Ohio

Ohio Licensing Overview

Ohio licenses 40 out of 102 lower-income occupations (more than half of the occupations included in the study) . The state’s licensing laws are about average when compared to other states. The state's licensing laws rank 32nd in the nation. Ohio licensed occupations includes occupations that are rarely licensed elsewhere. Few other states license Social and Human Service Assistant (1 other), Upholsterer (9 other).

On average, Ohio requires $145 in licensing fees, 269 days of education and about 1 exam.

Which occupation in an Ohio is the most regulated?

Out of the 40 occupations that require an occupational license in Ohio, licenses for , HVAC Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial) have the highest burden.

Which occupation in an Ohio is the least regulated?

Out of the 40 occupations that require an occupational license in Ohio, a license for Weigher has the lowest burden. A Weigher license requires $10 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no of education.

Which occupational license in Ohio is the most expensive?

An occupational license in Ohio costs the most for Athletic Trainer. A Athletic Trainer license requires $537 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 4 years of education.

Which occupational license in Ohio is the least expensive?

An occupational license for in Ohio costs the least for Makeup Artist, Shampooer, Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Dealer, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Coach, Head (High School Sports) where the license costs $0.

Which occupational license in Ohio takes the most time to obtain?

In Ohio, an occupational license takes the most time (due to required education/experience) for HVAC Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial).It takes 1825 days (5 years) total.

Which occupational license in Ohio takes the least time to obtain?

In Ohio, an occupational license takes the least time due to required education/experience (0 days) for Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Truck Driver, Other, Makeup Artist, Shampooer, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Animal Breeder, Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Dealer, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Earth Driller, Water Well, Pest Control Applicator, Landscape Contractor (Commercial), Landscape Contractor (Residential), Wildlife Control Operator, Milk Sampler, Upholsterer, Security Guard, Unarmed, Fisher, Commercial, Weigher.

In Ohio, which occupational licenses require exams?

In Ohio, to obtain an occupational license there is at least one exam required for: HVAC Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial), Athletic Trainer, Optician, School Bus Driver, Veterinary Technician, Preschool Teacher, Public School, Barber, Auctioneer, Cosmetologist, Mobile Home Installer, Massage Therapist, Skin Care Specialist, Pharmacy Technician, Manicurist, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Emergency Medical Technician, Truck Driver, Other, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Pest Control Applicator, Wildlife Control Operator, Milk Sampler. School Bus Driver requires 6 exams.

Ohio’s occupational licensing laws for lower-income occupations are the 20th most burdensome, requiring, on average, $188 in fees, 350 days of education and experience, and around one exam. Ohio licenses fewer of the occupations studied here—40 of 102—than average, making it the nation’s 38th most broadly and onerously licensed state.

Ohio is the only state to license social and human service assistants, and it does so onerously: Its license requires a $50 fee, two years (730 days) of education, and one exam. As no other state deems licensure of social and human service assistants necessary, Ohio’s decision to license the occupation at all, let alone so arduously, is questionable. Ohio also imposes heavy education and experience burdens on would-be auctioneers, requiring an estimated 379 days (comprising one year of experience and 10 days of education) to become licensed. But the average across licensed states is 94 days—and 21 states do not even license auctioneers at all.

Ohio also imposes burdens on several occupations that seem excessive compared to those for other occupations that may present greater risks to the public. For example, barbers lose 420 days (1,800 hours) to education, and cosmetologists 350 days (1,500 hours). EMTs, on the other hand, lose only 35 days (150 hours) to education before they are allowed to provide life-saving aid. Ohio could expand employment opportunities in the state by repealing or reducing its arduous licensing requirements for barbers, cosmetologists and other lower-income occupations, or—if government regulation is necessary—by replacing them with less restrictive regulatory alternatives such as inspections or voluntary certification.

Burden Rank	Occupation	Number of States that License	Fees	Education/Experience (Days)	Education	Experience	Exams	Minimum Grade	Minimum Age
1	HVAC Contractor (Commercial)	37	210	1825	None	5 years	2	0	18
1	Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial)	37	210	1825	None	5 years	2	0	18
3	Athletic Trainer	49	537	1460	4 years	None	2	0	0
4	Optician	22	279	730	None	2 years	1	12	18
5	School Bus Driver	51	211	735	27 clock hours	2 years	6	0	21
6	Veterinary Technician	36	378	730	2 years	None	1	0	0
7	Preschool Teacher, Public School	50	305	730	2 years	None	1	0	0
8	Social and Human Service Assistant	1	64	730	0.5 clock hour & 2 years	None	0	0	0
9	Barber	51	120	420	1800 clock hours	None	2	8	18
10	Auctioneer	28	240	379	10 days	1 year	3	0	18
11	Cosmetologist	51	77	350	1500 clock hours	None	2	10	16
12	Mobile Home Installer	37	369	367	12 clock hours	1 year	1	0	18
13	Massage Therapist	45	391	175	750 clock hours	None	1	12	18
14	Skin Care Specialist	51	120	140	600 clock hours	None	2	10	16
15	Pharmacy Technician	44	97	70	None	300 clock hours	1	12	18
16	Manicurist	51	205	47	200 clock hours	None	2	10	16
17	Child Care Home, Family	44	250	8	37 clock hours	None	0	12	18
18	Bus Driver, City/Transit	51	167	0	None	None	5	0	18
19	Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer	51	122	0	None	None	5	0	18
20	Emergency Medical Technician	51	98	36	155.5 clock hours	None	2	0	18
21	Truck Driver, Other	51	122	0	None	None	4	0	18
22	Makeup Artist	37	0	0	None	None	0	10	16
22	Shampooer	33	0	0	None	None	0	10	16
24	Vegetation Pesticide Applicator	51	70	0	None	None	5	0	0
25	Animal Breeder	29	410	0	None	None	0	0	0
26	Gaming Cage Worker	30	0	0	None	None	0	0	21
26	Gaming Dealer	29	0	0	None	None	0	0	21
26	Gaming Supervisor	31	0	0	None	None	0	0	21
26	Slot Supervisor	29	0	0	None	None	0	0	21
30	Earth Driller, Water Well	51	250	0	None	None	0	0	0
31	Pest Control Applicator	51	70	0	None	None	2	0	0
32	Landscape Contractor (Commercial)	47	125	0	None	None	0	0	0
32	Landscape Contractor (Residential)	48	125	0	None	None	0	0	0
34	Wildlife Control Operator	23	40	0	None	None	1	0	0
35	Milk Sampler	43	15	0	None	None	1	0	0
36	Upholsterer	9	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
37	Security Guard, Unarmed	34	40	0	None	None	0	0	0
38	Fisher, Commercial	43	20	0	None	None	0	0	0
39	Coach, Head (High School Sports)	47	0	2	13.5 clock hours	None	0	0	0
40	Weigher	24	10	0	None	None	0	0	0

Ohio Occupational Licensing

40 out of 102 moderate-income occupations licensed

32nd most burdensome licensing laws for moderate-income occupations

Average Fees for Licenses:$145