Hiring a contractor in Ohio: check, red flags, complaints
For commercial electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing or refrigeration work, check the OCILB license. For other work, check with your city or county. (source: Ohio eLicense lookup (opens in a new tab))
Check a license on the OCILB website (official site, opens in a new tab)
How: Choose the OCILB license type (EL, HV, HY, PL or RE), then search by credential number or name. (source: Ohio eLicense lookup (opens in a new tab))
Checked against official Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board sources. See sources.
Red flags when hiring
- A commercial electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing or refrigeration contractor with no OCILB license. (source: OCILB Examination Application (opens in a new tab))
- Claims to be a licensed contractor type but is not on the lookup. (source: Ohio Revised Code 4740.13 (opens in a new tab))
Penalties
- Acting as an OCILB-licensed contractor type without a license is a minor misdemeanor on the first violation and a fourth-degree misdemeanor after that. (source: Ohio Revised Code 4740.99 (opens in a new tab))
Sources and last verified
Last verified: . Next check due: . Every fact on this page links to one of these official pages.
- OCILB Examination Application (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
- Ohio eLicense lookup (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code 4740.13 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code 4740.99 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
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