Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 102
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01 (2026)

Public officers - ethics definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
April 7, 2023
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 45 - 134th General Assembly
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As used in this chapter:

(A) "Compensation" means money, thing of value, or financial benefit. "Compensation" does not include reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.

(B) "Public official or employee" means any person who is elected or appointed to an office or is an employee of any public agency. "Public official or employee" does not include any of the following:

(1) A person elected or appointed to the office of precinct, ward, or district committee member under section 3517.03 of the Revised Code, any presidential elector, or any delegate to a national convention;

(2) A person who is a teacher, instructor, professor, or other kind of educator whose position does not involve the performance of, or authority to perform, administrative or supervisory functions;

(3) An officer, member, or director of an existing qualified nonprofit corporation that creates a special improvement district under Chapter 1710. of the Revised Code, or such a person's designee or proxy, when the person is not acting in that role with respect to a purpose for which the district is created.

(C)(1) "Public agency" means the general assembly, all courts, any department, division, institution, board, commission, authority, bureau or other instrumentality of the state, a county, city, village, or township, the five state retirement systems, or any other governmental entity.

(2) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of division (C)(3)(a) of this section, "public agency" includes a regional council of governments established under Chapter 167. of the Revised Code.

(3) "Public agency" does not include any of the following:

(a) A department, division, institution, board, commission, authority, or other instrumentality of the state or a county, municipal corporation, township, or other governmental entity that functions exclusively for cultural, educational, historical, humanitarian, advisory, or research purposes; that does not expend more than ten thousand dollars per calendar year, excluding salaries and wages of employees; and whose members are uncompensated;

(b) The nonprofit corporation formed under section 187.01 of the Revised Code;

(c) An existing qualified nonprofit corporation that creates a special improvement district under Chapter 1710. of the Revised Code, when the corporation is not acting with respect to a purpose for which the district is created.

(D) "Immediate family" means a spouse residing in the person's household and any dependent child.

(E) "Income" includes gross income as defined and used in the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 1, as amended, interest and dividends on obligations or securities of any state or of any political subdivision or authority of any state or political subdivision, and interest or dividends on obligations of any authority, commission, or instrumentality of the United States.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in division (A) of section 102.08 of the Revised Code, "appropriate ethics commission" means:

(1) For matters relating to members of the general assembly, employees of the general assembly, employees of the legislative service commission, and candidates for the office of member of the general assembly, the joint legislative ethics committee;

(2) For matters relating to judicial officers and employees, and candidates for judicial office, the board of commissioners on grievances and discipline of the supreme court;

(3) For matters relating to all other persons, the Ohio ethics commission.

(G) "Anything of value" has the same meaning as provided in section 1.03 of the Revised Code and includes, but is not limited to, a contribution as defined in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(H) "Honorarium" means any payment made in consideration for any speech given, article published, or attendance at any public or private conference, convention, meeting, social event, meal, or similar gathering. "Honorarium" does not include ceremonial gifts or awards that have insignificant monetary value; unsolicited gifts of nominal value or trivial items of informational value; or earned income from any person, other than a legislative agent, for personal services that are customarily provided in connection with the practice of a bona fide business, if that business initially began before the public official or employee conducting that business was elected or appointed to the public official's or employee's office or position of employment.

(I) "Employer" means any person who, directly or indirectly, engages an executive agency lobbyist or legislative agent.

(J) "Executive agency decision," "executive agency lobbyist," and "executive agency lobbying activity" have the same meanings as in section 121.60 of the Revised Code.

(K) "Legislation," "legislative agent," "financial transaction," and "actively advocate" have the same meanings as in section 101.70 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Expenditure" has the same meaning as in section 101.70 of the Revised Code when used in relation to activities of a legislative agent, and the same meaning as in section 121.60 of the Revised Code when used in relation to activities of an executive agency lobbyist.

Last updated February 28, 2023 at 10:45 AM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1979–2025 · leading case: Franklin Cnty. Reg'l Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth. v. Schregardus, 617 N.E.2d 761 (Ohio Ct. App. 1992).
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Franklin Cnty. Reg'l Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth. v. Schregardus, 617 N.E.2d 761 (Ohio Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 4× “41(E) sets forth an automatic exemption for a “public official or employee as defined in division (B) of section 102.01 of the Revised Code who is required to file a statement under section 102.”
In Re Slusser, 748 N.E.2d 105 (Ohio Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 3× “Thus, we uphold the appellant’s conviction for knowingly making a false statement with the purpose to mislead his probation officer, a public official within the meaning of R.C. 102.01, in performing her official function.”
Reisig v. Camarato, 676 N.E.2d 594 (Ohio Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 5× “The trial court explained its rulings as follows: “Pursuant to statutory definitions ORC 102.01(B) public official or employee does not include a person elected or appointed to the office of precinct, ward or district committee member * * *.”
State v. Nipps, 419 N.E.2d 1128 (Ohio Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 2× “Nipps acted as follows on August 30, 1977: “Being former Chief, Bureau of Fiscal Review, Ohio Department of Public Welfare, a public official or employee of a public agency, as defined in Section 102.01 R. C., did personally appear and represent a client or act in a…”
Police & Fire Retirees of Ohio, Inc. v. Police & Firemen's Disability & Pension Fund, 480 N.E.2d 482 (Ohio 1985). “Furthermore, R.C. 102.01(C) specifically defines a “public agency” as including “the five state retirement systems.”
State v. Polen, 2009 Ohio 3313 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “6-08-14 (1) “Position of honor, trust, or profit” means any of the following: (a) An elective office of the state or any political subdivision of the state; (b) A position on any board or commission of the state that is appointed by the governor or the attorney general; (c) A…”
State v. Davidson, 723 N.E.2d 172 (Ohio Ct. App. 1998). “The definition of a “public official” can be found in R.C. 102.01, which reads: “(B) ‘Public official or employee’ means any person who is elected or appointed to an office or is an employee of any public agency.”
State v. Towns, 2022 Ohio 3632 (Ohio 2022). “R.C. 102.01(F). 2 January Term, 2022 II. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY {¶ 4} On June 20, 2019, a special agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (whose assistance had been requested by special prosecutors) filed a three-count complaint in the Bryan Municipal Court of…”
Sherman v. Pub. Employees Ret. Sys. (S.D. Ohio 2023). · cites it 8× “Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 102.01 (C)(1). Plaintiff urges this Court to apply the canon of construction noscitur a sociis, arguing that because “the five state retirement systems” is listed separately from “instrumentality of the state,” Ohio law does not consider OPERS to be an…”
Hicks v. Clermont Cty. Repub. Cent. Commt., 2025 Ohio 2913 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 3× “01(C)(9), and a person elected or appointed to a precinct committee seat is not a public official or employee under R.C. 102.01(B) and 3517.01(C)(13); and (3) as a result of his suspension, Hicks was only precluded from participating in the political functions of CCRCC and was…”
Andrew Rice v. Vill. of Johnstown, Ohio (6th Cir. 2023). “”); see also Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(B) (“‘Public official or employee’ means any person who is elected or appointed to an office or is an employee of any public agency.”
Dwyer v. City of Middletown, 733 F. Supp. 264 (S.D. Ohio 1989). · cites it 2× “19, 1975) (finding that a member of a municipal corporation’s civil service commission who receives less than $1,000 per year for serving is not a public official or employee under Ohio Rev.”
Show all 13 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(B) — 4 cases
Reisig v. Camarato, 676 N.E.2d 594 (Ohio Ct. App. 1996). “The trial court explained its rulings as follows: “Pursuant to statutory definitions ORC 102.01(B) public official or employee does not include a person elected or appointed to the office of precinct, ward or district committee member * * *.”
Hicks v. Clermont Cty. Repub. Cent. Commt., 2025 Ohio 2913 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025). “01(C)(9), and a person elected or appointed to a precinct committee seat is not a public official or employee under R.C. 102.01(B) and 3517.01(C)(13); and (3) as a result of his suspension, Hicks was only precluded from participating in the political functions of CCRCC and was…”
Andrew Rice v. Vill. of Johnstown, Ohio (6th Cir. 2023). “”); see also Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(B) (“‘Public official or employee’ means any person who is elected or appointed to an office or is an employee of any public agency.”
State v. Harris-Smith, 2018 Ohio 3069 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(B)(1) — 1 case
Hicks v. Clermont Cty. Repub. Cent. Commt., 2025 Ohio 2913 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025). “01(C)(9), and a person elected or appointed to a precinct committee seat is not a public official or employee under R.C. 102.01(B) and 3517.01(C)(13); and (3) as a result of his suspension, Hicks was only precluded from participating in the political functions of CCRCC and was…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(C) — 1 case
Police & Fire Retirees of Ohio, Inc. v. Police & Firemen's Disability & Pension Fund, 480 N.E.2d 482 (Ohio 1985). “Furthermore, R.C. 102.01(C) specifically defines a “public agency” as including “the five state retirement systems.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(C)(1) — 1 case
Sherman v. Pub. Employees Ret. Sys. (S.D. Ohio 2023). “Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 102.01 (C)(1). Plaintiff urges this Court to apply the canon of construction noscitur a sociis, arguing that because “the five state retirement systems” is listed separately from “instrumentality of the state,” Ohio law does not consider OPERS to be an…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 102.01(F) — 1 case
State v. Towns, 2022 Ohio 3632 (Ohio 2022). “R.C. 102.01(F). 2 January Term, 2022 II. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY {¶ 4} On June 20, 2019, a special agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (whose assistance had been requested by special prosecutors) filed a three-count complaint in the Bryan Municipal Court of…”
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