This page is intended to provide information to assist businesses to operate legally in the State of Ohio. If you run into issues that have not been resolved through the normal course of business with a state agency, contact the Small Business Advocate, who serves as a guide and advocate for small business owners as they interact with state government agencies.
New hires must be reported to the State. You can now report new hires online at the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center.
If you are hiring foreign labor, you typically will have to certify your foreign workers.
Most businesses are required to pay business taxes to the Ohio Department of Taxation. In addition, many employers are required to pay unemployment compensation and workers' compensation fees.
Electronic filing is available on OBG Electronic Filing for many filings and payments. View the full list of OBG Electronic Filing online file and pay applications.
In addition to business tax resources, the Ohio Department of Taxation provides a listing of Ohio taxes and a library of tax publications.
The Licenses and Permits page contains links to information and services for applying and renewing many Ohio licenses and permits.
Report suspected occurrences of workers' compensation fraud and unemployment compensation fraud. PDF
The state legislature provides a searchable Ohio Revised Code for those researching Ohio law. Please be aware that local and federal laws may also apply to your business.
Many agencies provide online excerpts of state laws that apply to businesses they regulate. These laws, rules, and regulations are grouped below.
Ohio employers must obey federal and state Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws. For Federal EEO laws, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.
The Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Labor and Worker Safety provides information regarding prevailing wage, minimum wage, and the employment of minors.
The US Department of Labor website is a valuable resource for looking up federal labor laws.
Most Ohio employers are also subject to unemployment compensation and workers' compensation laws.
The Ohio Industrial Commission serves injured workers and Ohio Employers by resolving issues with workers' compensation claims.
The Ohio EPA eBusiness Center is a secure Web portal where businesses can file reports and environmental permit applications and to pay fees. The eBusiness Center currently offers capabilities for air permitting and wastewater discharge monitoring reports. Over the next several months, Ohio EPA will add services related to drinking water, solid waste and hazardous waste
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency also provides EPA rules and regulations online. The EPA Publications page contains valuable guides to compliance, including the Environmental Compliance Self Assessment Guide PDF and the Guide to Environmental Permitting in Ohio PDF.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture provides a laws and statutes that apply to agricultural-based companies subject to agricultural regulatory programs.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources oversees regulation of Coastal Management, Mineral Resources Management, Water Resources, Wildlife, and Soil and Water Conservation concerns.
The Ohio Public Utilities Commission provides PUCO rules and regulations online pertaining to electric, natural gas, telephone, water and wastewater, railroad, and motor carrier (including trucking) companies.
For more detailed Ohio data and research reports, check out the following links on Ohio.gov:
Visit the Development Services Agency's Office of Research, which provides research and data regarding population, housing, economy, Ohio industries, maps, and profiles of all 88 Ohio counties.
See the detailed labor market research reports, provided by the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services - Office of Workforce Development