Ohio — plumbing code & licensing
Verified
The code
| Code family | Ohio Plumbing Code (OPC) - 2021 IPC incorporated by reference with Ohio amendments |
| Edition in force | 2024 Ohio Plumbing Code: OAC 4101:3-1-01 Section 101.1 incorporates the International Plumbing Code, 2021 edition, Chapters 2-15, by reference, as amended by OAC Chapters 4101:3-1 to 4101:3-15 (Amendments Group 100) |
| Effective date | 2024-03-01 |
| Adopted by | Ohio Board of Building Standards (Ohio Department of Commerce), under ORC 3781.10(A)(1) |
| Adoption source | https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/documents/2024%20Ohio%20Plumbing%20Code%20Rules%20Effective%20March%201,%202024.pdf |
| State amendments | Amendments ride in the adoption document itself — https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/documents/2024%20Ohio%20Plumbing%20Code%20Rules%20Effective%20March%201,%202024.pdf |
Licensing
| Model | State contractor-only (commercial): OCILB issues state licenses to plumbing contractors who perform commercial work, under ORC Ch. 4740; Ohio has no state journeyman or individual tradesperson license, and the license must be assigned to a contracting company |
| Authority | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance, Ohio Department of Commerce |
| Licensing source | https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/DICO/OCILB/Testing_Application_-_OCILB.pdf |
| License classes | https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/DICO/OCILB/Testing_Application_-_OCILB.pdf |
Permits & inspections
OPC rule 4101:3-1-01 Section 101.3.1: enforcement of specified sections is the responsibility of the certified building official of the certified municipal, county, or township building department having jurisdiction, or the superintendent of the Division of Industrial Compliance; Section 101.3.2 routes medical gas plan review and inspection to certified departments, requesting local health districts, or the Division of Industrial Compliance.
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Verified |
| Amendments | Verified |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Working notes
Scope: OBC Chapter 29 (OAC 4101:1-29-01) governs plumbing systems and fixture counts in buildings under the Ohio Building Code and points to the OPC; one- to three-family dwellings sit under the Residential Code of Ohio (referenced in OPC Section 101.1.1). OCILB board rules are at OAC 4101:16-1 to 4101:16-3. Residential plumbing work is outside the OCILB commercial license. A secondary source alleged a later amendment to rule 4101:3-6-01 effective October 15, 2025; no official source confirmed it in this pass, so the row stays on the verified Amendments Group 100 baseline.
Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.