Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31 (2026)

Obstructing official business

✓ current as of May 2026
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(A) No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within the public official's official capacity, shall do any act that hampers or impedes a public official in the performance of the public official's lawful duties.

(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of obstructing official business. Except as otherwise provided in this division, obstructing official business is a misdemeanor of the second degree. If a violation of this section creates a risk of physical harm to any person, obstructing official business is a felony of the fifth degree.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 677 cases (284 in the last 5 years), 1978–2026 · leading case: State v. Certain, 905 N.E.2d 1259 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).
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State v. Certain, 905 N.E.2d 1259 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 20× “Certain with obstructing official business in violation of R.C. 2921.31 after he fled from a police officer attempting to make an investigative stop.”
State v. Puterbaugh, 755 N.E.2d 359 (Ohio Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 14× “This is an appeal from the judgment of the Hillsboro Municipal Court, which, following a plea of no contest, found defendant-appellant, Clarissa Puterbaugh, guilty of obstructing official business in violation of R.C. 2921.31, a second-degree misdemeanor.”
State v. Wellman, 879 N.E.2d 215 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 7× “22 {¶ 27} Wellman’s first proposed instruction stated that “Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31 [requires] an affirmative act in order to trigger culpability.”
State v. Smith, 671 N.E.2d 594 (Ohio Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 32× “07 is identical to R.C. 2921.31(A). 1 Both state: “No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within his official capacity, shall do any act which hampers or impedes a public…”
State v. Body, 2018 Ohio 3395 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 8× “Facts and Course of Proceedings {¶ 2} On March 20, 2017, the State filed a criminal complaint against Body charging her with obstructing official business in violation of R.C. 2921.31(A), a second-degree misdemeanor.”
State v. Kates, 865 N.E.2d 66 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 8× “05AP-27, 2005-Ohio-4553 , 2005 WL 2087926 , in which we held that “fleeing from a police officer who is lawfully attempting to detain the suspect under the authority of Terry , is an affirmative act that hinders or impedes the officer in performance of the officer’s duties as a…”
State v. Pierce, 2017 Ohio 4223 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 9× “R.C. 2921.31. State v. Dice, 3d Dist. Marion No.”
State v. Gibson, 2019 Ohio 1022 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 9× “Law Regarding Obstruction of Official Business {¶ 17} R.C. 2921.31 provides in pertinent part as follows: (A) No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within the public…”
State v. Henry, 2018 Ohio 1128 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 5× “13, and one count of obstructing official business, in violation of R.C. 2921.31. The matter came for trial before a jury beginning October 4, 2016.”
Cheryl D. Lyons v. City of Xenia, Christine Keith, Officer Matthew Foubert, Officer, 417 F.3d 565 (6th Cir. 2005). · cites it 3× “06; Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2921.31 . A conviction under the Ohio provision requires (1) the performance of an unprivileged act (2) with the purpose of preventing, obstructing or delaying the performance by a public official of an authorized act within his official capacity (3)…”
State v. Gordon, 458 N.E.2d 1277 (Ohio Ct. App. 1983). · cites it 12× “The principal questions raised in this appeal are: whether the crime of obstructing official business in violation of R.C. 2921.31 1 is a lesser included offense of the crime of obstructing justice in violation of R.”
Day v. Delong, 358 F. Supp. 3d 687 (S.D. Ohio 2019). · cites it 6× “Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31. Because DeLong had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff for violating Ohio Rev.”
Show all 677 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(A) — 456 cases
State v. Smith, 671 N.E.2d 594 (Ohio Ct. App. 1996). “07 is identical to R.C. 2921.31(A). 1 Both state: “No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within his official capacity, shall do any act which hampers or impedes a public…”
State v. Body, 2018 Ohio 3395 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). “Facts and Course of Proceedings {¶ 2} On March 20, 2017, the State filed a criminal complaint against Body charging her with obstructing official business in violation of R.C. 2921.31(A), a second-degree misdemeanor.”
State v. Pierce, 2017 Ohio 4223 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017). “R.C. 2921.31. State v. Dice, 3d Dist. Marion No.”
State v. Cooper, 786 N.E.2d 88 (Ohio Ct. App. 2003).
State v. Kates, 865 N.E.2d 66 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). “05AP-27, 2005-Ohio-4553 , 2005 WL 2087926 , in which we held that “fleeing from a police officer who is lawfully attempting to detain the suspect under the authority of Terry , is an affirmative act that hinders or impedes the officer in performance of the officer’s duties as a…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(A)(1) — 2 cases
State v. Shoemaker, 2015 Ohio 4645 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015).
State v. Shutway, 2016 Ohio 431 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(A)(2) — 1 case
State v. Miller, 2022 Ohio 4385 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(A)(3) — 1 case
State v. Sanders, 2016 Ohio 7204 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(A)(B) — 7 cases
State v. Vaughn, 2019 Ohio 268 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019).
State v. Heidelburg, 2023 Ohio 3408 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).
State v. Sisson, 2023 Ohio 1273 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).
State v. Kennard, 2024 Ohio 1791 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).
State v. Kennard, 2024 Ohio 1820 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2921.31(B) — 48 cases
State v. Gannon, 2020 Ohio 3075 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).
State v. Alexander, 2017 Ohio 5507 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).
State v. Henry, 2018 Ohio 1128 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). “13, and one count of obstructing official business, in violation of R.C. 2921.31. The matter came for trial before a jury beginning October 4, 2016.”
State v. Gordon, 2017 Ohio 7147 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).
State v. Tunstall, 2024 Ohio 2376 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).
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