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Ohio

Identification

  • Acceptable Identification
    • Ohio 4507.06
    • Ohio BMV
      • Applicants must provide proof of:
        • Full legal name
        • Date of birth
        • Legal presence in the US
        • Social Security number (SSN)
        • See more information below.
        • Ohio street address – TWO documents, from different sources, proving Ohio street address that are listed on the Acceptable Document List are required for proof of Ohio residency.
        • Proof of name change (if applicable)
  • Acceptable Digital Identification
    • Ohio BMV – Mobile ID
      • Now Ohioans can choose to add their Ohio-issued Driver’s License or ID card to their digital wallet on their mobile device so they can present it easily and securely in person and in app.
      • Licensed establishments can validate Mobile IDs with Mobile ID Acceptance on iPhone and the Ohio Mobile ID Check app or other compliant mobile ID readers.
      • The Ohio Mobile ID is a convenient and secure companion to the physical plastic card, but does not replace your physical card.
  • What requirements are needed to acquire acceptable ID’ and Acceptable Digital ID’s
  • What types of identification are accepted for non-citizen or foreign nationals in this state?
    • Ohio BMV – Non-Citizen ID Cards
      • The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is required to verify your legal presence in the United States. The name on your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documents will be the name on your Ohio identification (ID) card or driver license.
  • Can undocumented individuals obtain a state ID or Drivers license in this state?
    • No – The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is required to verify your legal presence in the United States. The name on your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documents will be the name on your Ohio identification (ID) card or driver license.
  • What privacy protections are in place for Digital Id’s in this state?
  • Can Digital IDs be legally used for law enforcement verification?
    • Ohio BMV – Mobile ID
      • At this time, only business can accept. Cannot be used for law enforcement.

Alcohol

  • Age permitted to Access Alcohol Retailers and Venues (How old do you have to be to enter a bar? Include Federal Law and State Law)
    • ​In Ohio, the legal drinking age is 21, meaning individuals must be at least 21 years old to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages. However, the state does not have a specific law prohibiting minors from entering bars or establishments that serve alcohol. This means that, legally, individuals under 21 can enter such venues.
  • Age permitted to consume Alcohol
    • Ohio 4301.63
      • Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person under the age of twenty-one years shall purchase beer or intoxicating liquor.
  • Age permitted to serve Alcohol
    • Answer
  • Age permitted to purchase Alcohol
    • Ohio 4301.61
      • ID Scans required for the purchase of alcohol in Ohio 
      • (4) “Transaction scan” means the process by which a permit holder or an agent or employee of a permit holder checks, by means of a transaction scan device, the validity of a driver’s or commercial driver’s license or an identification card that is presented as a condition for doing either of the following:
        • (a) Purchasing any beer, intoxicating liquor, or low-alcohol beverage;
        • (b) Gaining admission to a premises that has been issued a liquor permit authorizing the sale of beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises where sold, and where admission is restricted to persons twenty-one years of age or older.
    • Ohio 4301.63
      • Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person under the age of twenty-one years shall purchase beer or intoxicating liquor.
  • What is the consumable limit (if any)
    • N/A
  • What is the purchase limit (if any)
    • N/A
  • What is the legal BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limit in this state?
    • Ohio 4511.19
    • The legal BAC limit for drivers is:
      • 0.08% for drivers aged 21 or older.
      • 0.01% for drivers under 21 (zero-tolerance policy).
      • 0.04% for commercial drivers.
  • Are there any exceptions for minors consuming alcohol (e.g., religious ceremonies, parental supervision)?
    • Ohio 4301.69
      • (A) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall sell beer or intoxicating liquor to an underage person, shall buy beer or intoxicating liquor for an underage person, or shall furnish it to an underage person, unless given by a physician in the regular line of the physician’s practice or given for established religious purposes or unless the underage person is supervised by a parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian. In proceedings before the liquor control commission, no permit holder, or no employee or agent of a permit holder, charged with a violation of this division shall be charged, for the same offense, with a violation of division (A)(1) of section 4301.22 of the Revised Code.
      • (B) No person who is the owner or occupant of any public or private place shall knowingly allow any underage person to remain in or on the place while possessing or consuming beer or intoxicating liquor, unless the intoxicating liquor or beer is given to the person possessing or consuming it by that person’s parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian and the parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian is present at the time of the person’s possession or consumption of the beer or intoxicating liquor. An owner of a public or private place is not liable for acts or omissions in violation of this division that are committed by a lessee of that place, unless the owner authorizes or acquiesces in the lessee’s acts or omissions.
  • What are the penalties for providing alcohol to minors at a private residence?

Tobacco

  • Age permitted to access Tobacco Retailers and Venues (How old do you have to be to enter a cigar shop, smoke shop, or smoking lounge? Include Federal Law and State Law)
    • Ohio Law
      • In Ohio, the legal age to purchase tobacco and alternative nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, is 21. However, the state does not have a specific law prohibiting individuals under 21 from entering establishments like cigar shops, smoke shops, or smoking lounges. This means that, legally, individuals under 21 can enter such venues. Nevertheless, individual establishments have the authority to set their own age restrictions and may choose to limit entry to those 21 and over.​
    • Federal Law:
      • FDA Tobacco 
      • Individuals must be 21 years old to purchase tobacco products in the United States. This law also prohibits anyone under 21 from entering certain tobacco-related venues, such as cigar shops or smoke shops, if they are not accompanied by an adult.
  • Age permitted to use Tobacco
    • Ohio 2151.87
      • “Tobacco product” has the same meaning as in section 2927.02 of the Revised Code. (B) No child shall do any of the following unless accompanied by a parent, spouse, or legal guardian of the child, each of whom shall be twenty-one years of age or older:
        • (1) Use, consume, or possess tobacco products;
        • (2) Purchase or attempt to purchase tobacco products;
        • (3) Order, pay for, or share the cost of tobacco products;
        • (4) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, accept or receive tobacco products.
    • Ohio 2927.02
  • Age permitted to sell Tobacco
    • 18 – Ohio 2927.02(B)(7)
      • (B) No manufacturer, producer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer of cigarettes, other tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or papers used to roll cigarettes, no agent, employee, or representative of a manufacturer, producer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer of cigarettes, other tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or papers used to roll cigarettes, and no other person shall do any of the following:
        • (7) Allow an employee under eighteen years of age to sell any tobacco product;
  • Age permitted to purchase Tobacco
    • Ohio 2151.87
      • “Tobacco product” has the same meaning as in section 2927.02 of the Revised Code. (B) No child shall do any of the following unless accompanied by a parent, spouse, or legal guardian of the child, each of whom shall be twenty-one years of age or older:
        • (1) Use, consume, or possess tobacco products;
        • (2) Purchase or attempt to purchase tobacco products;
        • (3) Order, pay for, or share the cost of tobacco products;
        • (4) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, accept or receive tobacco products.
    • Ohio 2927.02
      • (B) No manufacturer, producer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer of cigarettes, other tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or papers used to roll cigarettes, no agent, employee, or representative of a manufacturer, producer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer of cigarettes, other tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or papers used to roll cigarettes, and no other person shall do any of the following:
      • (1) Give, sell, or otherwise distribute cigarettes, other tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or papers used to roll cigarettes:
        • (a) To any person under twenty-one years of age; or
        • (b) Without first verifying proof of age.
  • What is the consumable limit (if any)
    • N/A
  • What is the purchase limit (if any)
    • N/A
  • Are vaping products regulated differently from traditional tobacco in this state?
    • No
  • Are flavored vapes or disposable e-cigarettes banned?
    • FDA
    • Federal law prohibits the sale of closed-system devices (pods, cartridges) containing e-liquid in flavors other than tobacco or menthol.

Cannabis

  • Age permitted to access Cannabis Retailers and Venues (How old do you have to be to enter a dispensary or smoke shop? Include Federal Law and State Law)
    • Adult Use: Ohio 3780.15 – Must be 21
      • (B) When dispensing or selling adult use cannabis, a licensed adult use dispensary shall do all of the following:
      • (1) Dispense or sell adult use cannabis only to those adult use consumers who present a current, valid identification card demonstrating proof that the adult use consumer is twenty-one years of age or older;
    • Medical Use – Ohio 3796:6-3-01 – must be 21
  • Age permitted to use Cannabis
    • Adult Use – Ohio 3780.15
      • (B) When dispensing or selling adult use cannabis, a licensed adult use dispensary shall do all of the following:
      • (1) Dispense or sell adult use cannabis only to those adult use consumers who present a current, valid identification card demonstrating proof that the adult use consumer is twenty-one years of age or older;
    • Medical use – Ohio 3796:7-2-01
      • (C) A physician with whom a prospective patient has a bona fide physician-patient relationship, or, subject to the limitations under section 3796.08 of the Revised Code, the physician’s delegate, shall submit the patient registration. For a registration submission, related to a patient who is eighteen years of age or older, to be considered complete, a completed recommendation from a physician, applicable patient registration fee, and the following items must be submitted to the state board of pharmacy in a manner suitable to the board
      • (D) If a prospective patient is younger than eighteen years of age or has a court-appointed legal guardian, a patient registration submission must be accompanied by a caregiver registration submission in accordance with rule 3796:7-2-03 of the Administrative Code, before it will be considered complete. Patients who become eighteen years of age during the time period in which their registration is valid may apply for a new registration either immediately or in accordance with the renewal process under paragraph (K) of this rule. A submission from a patient that includes all information found in paragraph (C) of this rule, shall be considered complete.
  • Age permitted to sell Cannabis
    • Adult Use – Ohio 3780.08
      • All employees must:
        • Minimum Age: 21 years old.​
        • Employee License: Must obtain a dispensary employee license from the State Board of Pharmacy prior to employment. 
        • Background Check: Mandatory background checks are conducted to ensure compliance with state regulations. ​
        • Education: While specific educational certifications are not mandated, possessing a high school diploma or GED is typically required. ​
    • Medical Use – Ohio 3796:6-2-09
      • (A) All dispensary associated key employees, key employees and support employees are employees of a dispensary and shall hold an employee license issued by the state board of pharmacy. No licensed dispensary shall allow a person to begin work at the dispensary before receiving an employee license by the state board of pharmacy. No person with an expired employee license shall work at a dispensary.
      • (B) A dispensary employee license issued by the state board of pharmacy shall authorize the dispensary employee to work at any dispensary issued a certificate of operation to the same collective owners. For purposes of this paragraph, “owner” has the same meaning as defined under rule 3796:6-2-03 of the Administrative Code.
  • Age permitted to purchase Cannabis
    • Adult Use – Ohio 3780.15
      • (B) When dispensing or selling adult use cannabis, a licensed adult use dispensary shall do all of the following:
      • (1) Dispense or sell adult use cannabis only to those adult use consumers who present a current, valid identification card demonstrating proof that the adult use consumer is twenty-one years of age or older;
    • Medical Use – Ohio 3796:7-2-04
      • (B) No patient under eighteen years of age shall purchase medical marijuana.
  • What is the consumable limit (if any)
    • N/A
  • What is the purchase limit (if any)
    • Adult Use – Ohio 3780.36
      • (1) The amount of cannabis that may be possessed by an adult use consumer shall not exceed:
        • (a) Two and one-half ounces of adult use cannabis in any form except adult use extract; and
        • (b) Fifteen grams of adult use cannabis in the form of adult use extract.
      • (2) The amount of cannabis that may be transferred by an adult use consumer without remuneration and not advertised or promoted to the public shall not exceed:
        • (a) Two and one-half ounces of adult use cannabis in any form except adult use extract; and
        • (b) Fifteen grams of adult use cannabis in the form of adult use extract.
      • (3) The amount of cannabis that may be transported by an adult use consumer shall not exceed:
        • (a) Two and one-half ounces of adult use cannabis in any form except adult use extract; and
        • (b) Fifteen grams of adult use cannabis in the form of adult use extract.
  • Can minors obtain medical cannabis with a prescription?
    • Yes – Medical use – Ohio 3796:7-2-01
      • (D) If a prospective patient is younger than eighteen years of age or has a court-appointed legal guardian, a patient registration submission must be accompanied by a caregiver registration submission in accordance with rule 3796:7-2-03 of the Administrative Code, before it will be considered complete. Patients who become eighteen years of age during the time period in which their registration is valid may apply for a new registration either immediately or in accordance with the renewal process under paragraph (K) of this rule. A submission from a patient that includes all information found in paragraph (C) of this rule, shall be considered complete.

Adult Media

  • Age permitted to access Adult Content ONLINE
    • Ohio HB 96
      • An organization that sells, delivers, furnishes, disseminates, provides, exhibits, or presents any material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles on the internet shall do all of the following:
        • (1) Verify that any person attempting to access the material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles is eighteen years of age or older through reasonable age verification methods;
  • Age permitted to access Adult Retailers and Venues (Sex shops, Strip Clubs, burlesque)
    • Ohio 2907.39
      • (B) No person knowingly shall allow an individual, including, but not limited to, a patron, customer, or employee, who is under eighteen years of age on the premises of an adult entertainment establishment.
      • (C) No individual who is under eighteen years of age knowingly shall show or give false information concerning the individual’s name or age, or other false identification, for the purpose of gaining entrance to an adult entertainment establishment.
  • Are websites required to verify age for accessing adult content?
    • Ohio HB 96
      • “Reasonable age verification methods” means the following:
        • (a) Verifying that the person attempting to access the material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles is eighteen years of age or older through the use of a commercial age verification system that uses photo identification or public or private transactional data to verify the person’s age;
        • (b) Using third-party and governmental databases that use a commercial age verification system that uses photo identification or public or private transactional data to verify the person’s age.
  • What penalties exist for providing minors access to adult material online?
    • Ohio HB 96
      • The attorney general may bring a civil action against an organization that sells, delivers, furnishes, disseminates, provides, exhibits, or presents any material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles on the internet that fails to comply with the requirements under divisions (B)(1) or (2) or (C)(1) or (2) of section 1349.10 of the Revised Code and as a result of that failure a minor gains access to the material or performance. Before initiating such an enforcement action, the attorney general shall provide written notice to the organization identifying and explaining the basis for each instance of alleged violation.
        • (B) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, the attorney general shall not commence an enforcement action if the organization, within forty-five days after notice of the alleged violation is sent, does both of the following:
          • (1) Cures all violations described in the notice:
          • (2) Provides the attorney general with a written statement indicating that the violations are cured and agreeing to refrain from further noncompliance of the requirements under divisions (B)(1) or (2) or (C)(1) or (2) of section 1349.10 of the Revised Code.
  • What is the minimum age to work in the adult entertainment industry?
    • Ohio 2907.39
      • (B) No person knowingly shall allow an individual, including, but not limited to, a patron, customer, or employee, who is under eighteen years of age on the premises of an adult entertainment establishment.
      • (C) No individual who is under eighteen years of age knowingly shall show or give false information concerning the individual’s name or age, or other false identification, for the purpose of gaining entrance to an adult entertainment establishment.
  • Are there restrictions on employment terms for adult content creators?
    • Title 18 US Code 2557
      • Federal law mandates that producers of sexually explicit content must maintain detailed age verification records for all performers.

Voting

  • Age permitted to register to vote in the state
    • Ohio Law
      • Ohio 3503.07
        • Each person who will be of the age of eighteen years or more at the next ensuing November election, who is a citizen of the United States, and who, if he continues to reside in the precinct until the next election, will at that time have fulfilled all the requirements as to length of residence to qualify him as an elector shall, unless otherwise disqualified, be entitled to be registered as an elector in such precinct. When once registered, an elector shall not be required to register again unless his registration is canceled.
    • Federal Law:
  • Age permitted to vote in the state
    • Ohio 3503.07
      • Each person who will be of the age of eighteen years or more at the next ensuing November election, who is a citizen of the United States, and who, if he continues to reside in the precinct until the next election, will at that time have fulfilled all the requirements as to length of residence to qualify him as an elector shall, unless otherwise disqualified, be entitled to be registered as an elector in such precinct. When once registered, an elector shall not be required to register again unless his registration is canceled.
    • Ohio 3501.01
      • (N) “Elector” or “qualified elector” means a person having the qualifications provided by law to be entitled to vote.
      • (O) “Voter” means an elector who votes at an election.
  • What Identification requirements are needed to vote on a regular ballot
    • Ohio 3501.01
      • (AA)(1) “Photo identification” means one of the following documents that includes the individual’s name and photograph and is not expired:
        • (a) An Ohio driver’s license, state identification card, or interim identification form issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar under Chapter 4506. or 4507. of the Revised Code;
        • (b) A United States passport or passport card;
        • (c) A United States military identification card, Ohio national guard identification card, or United States department of veterans affairs identification card.
      • (2) A “copy” of an individual’s photo identification means images of both the front and back of a document described in division (AA)(1) of this section, except that if the document is a United States passport, a copy of the photo identification means an image of the passport’s identification page that includes the individual’s name, photograph, and other identifying information and the passport’s expiration date.
      • (BB) “Driver’s license” means a license or permit issued by the registrar or a deputy registrar under Chapter 4506. or 4507. of the Revised Code that authorizes an individual to drive. “Driver’s license” includes a driver’s license, commercial driver’s license, probationary license, restricted license, motorcycle operator’s license, or temporary instruction permit identification card. “Driver’s license” does not include a limited term license issued under section 4507.09 of the Revised Code.
      • (CC) “State identification card” means a card issued by the registrar or a deputy registrar under sections 4507.50 to 4507.52 of the Revised Code.
      • (DD) “Interim identification form” means the document issued by the registrar or a deputy registrar to an applicant for a driver’s license or state identification card that contains all of the information otherwise found on the license or card and that an applicant may use as a form of identification until the physical license or card arrives in the mail.
  • What Identification requirements are needed to vote on a Provisional ballot
    • Ohio 3505.181
    • Provisional Voting
      • Any of the following scenarios would require you to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day:
        • Your name does not appear on the official poll list for that precinct, or an election official asserts that you are not eligible to vote or is unable to determine your eligibility;
        • You are unable to provide photo identification. For more information on what is acceptable as proof of identity for voting, follow this link for Photo Identification Requirements.
        • Your name appears on the official poll list for that precinct as having already requested an absentee ballot;
        • Your name is marked on the poll list or signature book with a notation that certain registration mailings have been returned as undeliverable;
        • Your voter registration has been challenged and/or a hearing on a challenge to your eligibility as an elector has been postponed until after Election Day; or
        • Your signature, in the opinion of the precinct officers, does not match the signature on your registration form.

Legal

  • Laws on Presenting Identification to Law Enforcement
    • Under what circumstances is a person required to show ID to police?
      • Ohio 2921.29
      • You have to show your ID under the following circumstance:
        • If you are driving 
        • If you are under arrest 
        • If You Are Stopped and Police Have Reasonable Suspicion of a Crime
        • If purchasing alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or entering a casino, individuals must show a valid government-issued ID if requested.
      • Terry v. Ohio, 392 US
        • When an officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in a crime
    • Can you be detained or arrested for refusing to show ID?
      • Only if you are actively committing a crime or driving a vehicle
  • “Stop and Identify” Laws in this state
    • What is this state’s specific laws regarding police stops and ID requirements?
      • Ohio 2921.29
        • (A) No person who is in a public place shall refuse to disclose the person’s name, address, or date of birth, when requested by a law enforcement officer who reasonably suspects either of the following:
          • (1) The person is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a criminal offense.
          • (2) The person witnessed any of the following:
            • (a) An offense of violence that would constitute a felony under the laws of this state;
            • (b) A felony offense that causes or results in, or creates a substantial risk of, serious physical harm to another person or to property;
            • (c) Any attempt or conspiracy to commit, or complicity in committing, any offense identified in division (A)(2)(a) or (b) of this section;
            • (d) Any conduct reasonably indicating that any offense identified in division (A)(2)(a) or (b) of this section or any attempt, conspiracy, or complicity described in division (A)(2)(c) of this section has been, is being, or is about to be committed.
    • Do you have the right to remain silent or refuse to provide ID in certain situations?
  • Public Place ID Requirements
    • Are there any public areas where a person must carry ID?
      • No – only when trying to purchase age restricted item
    • Are there curfew or loitering laws requiring ID verification?
      • ​In Ohio, curfew and loitering laws are primarily established at the municipal level, leading to variations across different cities and towns.
  • Traffic Stops and ID Requirements
    • Are you required to provide an ID when pulled over by law enforcement?
      • Ohio 4507.35
        • (A) The operator of a motor vehicle shall display the operator’s driver’s license, or furnish satisfactory proof that the operator has a driver’s license, upon demand of any peace officer or of any person damaged or injured in any collision in which the licensee may be involved. When a demand is properly made and the operator has the operator’s driver’s license on or about the operator’s person, the operator shall not refuse to display the license. A person’s failure to furnish satisfactory evidence that the person is licensed under this chapter when the person does not have the person’s license on or about the person’s person shall be prima-facie evidence of the person’s not having obtained a driver’s license.
    • What are the consequences of refusing to show ID during a traffic stop?
      • Ohio 4507.35
        • (B)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, whoever violates this section is guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor. When the offense is an unclassified misdemeanor, the offender shall be sentenced pursuant to sections 2929.21 to 2929.28 of the Revised Code, except that the offender shall not be sentenced to a jail term; the offender shall not be sentenced to a community residential sanction pursuant to section 2929.26 of the Revised Code; notwithstanding division (A)(2)(a) of section 2929.28 of the Revised Code, the offender may be fined up to one thousand dollars; and, notwithstanding division (A)(3) of section 2929.27 of the Revised Code, the offender may be ordered pursuant to division (C) of that section to serve a term of community service of up to five hundred hours. The failure of an offender to complete a term of community service imposed by the court may be punished as indirect criminal contempt under division (A) of section 2705.02 of the Revised Code that may be filed in the underlying case.
        • (2) If, within three years of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of this section or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, the offense is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
  • Passenger ID Requirements in Vehicles
    • Do passengers need to show ID if a vehicle is stopped by law enforcement?
      • No
    • Can passengers legally refuse to provide ID?
      • Yes
  • Curfew Laws for Minors
    • Are minors required to carry ID to prove their age if stopped past curfew?
      • In Ohio, minors are not legally required to carry physical identification (ID) to prove their age if stopped for a curfew violation.
    • What are the penalties for violating curfew laws?
      • N/A
  • Trespassing and ID Requirements
    • Can police demand ID if someone is suspected of trespassing?
    • What are the consequences of refusing to provide identification in such situations?
      • Ohio 2921.29
        • (A) No person who is in a public place shall refuse to disclose the person’s name, address, or date of birth, when requested by a law enforcement officer who reasonably suspects either of the following:
        • (1) The person is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a criminal offense.