Contractor licensing in Ohio

Ohio licenses commercial trade contractors at the state level through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), which sits inside the Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance. OCILB is created and governed by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4740. Five trades licensed statewide. OCILB issues state commercial contractor licenses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, hydronics, and refrigeration. The board is organized into three specialty sections: a plumbing and hydronics section, an electrical section, and an HVAC and refrigeration section (ORC 4740.02). Who must hold the state license. The OCILB license is required for contractors performing commercial work in one of the five licensed trades. Residential-only work is typically regulated at the local (municipal or county) level; confirm with the jurisdiction where the work will be performed. Eligibility to sit for the exam. An applicant must: - Be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen or legal alien. - Have been a tradesperson in the trade for which they are applying for not less than five years immediately prior to the application (ORC 4740.06), documented by five consecutive years of tax records (W-2s or Schedule C) plus one of: permits pulled each of the last five years by a licensed contractor the applicant worked under; an active journeyman's card in the trade; a certificate of completion from a state- or U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship in the trade; or 40 hours of OCILB-approved continuing education in code. A registered Ohio professional engineer with three years of construction-industry business experience in the trade, or a person with five years as an Ohio government inspector in the trade, may also qualify. - Have no disqualifying-offense conviction as defined by the statute. Background check and exam. After the board approves the application, the candidate must obtain a BCI and FBI background check before sitting for the examination. Exams are computer-based and delivered by PSI at sites across Ohio and the United States. Insurance minimum. To be issued the license after passing the exam, the applicant must provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance evidencing at least $500,000 in contractor liability coverage. The insurance and the license must be held in the name of a single contracting company as defined in ORC 4740.01(C). The statutory authority for the board to set the coverage requirement is ORC 4740.06. Fees. The examination application fee is $25 (check payable to "Treasurer, State of Ohio"). A separate $25 payment is submitted with the post-exam license issuance packet. Renewal and continuing-education fees are set by the board and published on the OCILB site. Local registration. Even with a state OCILB license, contractors frequently must register with the city, county, or township where a job is performed. Residential trade contractor licensing in Ohio is primarily a local matter; check the local building department before bidding work.