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Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16 (2026)

Certificate of final release

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
October 3, 2023
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly
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(A) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, when a paroled prisoner has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the paroled prisoner's parole and has obeyed the rules and regulations adopted by the adult parole authority that apply to the paroled prisoner, the authority may grant a final release and thereupon shall issue to the paroled prisoner a certificate of final release that shall serve as the minutes of the authority, but the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than one year after the paroled prisoner is released from the institution on parole, and, in the case of a paroled prisoner whose sentence is life imprisonment, the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than five years after the paroled prisoner is released from the institution on parole.

(B)(1) When a prisoner who has been released under a period of post-release control pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the released prisoner's post-release control sanctions and has obeyed the rules and regulations adopted by the adult parole authority that apply to the released prisoner or has the period of post-release control terminated by a court pursuant to section 2929.141 of the Revised Code, the authority may terminate the period of post-release control and issue to the released prisoner a certificate of termination, which shall serve as the minutes of the authority. In the case of a prisoner who has been released under a period of post-release control pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, the authority shall not terminate post-release control earlier than one year after the released prisoner is released from the institution under a period of post-release control. The authority may classify the termination of post-release control as unfavorable if the offender's conduct and compliance with the conditions of supervision is unsatisfactory. If the authority does not classify the termination of post-release control as unfavorable, the offender's conduct and compliance with the conditions of post-release control shall be not considered as an unfavorable termination under this division by a court when the court, at a future sentencing hearing, is considering the factors described in division (D)(1) of section 2929.12 of the Revised Code. In the case of a released prisoner whose sentence is life imprisonment, the authority shall not terminate post-release control earlier than five years after the released prisoner is released from the institution under a period of post-release control.

(2) The department of rehabilitation and correction, no later than six months after July 8, 2002, shall adopt a rule in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that establishes the criteria for the classification of a post-release control termination as "unfavorable."

(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, the following prisoners or person shall be restored to the rights and privileges forfeited by a conviction:

(a) A prisoner who has served the entire prison term that comprises or is part of the prisoner's sentence and has not been placed under any post-release control sanctions;

(b) A prisoner who has been granted a final release or termination of post-release control by the adult parole authority pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section;

(c) A person who has completed the period of a community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions, as defined in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code, that was imposed by the sentencing court.

(2)(a) As used in division (C)(2)(c) of this section:

(i) "Position of honor, trust, or profit" has the same meaning as in section 2929.192 of the Revised Code.

(ii) "Public office" means any elected federal, state, or local government office in this state.

(b) For purposes of division (C)(2)(c) of this section, a violation of section 2923.32 of the Revised Code or any other violation or offense that includes as an element a course of conduct or the occurrence of multiple acts is "committed on or after May 13, 2008," if the course of conduct continues, one or more of the multiple acts occurs, or the subject person's accountability for the course of conduct or for one or more of the multiple acts continues, on or after May 13, 2008.

(c) Division (C)(1) of this section does not restore a prisoner or person to the privilege of holding a position of honor, trust, or profit if the prisoner or person was convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing on or after May 13, 2008, any of the following offenses that is a felony:

(i) A violation of section 2921.02, 2921.03, 2921.05, 2921.41, 2921.42, or 2923.32 of the Revised Code;

(ii) A violation of section 2913.42, 2921.04, 2921.11, 2921.12, 2921.31, or 2921.32 of the Revised Code, when the person committed the violation while the person was serving in a public office and the conduct constituting the violation was related to the duties of the person's public office or to the person's actions as a public official holding that public office;

(iii) A violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any violation listed in division (C)(2)(c)(i) of this section;

(iv) A violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any violation listed in division (C)(2)(c)(ii) of this section, when the person committed the violation while the person was serving in a public office and the conduct constituting the violation was related to the duties of the person's public office or to the person's actions as a public official holding that public office;

(v) A conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing any offense listed in division (C)(2)(c)(i) or described in division (C)(2)(c)(iii) of this section;

(vi) A conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing any offense listed in division (C)(2)(c)(ii) or described in division (C)(2)(c)(iv) of this section, if the person committed the violation while the person was serving in a public office and the conduct constituting the offense that was the subject of the conspiracy, that would have constituted the offense attempted, or constituting the offense in which the person was complicit was or would have been related to the duties of the person's public office or to the person's actions as a public official holding that public office.

(D) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a prisoner in the shock incarceration program established pursuant to section 5120.031 of the Revised Code.

(E) The final release certificate of a parolee and the certificate of termination of a prisoner shall serve as the official minutes of the adult parole authority, and the authority shall consider those certificates as its official minutes.

Last updated October 3, 2023 at 2:13 PM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 81 cases (24 in the last 5 years), 1972–2026 · leading case: State ex rel. Carnail v. McCormick, 2010 Ohio 2671 (Ohio 2010).
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State ex rel. Carnail v. McCormick, 2010 Ohio 2671 (Ohio 2010). · cites it 8× “The offender is not eligible for final release under section 2967.16 of the Revised Code until the post-release control period otherwise would have ended.”
State v. Delvallie, 2022 Ohio 470 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “The Reagan Tokes Law, unlike the indefinite life sentencing structure under R.C. 2967.16 (final release from indefinite sentence statutory section, which requires the executive agency to determine the release on parole and then the final release from the prison sentence imposed…”
State v. Leopard, 2011 Ohio 3864 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 4× “28 or any other provision of the Revised Code for an earlier offense or had been unfavorably terminated from post-release control for a prior offense pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.16 or section 2929.141 of the Revised Code.”
State Ex Rel. Duganitz v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 1996 Ohio 326 (Ohio 1996). · cites it 5× “Under R.C. 2967.16, a parolee whose maximum sentence has not expired must satisfy the following requirements before being considered for final release: (1) the parolee has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the parole and obeyed the APA’s rules and…”
State v. Gamble, 2021 Ohio 1810 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 3× “For that matter, the executive branch is not deemed to be interfering with the trial court’s sentencing authority when releasing offenders from their sentences after successful completion of the terms of parole under R.C. 2967.16. R.C. 2929.144 simply flips the principle…”
State v. Polizzi, 2019 Ohio 2505 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “28 or any other provision of the Revised Code for an earlier offense or had been unfavorably terminated from post-release control for a prior offense pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.16 or section 2929.141 of the Revised Code; was under transitional control in connection…”
Crangle v. Kelly, 838 F.3d 673 (5th Cir. 2016). “See Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(A). When a re-leasee completes post-release control, Ohio law not only directs the parole board to issue a certificate of final release, but also to “classify the termination of post-release control as favorable or unfavorable depending on the…”
Havel v. Villa St. Joseph, 2012 Ohio 552 (Ohio 2012). · cites it 2× “2d 654 (1996) (relator did not have a clear legal right 10 January Term, 2012 to be released from parole pursuant to former R.C. 2967.16 because the decision to grant a final release from parole rested with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority and therefore, the statute did not…”
Richardson v. Ramirez, 418 U.S. 24 (1974). · cites it 2× “1974-1975) (except election code offenders); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2967.16 (Supp. 1972); Oregon, Ore.”
State v. Brundage, 2020 Ohio 653 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 2× “28 or any other provision of the Revised Code for an earlier offense or had been unfavorably terminated from post-release control for a prior offense pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.16 or section 2929.141 of the Revised Code; was under transitional control in connection…”
State ex rel. Duganitz v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 1996 Ohio 326 (Ohio 1996). · cites it 6× “__________________ {¶ 1} In 1984, the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas convicted appellant, Michael J. Duganitz, of felonious assault and sentenced him to a term of five-to-ten years in prison.”
State v. Saylor, 2019 Ohio 1025 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “28 or any other provision of the Revised Code for an earlier offense or had been unfavorably terminated from post-release control for a prior offense pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.16 or section 2929.141 of the Revised Code; was under transitional control in connection…”
Show all 81 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(A) — 10 cases
Crangle v. Kelly, 838 F.3d 673 (5th Cir. 2016). “See Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(A). When a re-leasee completes post-release control, Ohio law not only directs the parole board to issue a certificate of final release, but also to “classify the termination of post-release control as favorable or unfavorable depending on the…”
State Ex Rel. Duganitz v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 1996 Ohio 326 (Ohio 1996). “Under R.C. 2967.16, a parolee whose maximum sentence has not expired must satisfy the following requirements before being considered for final release: (1) the parolee has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the parole and obeyed the APA’s rules and…”
Jones v. Wainwright (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 4870 (Ohio 2020).
State v. Smith, 2021 Ohio 2982 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Delehanty, 2023 Ohio 337 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(B)(1) — 1 case
State v. Bevington, 2012 Ohio 6285 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(C) — 2 cases
Rivera v. Petition for Relief From Firearm Disability, 2025 Ohio 2225 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Boykin, 2012 Ohio 1381 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(C)(1) — 6 cases
State v. Lee, 2017 Ohio 1449 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).
State v. Hale, 2023 Ohio 3894 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).
United States v. Randall Zellars, 334 F. App'x 742 (6th Cir. 2009).
In re Application of Davis, 2023 Ohio 161 (Ohio 2023).
State v. Hale, 2023 Ohio 3626 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.16(C)(2)(c) — 1 case
In re Application of Davis, 2023 Ohio 161 (Ohio 2023).
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