Ohio to California: residential contractor license reciprocity

How local licensing works. Ohio has roughly 800 certified building departments, and each city, county or township decides for itself whether residential contractors are licensed, registered or left alone. A credential from one Ohio jurisdiction does not carry into the next one, and none of the jurisdictions below grants anything for a license held in another state. Use the Board of Building Standards jurisdiction map at com.ohio.gov/JurisdictionMap to find out which department has authority over a given address before applying anywhere.

Columbus. Building and Zoning Services licenses residential work under Chapter 4114 of the Columbus Building Code. A Home Improvement General Contractor license covers structural work on existing one-, two- and three-family dwellings and their accessory structures. It requires "a score of 70% or higher for 767 Ohio Home Improvement Contractor" (the ICC exam, booked through the International Code Council on (877) 783-3926), a "minimum of three (3) full years of hands-on experience in the one (1), two (2), and three (3) family home improvement field", and approval by the Board of Review of General and Home Improvement Contractors, which meets on the first Wednesday of each month and needs the notarized application at least seven days beforehand. A Home Improvement Limited Contractor license covers roofing, siding, decking, waterproofing, fencing, driveway approaches and similar specialized work and requires one full year of hands-on experience in that field plus board approval. A builder putting up new houses registers instead as a General Contractor, which covers "all permits to build new 1, 2, or 3 family, multi-family (4 or more dwelling units), and commercial structures" and needs a $25,000 bond on the city's bond form and liability insurance of at least $300,000 for damages to a single person and $500,000 per occurrence, with no exam. The 2026 fee schedule sets a $300 application fee for the board-reviewed licenses (including Home Improvement Contractor and HIC-Limited) and a $350 annual license and registration fee; a change of assignment is $100. Registrations expire at the end of the twelfth month from issuance. Building and Zoning Services, 111 North Front Street, (614) 645-7433, [email protected].

Toledo. The Division of Building Inspection licenses "contractors engaged in the business of making improvements to residential structures regulated by the Residential Code of Ohio" under Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 1313, in two tiers. A Certified Remodeling Contractor "may engage in all residential construction, alterations and renovations" and must first pass the ICC Building Contractor C examination (exam ID 767-OH-GC, delivered by Pearson VUE, nearest center in Maumee) and then the City of Toledo Certified Remodeling Exam covering Chapters 11 and 13 of the Municipal Code. A Limited Remodeling Contractor is "restricted to residential improvements such as roof and window replacement, siding application, installation of insulation, fencing, and swimming pools greater than 24 inches in depth" and sits only the city exam, which covers Chapter 13 and the 2024 International Residential Code. Both exams are open book. Applications go first to the city's Board of Control for Home Improvement and Remodeling Contractors, which decides whether the applicant may test, and the applicant must document one of four qualifications: a two-year degree in construction management, architecture or engineering; a licensed journeyman certificate in a construction trade; five years working in general building construction under a licensed remodeler, homebuilder or general contractor, evidenced by a notarized employer statement and five years of tax records; or five years self-employed on construction projects, evidenced by a notarized resume and five years of tax records. Three unrelated references and a full employment history are filed with the application. The fee is $200, of which $175 is refunded if the Board of Control finds the applicant unqualified to test. After passing, a Certificate of Compliance from the Division of Taxation is required before the license issues, and holders must carry liability insurance "in the amount of $100,000 to $300,000." Licenses renew annually and expire December 31; ten hours of continuing education are required each year. One Government Center, Suite 1600, 419-245-1220.

Cleveland. The Department of Building & Housing states that "to build or rehabilitate Cleveland homes, contractors must be bonded, insured, and registered", and that "contractors must be registered with the City of Cleveland within their trade in order to obtain permits. Separate permits are required for each separate trade, i.e. general, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and elevator." Registration runs under Chapter 3107 of the Codified Ordinances, Registration of Contractors, which provides for both a Certificate of Registration and a Limited Certificate of Registration and sets separate qualifications for each. The city publishes a General Contractor Registration Application package in the Contractor Packages section of its construction permitting resources page; the bond amount, insurance limits and fee are set out in that package and in Chapter 3107 rather than on the department's web pages, so confirm them with Building & Housing on 216-664-2910 before filing. Registration status can be checked on 216-664-2884. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors must hold the OCILB state license before the city will register them.

Cincinnati. The Department of Buildings & Inspections registers contractors under Chapter 1106 of the Municipal Code in three classes, two of which reach housing. A Home Improvement Contractor registration covers "all contractors that are involved in repair, remodeling, alteration, improvement, or addition to any building used as a private residence in one, two and three family structures." A Building Construction Contractor registration covers everything else, and expressly "include[s] contractors that engage in the construction of new one, two and three family dwellings" as well as specialties such as demolition, carpentry, masonry and glazing. The filing is the signed application, a certificate of liability insurance from an Ohio-licensed insurer with "minimum liability limits of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for damages to a single person, and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for one (1) occurrence", proof of Ohio workers' compensation, an assignment form naming everyone allowed to sign permit applications, and a federal tax ID or Social Security number. The fee is $125.00 plus a 3% technology surcharge, a 1% financial recovery fee and a 1% training surcharge, a total of $131.25 a year, and a registration may be bought for up to three years; same-day processing costs $208 more and mid-term changes $78. There is no exam, experience or bond requirement. An owner of a one-, two- or three-family dwelling is exempt where they personally perform the work and will occupy the home for at least a year. Working unregistered draws a $750 citation for a first offense. 805 Central Avenue, Suite 500, (513) 352-3271.

Akron and Summit County. Akron's rule is short: "the City of Akron requires all contractors regardless of trade to register as a contractor if the work they are performing requires a permit to do the work." The filing is the contractor registration application, an Akron Tax Registration Number, a certificate of liability insurance, any state licenses the trade requires, and proof of workers' compensation unless there are no employees. There is no exam and no published registration fee. The building permits themselves come from the Summit County Department of Building Standards, which in March 2024 replaced annual contractor registration with a permit-based process: "the $135 annual fee for contractors and the requirement for a $10,000 bond are now eliminated", though "contractors will still be required to provide liability insurance, State license if applicable, and a Tax ID Number." The same code change requires that property owners working on homes they do not and will not occupy have a qualified contractor take responsibility for the installations. Akron Plans & Permits, 1030 E. Tallmadge Ave., 330-375-2010; registration questions 330-375-2037. Summit County Building Standards, same address, 330-630-7280.

Dayton. The Division of Building Inspection publishes registration and bond forms only for electrical, plumbing, warm air heating and pipe-laying contractors, with separate plumbing journeyman and apprentice forms. There is no Dayton registration for a remodeler or a homebuilder as such; a residential builder pulls permits and hires or employs the registered trades. Building Inspection, 937-333-3979; One Stop Center, 371 West Second Street, second floor, 937-333-3883.

Cuyahoga County. The county created a Division of Building Standards in 2025 "with the mission of improving compliance with State of Ohio Board of Building Standards for both residential and commercial/non-residential construction within the County." It will provide contractor registration, plan review, permitting and inspections for partner communities, with registration "completed through a secure online portal" on its website; the partner community list is still being announced and an approved fee schedule is due by December 1, 2026. The county notes that it "does not offer formal endorsement, evaluation, or recommendation of any contractors or construction services" and directs residents to the state's building department look-up tool for their address. [email protected].

Everywhere else. The remaining hundreds of Ohio municipalities, townships and county building departments each set their own rules, from a full licensing board to nothing beyond a permit and proof of insurance. Identify the department with jurisdiction over the address first, then ask what it registers. Whatever the local answer, the statewide obligations are the same: an OCILB license for any self-performed electrical, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing or hydronics work, and a written contract meeting R.C. Chapter 4722 for any home construction service contract over $25,000.