Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a new law Wednesday that creates a 15-foot buffer zone around police and other first responders while they're working at emergency scene.
Sponsored by State Reps. Thomas Hall and Phil Plummer, House Bill 20 penalizes individuals for violating the buffer zone after receiving a warning, the legislation states. It also increases the penalty for creating "a risk of physical harm to an emergency service responder [and] obstructing official business" to a fourth-degree felony.
"HB 20 will be a vital tool to protect our first responders," Plummer said in a statement. "It allows a 15-foot buffer zone so emergency services can safely perform their jobs. We must give the first responders the proper space to keep everyone safe."
The legislation also extends the law to include probation officers.
Ohio joins other states, such as Florida and Tennessee, that have created police and first responder buffer zones recently. But these laws have faced legal challenges.
Courts have blocked buffer zone laws in Indiana, Arizona and Louisiana. Tennessee's law, which was enacted in July 2025, currently faces a lawsuit.
