff McFaul had to be sued by Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine before he would do his job and begin issuing Ohio CHLs. He eventually settled the suit, and paid all court costs and attorney's fees (with taxpayer funds, of course). Last year, after McFaul resigned after months of allegations about his misconduct in office.

Even with a change in leadership, and despite being Ohio's most populous county, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office issues a surprisingly small number of CHLs. In 2009, a total of 1,655 licenses were issued or renewed - just one tenth of one percent of the county's population. Meanwhile, in the state's second-most populous county (Franklin), nearly three times as many licenses were issued. Montgomery County, which has less than one-half the population of Cuyahoga, issued 42% more licenses. Butler County, which has less than one-third the population, issued 47% more licenses. And Clermont County, with just one-sixth the population of Cuyahoga, issued 52% more licenses.

To inquire about applying for a CHL or TEL in Cuyahoga County during the time period of September 3 and 14, and to suggest other improvements that you believe would improve customer service for CHL applicants in Cuyahoga County, use the contact information provided below:

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid
1215 West 3rd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
(216) 443-6000
[email protected]