Ohio · 3 jurisdictions covered

Business licences and permits in Ohio

Ohio charges $99 to form a company and then asks for nothing further — no annual report, no annual fee. It licenses no general contractors, and a restaurant licence is priced by the local board of health on top of a fixed $28 state share.

What applies everywhere in Ohio

10 requirements are set by Ohio itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.

Requirements set by Ohio that apply in every jurisdiction in the state, with the issuing agency, the published fee and the date each was last checked against its source
Requirement	Issued by	Fee	Applies	Last checked
Articles of Organization (LLC)	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division	$99 one-time filing	Only in some cases	2026-09-03
Child Care Centre Licence	Ohio Department of Children and Youth	$50 one-time application	To every business	2026-09-03
Commercial Trade Contractor Licence	Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Industrial Compliance	$25 application, per trade; a further $25 on issue and $60 a year to renew	Only in some cases	2026-09-03
Food Service Operation Licence	Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program	$28 state fee for a commercial operation ($14 non-commercial, $6 per vending machine location), plus a licence fee set independently by the local board of health	To every business	2026-09-03
Initial Articles of Incorporation	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division	$99 one-time filing, minimum — see notes on authorised shares	Only in some cases	2026-09-03
Manager Certification in Food Protection	Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program	No fee	Only in some cases	2026-09-03
Salon or Barbershop Licence	Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board	$85 new licence; $75 to renew	To every business	2026-09-03
Transient Vendor's Licence	Ohio Department of Taxation	$50 one-time, valid statewide	Only in some cases	2026-09-03
Vendor's Licence	Ohio Department of Taxation	$50 one-time, per fixed location	To every business	2026-09-03
Veterinary Business Facility Licence	Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board	$300 application, plus a $3.50 transaction fee	Only in some cases	2026-09-03

Which Ohio city are you opening in?

Cleveland, OHCleveland runs its own independent health department rather than deferring to Cuyahoga County. Its fire fee schedule quotes a statute barring a charge for an inspection, directly above a fee line billing exactly that inspection.10 published records
Columbus, OHNo general business licence — Columbus Public Health permits food inside city limits (and Worthington), while Franklin County Public Health covers the rest of the county. A county-issued Vendor's Licence, not a city one, registers sales tax.10 published records
Cincinnati, OHCincinnati runs its own food licensing program rather than deferring to Hamilton County, which explicitly excludes the city from its own coverage. Every major city fee carries the same three-part technology, training and financial-recovery surcharge on top.8 published records

Is there a single Ohio business licence?

No. Ohio has no single licence that covers every business. What you need depends on your industry, your city and your county, and most of the obligations that matter are issued locally rather than at state level.

The state-level registrations that do apply to nearly everyone are tax accounts rather than licences — which is why they are easy to miss.

Who issues permits in Ohio?

By industry

All 10 industries we cover

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.