Ohio Contractor License Requirements
There is no state licence to describe, so what follows is the absence itself and what stands in its place — each confirmed on an official source, quoted at the bottom of this page.
What the state requires
- Licence
- OCILB Contractor License (also called a Master License) in one of five commercial trades: Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing, Refrigeration
- Issued by
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Industrial Compliance, Ohio Department of CommerceOhio Rev. Code ch. 4740
- NASCLA exam
- Not acceptedOhio does not appear on NASCLA's list of state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors.
What people get wrong
Ohio has NO state general contractor licence. OCILB licenses only the five commercial specialty trades above, and the board's own page says local building and health departments regulate residential contractors. A commercial permit in a jurisdiction with a registration programme requires the state trade licence; a local department may also demand it of residential contractors. The figures recorded here are for the OCILB trade licence, which is the only state-level construction contractor credential Ohio issues; they are not general-contracting figures. Licences are held by an individual (the master) and assigned to a single company name.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a contractor licence in Ohio?
- Not from the state. Ohio does not licence general contractors at the state level. There is no state exam, no state bond and no state licence to hold — the requirement is local, so which permit or registration you need depends on the city or county you are building in. Ohio has NO state general contractor licence. OCILB licenses only the five commercial specialty trades above, and the board's own page says local building and health departments regulate residential contractors. A commercial permit in a jurisdiction with a registration programme requires the state trade licence; a local department may also demand it of residential contractors. The figures recorded here are for the OCILB trade licence, which is the only state-level construction contractor credential Ohio issues; they are not general-contracting figures. Licences are held by an individual (the master) and assigned to a single company name.
- Does Ohio accept the NASCLA exam?
- No. Ohio does not appear on NASCLA's list of state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors.
Sources
“The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) is a part of the Division of Industrial Compliance and is responsible for issuing licenses to qualified Electrical, Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Plumbing, Hydronics and Refrigeration Contractors who successfully pass the PSI licensing examination. The Licensing Board regulates commercial contractors who perform the above five specialty trades.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board“The Ohio Contractor Licensing Law (ORC 4740), requires building and health departments who have a registration in place to require the State License before issuing commercial permits. All local building and health departments regulate residential contractors.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board“Either have been a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade for which the application is filed for not less than five (5) years immediately prior to the date the application is filed, currently be a registered engineer in this state with three (3) years of business experience in the construction industry in the trade for which the engineer is applying to take the examination.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/contractors-and-contracting-companies/contractors-contracting-companies“Carry minimum $500,000 contractor liability coverage.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/contractors-and-contracting-companies/contractors-contracting-companies“Continuing education requirements: All trades must complete 8 hours of CE for one-year renewals or 24 hours for three-year renewals. Electrical trade must have half of the required hours in code courses.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/contractors-and-contracting-companies/contractors-contracting-companies“While in escrow you do not need to take CE each year or maintain liability insurance, but you must pay the $60 renewal fee annually.”
https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/contractors-and-contracting-companies/contractors-contracting-companies“a copy of the examination results, a $25 check made payable to “Treasurer, State of Ohio”, and proof of at least $500,000 contractor liability insurance “Certificate of Liability Insurance”.”
https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/DICO/OCILB/Testing_Application_-_OCILB.pdf“Participating state agencies accepting the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors (Ohio is not among them).”
https://www.nascla.org/nascla-commercial-exam-participating-state-agencies
Then there is the exam
Practise Ohio exam questions free, with explanations that cite the reference book and section.