Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Ohio Attorney General — Charitable Law Section before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Ohio residents.

When is the Ohio charitable registration renewal due?

15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.

Are any charities exempt from registering in Ohio?

Ohio recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.

As of 2026-07-22 · verified against primary sources

Ohio charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

Registration	Required
Agency	Ohio Attorney General — Charitable Law Section
Initial fee	—
Renewal fee	$0–$200, tiered on contributions
Renewal / report due	15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end
Filing channel	Electronic filing available

Who must register

Ohio generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Ohio Attorney General — Charitable Law Section before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Ohio residents as well as local ones.

ORC 1716.02(A) · official source

How to register in Ohio

01Register with the Ohio Attorney General before soliciting, through the AG's online charitable registration system — filing and payment are electronic, and the system determines whether you register under the solicitation act (ORC Ch. 1716), the charitable trust act (ORC 109.26), or both.ORC 1716.02(A) (register before soliciting, annually thereafter); OAC 109:1-1-02(C), 109:1-1-05 (online system; electronic filing and payment).
02File the annual report by the 15th day of the fifth month after your fiscal year end, or your IRS-extended federal date if later — IRS extensions are honored automatically, with no separate Ohio request. The fee is tiered (solicitation: on Ohio-source contributions; trust: on assets).ORC 1716.02(A) ('fifteenth day of the fifth calendar month... or by the date of any applicable extension of the federal filing date, whichever is later'); OR…

Exemptions we check for

Likely exempt if it is a religious organization — Ohio exempts religious agencies and organizations, and charities operated, supervised, or controlled by a religious organization (ORC 1716.03(A)).
ORC 1716.03(A). Machine proxy
Likely exempt if its gross revenue is under $25,000 for the preceding fiscal year (excluding government and 501(c)(3) grants) and it compensates no one primarily to solicit contributions (ORC 1716.03(G)).
ORC 1716.03(G). Sound under-approximation

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

If you use a paid fundraiser

Ohio's small-organization exemption (gross revenue of $25,000 or less, excluding government and 501(c)(3) grants) applies only if no person is compensated primarily to solicit — so paying a fundraiser can make an otherwise-exempt small charity register under Chapter 1716.

ORC 1716.03(G) — exemption conditioned on gross revenue ≤ $25,000 AND no person compensated primarily to solicit contributions.

If you haven't registered yet

Ohio's late fee is $200 per regime, and it is waivable — the AG can excuse it, and the solicitation and trust late fees don't stack for the same miss. Getting current means filing the overdue annual report(s) through the online system and paying what's due.

ORC 1716.02 and ORC 109.31 — $200 late fee, waivable, non-stacking across the two regimes for the same period. · how to get current, calmly

Is your charity registered in Ohio? Check free.

Ohio registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Ohio?: Yes. Ohio generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Ohio Attorney General — Charitable Law Section before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Ohio residents.
When is the Ohio charitable registration renewal due?: 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
Are any charities exempt from registering in Ohio?: Ohio recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Ohio charities also commonly solicit:

Citations

ORC 1716.02(A) · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.02(A) (registration filed with the attorney general); OAC 109:1-1-05 (online system) · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.02(D) · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.02(A) · source · verified 2026-07-22
OAC 109:1-1-02(C) + 109:1-1-05 · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.03(A). Machine proxy · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.03(G). Sound under-approximation · source · verified 2026-07-22
ORC 1716.02(A) (register before soliciting, annually thereafter); OAC 109:1-1-02(C), 109:1-1-05 (online system; electronic filing and payment). · source · verified 2026-08-07
ORC 1716.02(A) ('fifteenth day of the fifth calendar month... or by the date of any applicable extension of the federal filing date, whichever is later'); OR… · source · verified 2026-08-07
ORC 1716.02 and ORC 109.31 — $200 late fee, waivable, non-stacking across the two regimes for the same period. · source · verified 2026-08-07
ORC 1716.03(G) — exemption conditioned on gross revenue ≤ $25,000 AND no person compensated primarily to solicit contributions. · source · verified 2026-08-07

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.