Electrician licenses in
Ohio
Ohio licenses some electricians statewide and leaves the rest to cities and counties.
Official search run by Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce at elicense4.com.ohio.gov.
What the license should say
In Ohio you'll see one of these on an electrician's card, bid or truck:
- State electrical contractor license (OCILB)
- Individual who passed the state exam; commonly called a Master License and required for commercial work.
- Local electrical contractor registration or license
- Contractor registered with a city or county building department for residential work; Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo each run their own registration.
Hiring a company, not a person?
Commercial electrical work requires an OCILB electrical contractor license, which is issued to an individual; residential contractor regulation is left to local jurisdictions.
Doing it yourself
State contractor licensing under ORC Chapter 4740 covers only commercial construction projects and excludes residential buildings, so whether a homeowner may do this work in their own home and what permit is needed is decided by the local building department (ORC 4740.01(F)).
City and county licenses
Some places in Ohio also license electricians locally.
-
City of Columbus
Building and Zoning Services
-
City of Toledo
Division of Building Inspection
-
City of Cincinnati
Department of Buildings and Inspections (CAGIS ezTrak)
Not listed? Call the building department for the city or county where the work is.
Before you hire
- Contractor licensing in Ohio (small-job limits, bonds, permits)
- How to check a license in Ohio, step by step
- Before-you-hire checklist (one page, free PDF)
- File a complaint about an electrician (opens official site)
Keep this handy
We'll email you the one-page before-you-hire checklist, plus occasional tips on hiring safely.