Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2721.02 (2026)

Force and effect of declaratory judgments - action or proceeding against insurer

✓ laws through the 2026 session (checked Sept. 2026)
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(A) Subject to division (B) of this section, courts of record may declare rights, status, and other legal relations whether or not further relief is or could be claimed. No action or proceeding is open to objection on the ground that a declaratory judgment or decree is prayed for under this chapter. The declaration may be either affirmative or negative in form and effect. The declaration has the effect of a final judgment or decree.

(B) A plaintiff who is not an insured under a particular policy of liability insurance may not commence against the insurer that issued the policy an action or proceeding under this chapter that seeks a declaratory judgment or decree as to whether the policy's coverage provisions extend to an injury, death, or loss to person or property that a particular insured under the policy allegedly tortiously caused the plaintiff to sustain or caused another person for whom the plaintiff is a legal representative to sustain, until a court of record enters in a distinct civil action for damages between the plaintiff and that insured as a tortfeasor a final judgment awarding the plaintiff damages for the injury, death, or loss to person or property involved.

(C) In an action or proceeding for declaratory relief that a judgment creditor commences in accordance with divisions (A) and (B) of this section against an insurer that issued a particular policy of liability insurance, the insurer has and may assert as an affirmative defense against the judgment creditor any coverage defenses that the insurer possesses and could assert against the holder of the policy in an action or proceeding under this chapter between the holder and the insurer.

If, prior to the judgment creditor's commencement of the action or proceeding for declaratory relief, the holder of the policy commences a similar action or proceeding against the insurer for a determination as to whether the policy's coverage provisions extend to the injury, death, or loss to person or property underlying the judgment creditor's judgment, and if the court involved in that action or proceeding enters a final judgment with respect to the policy's coverage or noncoverage of that injury, death, or loss, that final judgment shall be deemed to also have binding legal effect upon the judgment creditor for purposes of the judgment creditor's action or proceeding for declaratory relief against the insurer. This division shall apply notwithstanding any contrary common law principles of res judicata or adjunct principles of collateral estoppel.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 189 cases (31 in the last 5 years), 1955–2026 · leading case: Ncmic Ins. Co. v. Smith, 375 F. Supp. 3d 831 (S.D. Ohio 2019).
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Ncmic Ins. Co. v. Smith, 375 F. Supp. 3d 831 (S.D. Ohio 2019). · cites it 18× “Specifically, Plaintiff maintains that its party or non-party status in state court bears little relevance in the present controversy because O.R.C. § 2721.02(B) bars a declaratory judgment in state court.”
Est. of Heintzelman v. Air Experts, Inc., 2010-Ohio-3264, 126 Ohio St. 3d 138. · cites it 7× “Law and Analysis {¶ 10} Together, R.C. 2721.02, 2721.12, and 3929.06 establish the rules for insurance-coverage declaratory judgment actions involving injured parties, tort-feasors, and tortfeasors’ insurers.”
Wilkins v. Harrisburg, 2015-Ohio-5472, 56 N.E.3d 320. · cites it 8× “03, which provides in pertinent part, as follows: Subject to division (B) of section 2721.02 of the Revised Code, * * * any person whose rights, status, or legal relations are affected by a constitutional provision, statute, rule as defined in section 119.”
The State Ex Rel. Ford v. Ruehlman, Judge, 2016-Ohio-3529, 73 N.E.3d 396. · cites it 2× “And the same problem affects the first portion of Paragraph F, seeking a declaration of WSBC’s rights and responsibilities under the Kentucky order requiring the transfer of Chesley’s beneficial interest in WSBC to the Abbott plaintiffs.”
Moore v. City of Middletown, 2012-Ohio-3897, 975 N.E.2d 977. · cites it 2× “{¶ 45} First, the declaratory-judgment chapter of the Revised Code broadly authorizes plaintiffs to bring actions for a declaration of “rights, status, and other legal relations whether or not further relief is or could be claimed.”
Huntsman v. State, 2017-Ohio-2622. · cites it 3× “In her prayer for relief, Huntsman sought a declaration that she is exempt from the permitting requirements of the DWA on the basis of her ODNR permit and asked the court for an order requiring the return of the seized animals at the State’s Stark County, Case No.”
Lingo v. State, 2014-Ohio-1052, 7 N.E.3d 1188. · cites it 2× “” R.C. 2721.02(A). But it must be remembered that the common pleas court has the power to grant declaratory relief only if “such relief is already within its jurisdiction to grant.”
Motorists Mut. Ins. v. Brandenburg, 648 N.E.2d 488 (Ohio 1995). · cites it 3× “2721.02 supports the view that its use in R.”
Scott v. Houk, 2010-Ohio-5805, 939 N.E.2d 835. · cites it 6× “{¶ 19} Ohio’s Declaratory Judgment Act authorizes courts of record to “declare rights, status, and other legal relations whether or not further relief is or could be claimed.”
Indiana Ins. v. Murphy, 848 N.E.2d 889 (Ohio Ct. App. 3d Dist. 2006). · cites it 10× “{¶ 28} Specifically, R.C. 2721.02 provides: *824 A plaintiff who is not an insured under a particular policy of liability insurance may not commence against the insurer that issued the policy an action or proceeding under this chapter that seeks a declaratory judgment or decree…”
Driscoll v. Austintown Assocs., 328 N.E.2d 395 (Ohio 1975). · cites it 4× “05, inclusive, of the Revised Code do not limit or restrict the exercise of the general powers conferred in Section 2721.02 of the Revised Code in any proceeding where declaratory relief is sought, in which a judgment or decree will terminate the controversy or remove an…”
Peoples Rights Org., Inc. v. Montgomery, 756 N.E.2d 127 (Ohio Ct. App. 12th Dist. 2001). · cites it 3× “03 provides: “Subject to division (B) of section 2721.02 of the Revised Code, any person * * * whose rights, status, or other legal relations are affected by a constitutional provision, statute, [or] rule as defined in section 119.”
Show all 189 citing cases →
Ohio Rev. Code § 2721.02(A): 58 cases
Lingo v. State, 2014-Ohio-1052, 7 N.E.3d 1188. “” R.C. 2721.02(A). But it must be remembered that the common pleas court has the power to grant declaratory relief only if “such relief is already within its jurisdiction to grant.”
Scott v. Houk, 2010-Ohio-5805, 939 N.E.2d 835. “{¶ 19} Ohio’s Declaratory Judgment Act authorizes courts of record to “declare rights, status, and other legal relations whether or not further relief is or could be claimed.”
Wilkins v. Harrisburg, 2015-Ohio-5472, 56 N.E.3d 320. “03, which provides in pertinent part, as follows: Subject to division (B) of section 2721.02 of the Revised Code, * * * any person whose rights, status, or legal relations are affected by a constitutional provision, statute, rule as defined in section 119.”
O'Neal v. State, 2020-Ohio-506, 146 N.E.3d 605.
McCruter v. Travelers Home & Marine Ins. Co., 2021-Ohio-472, 168 N.E.3d 1.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2721.02(B): 8 cases
Ncmic Ins. Co. v. Smith, 375 F. Supp. 3d 831 (S.D. Ohio 2019). “Specifically, Plaintiff maintains that its party or non-party status in state court bears little relevance in the present controversy because O.R.C. § 2721.02(B) bars a declaratory judgment in state court.”
Est. of Heintzelman v. Air Experts, Inc., 2010-Ohio-3264, 126 Ohio St. 3d 138. “Law and Analysis {¶ 10} Together, R.C. 2721.02, 2721.12, and 3929.06 establish the rules for insurance-coverage declaratory judgment actions involving injured parties, tort-feasors, and tortfeasors’ insurers.”
Indiana Ins. v. Murphy, 848 N.E.2d 889 (Ohio Ct. App. 3d Dist. 2006). “{¶ 28} Specifically, R.C. 2721.02 provides: *824 A plaintiff who is not an insured under a particular policy of liability insurance may not commence against the insurer that issued the policy an action or proceeding under this chapter that seeks a declaratory judgment or decree…”
Wilkins v. Harrisburg, 2015-Ohio-5472, 56 N.E.3d 320. “03, which provides in pertinent part, as follows: Subject to division (B) of section 2721.02 of the Revised Code, * * * any person whose rights, status, or legal relations are affected by a constitutional provision, statute, rule as defined in section 119.”
Williams v. United States Liab. Ins. Grp., 2012-Ohio-1288.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2721.02(C): 2 cases
Est. of Heintzelman v. Air Experts, Inc., 2010-Ohio-3264, 126 Ohio St. 3d 138. “Law and Analysis {¶ 10} Together, R.C. 2721.02, 2721.12, and 3929.06 establish the rules for insurance-coverage declaratory judgment actions involving injured parties, tort-feasors, and tortfeasors’ insurers.”
Star-Ex, Inc. v. Higgs, 937 N.E.2d 1055 (Ohio Ct. App. 2d Dist. 2010).
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