Columbus, OH – As the Ohio House State and Local Government Committee begins its review of Ohio occupational licenses, The Buckeye Institute issued its third Opening Doors policy brief, where it identified 47 licenses that the state should eliminate or reform to make Ohio more economically competitive and make it easier for people to earn a living. 

“Ohio has enacted the most comprehensive occupational licensing reform legislation in the nation and is a national leader in cutting burdensome government regulations,” said Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute and author of Opening Doors III. “To assist lawmakers in their review of Ohio’s occupational licenses, The Buckeye Institute’s examination has identified 47 licenses that the state should eliminate or reform to make Ohio more economically competitive and to end the ‘permission-slip’ policies that make it difficult for people to earn a living.”

In its review of the same licenses that the Ohio House State and Local Government Committee is reviewing, The Buckeye Institute identified 27 license or certification requirements that lawmakers can eliminate and another 20 requirements that lawmakers can modify to align them with requirements imposed in neighboring states—Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. 

Under The Buckeye Institute-championed policies in Senate Bill 255, Ohio lawmakers must review and renew Ohio occupational licensing boards at least once every six years, or they will automatically expire. Since Senate Bill 255’s adoption in 2019, Ohio has eliminated or reduced requirements for 55 licenses based on The Buckeye Institute’s recommendations (here and here).

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