Skip to main content
Login

Step 5 of 10

Business licenses and permits in Ohio

Ohio licenses come from the state, your city or your county, depending on the work. How to find yours, and who licenses contractors and alcohol.

Checked against official sources on

General information, not legal or tax advice. Requirements vary and change, so confirm current instructions with the official source before you act, and ask a CPA or attorney about your situation.

Ohio’s own directory says some licenses and permits come from the state, others from your city or county, so there is no single place to get licensed. What you need depends on your work and where you do it. Start with the state’s license search, then your city or county, then the agency that regulates your kind of work.

What’s different in Ohio

  • Some come from the state, others from your city or county. The state’s directory says some licenses and permits come from the state, others from your city or county.
  • The state contractor board covers specific trades. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) licenses heating, ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and hydronics contractors.
  • Alcohol and food have their own agencies. Alcohol permits go through OPAL (Ohio Permit & Liquor Licensing). Food licenses come from the local board of health, the Ohio Department of Agriculture or the Ohio Department of Health, depending on the kind of food business.

Do this

  1. Start with the state’s license search. The licenses and permits page points to the state's license search on ohio.gov.
  2. Check your city and county. Ask the local licensing office what applies to your address, and ask before you sign a lease whether your activity is allowed there. In Columbus, for example, that is the City of Columbus License Section. Zoning for a home business is a local question, and we did not find a state rule on it.* Check with your city’s zoning office.
  3. Building something? The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) covers heating, ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and hydronics contractors. Whether your city or county licenses general contractors we could not confirm.* Check with your city or county building department.
  4. Selling alcohol? Apply to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control through OPAL (Ohio Permit & Liquor Licensing). Processing time was not readable from here.* Check with the Division of Liquor Control.
  5. Selling food? The license comes from the local board of health, the Ohio Department of Agriculture or the Ohio Department of Health, depending on the kind of food business. The statute sets a license period of March 1 to the last day of February.
  6. Selling taxable goods? Get a vendor’s license before your first sale, immediately through OH|TAX eServices, once you have an eServices account or with their county auditor: Get your tax IDs.
  7. Ask for help if the list gets long. The SBA’s Ohio district office in Columbus offers counseling and connects you to partner organizations.

What you get back

One license or permit from each agency that regulates your work, each on its own renewal schedule, plus any city or county permits. Write down the renewal date on each one. A tax registration is not a business license.

Common questions

Do I need a business license in Ohio?

The state's license directory says some licenses and permits come from the state, others from your city or county. Which ones apply depends on your work and your location. We did not find a sentence saying there is no general license, so check with your city or county.

Where do I look up which Ohio licenses I need?

Start with the state's license search on ohio.gov. Then ask your city or county, such as the City of Columbus License Section in Columbus.

Does Ohio license contractors?

The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) licenses heating, ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and hydronics contractors. General contractor licensing is a local matter that we could not confirm, so check with your city or county.

Do I need a license to sell alcohol in Ohio?

Yes, a permit from the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control, applied for through OPAL (Ohio Permit & Liquor Licensing). Processing times were not on a page we could read, so check with the Division of Liquor Control.

Who licenses food businesses in Ohio?

It is the local board of health, the Ohio Department of Agriculture or the Ohio Department of Health, depending on the kind of food business. Licenses run March 1 to the last day of February.

Sources

  1. SBA, Ohio District Office
  2. Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control
  3. Ohio Department of Commerce, contractor licensing
  4. Ohio Revised Code 4740.01, construction contractors
  5. Ohio Revised Code 3717.01, food licenses
  6. Ohio.gov, licenses and permits
  7. City of Columbus, business licenses
  8. Ohio Department of Taxation, sales and use tax registration (vendor's license)

Need a website for it?

No site yet? Describe your business and Surmado builds it from scratch, with a domain if you need one.

See Surmado Sites