Home › Employment background check laws › Ohio
Ohio background check laws for employers
Ohio's ban-the-box law covers only public employers, so private employers have no state timing or fair-chance rules. Ohio does protect sealed and expunged records: employers may not ask about them. Nursing homes and adult day programs must request state criminal records checks.
Have a whole roster to keep current every month? DOT fleets: Pact's monthly DOT program, $25 a driver a month ($99 minimum), or $19 a month for an owner-operator. Nursing homes, hospice and home care: staff credential tracking, $10 a staff member a month ($250 minimum). First month free.
Fair-chance hiring (criminal history)
- Ohio's ban-the-box law covers only state agencies and local governments, which may not put criminal history questions on job applications; it does not cover private employers (Ohio Rev. Code 9.73).
State consumer report rules
- No Ohio law was found that adds disclosure, consent, or copy-of-report steps for employment background checks beyond the federal FCRA.
How far back a report can go
- No Ohio limit was found on how many years back a background report may go for convictions.
- On a job application, a person may be asked only about convictions that are not sealed, unless the question bears a direct and substantial relationship to the job (Ohio Rev. Code 2953.34(N)(2)(a)).
- A person may not be asked about records sealed after a not-guilty finding or dismissal, may answer as if the arrest never happened, and may not face adverse action for that answer (Ohio Rev. Code 2953.34(L)(1)).
Credit checks
- No Ohio law was found that limits employer use of credit reports beyond the federal FCRA.
Also good to know
- Nursing homes and adult day-care programs must ask the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation for a criminal records check on each applicant, adding an FBI check if the applicant has not lived in Ohio for five years (Ohio Rev. Code 3721.121(B)(1)).
Common questions
Can Ohio employers run a background check?
Ohio's ban-the-box law covers only public employers, so private employers have no state timing or fair-chance rules. Ohio does protect sealed and expunged records: employers may not ask about them. Nursing homes and adult day programs must request state criminal records checks.
Does Ohio have a ban-the-box law for private employers?
Ohio's ban-the-box law covers only state agencies and local governments, which may not put criminal history questions on job applications; it does not cover private employers (Ohio Rev. Code 9.73).
How far back does a background check go in Ohio?
No Ohio limit was found on how many years back a background report may go for convictions.
Can Ohio employers run credit checks on applicants?
No Ohio law was found that limits employer use of credit reports beyond the federal FCRA.
Some rules for Ohio weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- Ohio Rev. Code 9.73 public employer inquiries (codes.ohio.gov)
- Ohio Rev. Code 2953.33 sealing after not guilty or dismissal (codes.ohio.gov)
- Ohio Rev. Code 2953.34 effect of sealing or expungement (codes.ohio.gov)
- Ohio Rev. Code 3721.121 nursing home and adult day care checks (codes.ohio.gov)
This page summarizes state law in plain words, with links to the law itself. It is not legal advice, and laws change: check the linked source, and talk to a lawyer about your own policy. Federal DOT testing rules are separate and override state limits for DOT-covered jobs. Checked October 2026.
More for Ohio
Ohio drug testing laws · Ohio drug-free workplace discount · All states