You Can Bring Guns into Bars Now -- Just Not All of Them

The law allowing people to take concealed guns into restaurants and bars goes into effect today, but that doesn't mean you can tote your .44 into every Strongsville tavern.

The new law also allows the business owners to post signs keeping guns out.

"No question about it -- I'm putting a sign up," said Pete Roalofs, owner of , 13339 Pearl Rd.

Roalofs has seen too many fights break out in his bar to want to bring firearms into the mix.

"When there's alcohol, somebody nudges someone else -- you just never know what will happen," he said. 

Down the road, has also posted a sign prohibiting concealed weapons, as have a number of other bars and restaurants.

Gov. John Kasich signed Senate Bill 17 into law in June, after it passed both the state Senate and the House.  

The new law doesn’t stop at bars and restaurants, but also includes nightclubs, malls, museums and sports stadiums.

If you do bring a gun in a bar, you're not allowed to drink any alcohol.

"Then why even come in?" Roalofs asked. "You know that's the reason people go into a bar."

Police Chief Charles Goss told Strongsville Patch in May he , as long as gun owners follow the rules.

Goss said responsible gun owners can be a friend to law enforcement.

"I think most police officers are a proponents of concealed carry -- we look at them as our allies," he said. "But there's a problem when they don't meet all the criteria."

Bringing a gun into a bar or restaurant that prohibits them is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison.