Ohio Non-Compete Laws (2026): Are Non-Competes Enforceable?

Ohio has no statute that governs employee non-competes. Ohio courts enforce a non-compete if it is reasonable, under the test the Ohio Supreme Court set in Raimonde v. Van Vlerah, 42 Ohio St.2d 21 (1975), and they may cut an overbroad covenant down to what is reasonable instead of throwing it out. Each case turns on its own facts.

For how other states treat these agreements, see our non-compete laws by state guide.

Information last verified on 2026-10-08. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Ohio's court-made rules for employee non-compete agreements, with a short note on the federal FTC rule. It does not cover trade-secret claims (see Ohio trade secret laws), severance pay (see Ohio severance pay laws), or covenants made in the sale of a business.

Are non-competes enforceable in Ohio?

Often, if they are reasonable. In Raimonde, the Ohio Supreme Court stated the test this way:

"A covenant restraining an employee from competing with his former employer upon termination of employment is reasonable if it is no greater than is required for the protection of the employer, does not impose undue hardship on the employee, and is not injurious to the public. Courts are empowered to modify or amend employment agreements to achieve such results." Raimonde v. Van Vlerah, 42 Ohio St.2d 21 (1975)

The rule comes from court decisions, not the Ohio Revised Code. We searched the Revised Code text in our statute library (retrieved July 31, 2026) for terms including "covenant not to compete," "non-competition agreement" and "restraint of trade employee," and found no section on employee non-competes. A keyword search is not a reading of the whole code, so treat that as what we found, not a guarantee that no statute exists.

Factors Ohio courts weigh

Because the test is reasonableness, Ohio courts look at the specific covenant and the specific job. Raimonde lists factors drawn from an earlier Ohio decision, including:

• whether the employee represents the sole contact with the customer;
• whether the employee has confidential information or trade secrets;
• whether the covenant seeks to eliminate competition that would be unfair to the employer, or merely ordinary competition;
• whether the covenant seeks to stifle the employee's inherent skill and experience;
• whether the benefit to the employer is disproportional to the detriment to the employee;
• whether the covenant bars the employee's sole means of support; and
• whether the forbidden employment is merely incidental to the main employment.

The length of the restriction and the territory it covers are weighed through this reasonableness analysis. We found no Ohio statute capping either.

What a court can do with an overbroad non-compete

Ohio courts can rewrite. In Raimonde, the Ohio Supreme Court abandoned the all-or-nothing approach to unreasonable covenants and held:

"A covenant not to compete which imposes unreasonable restrictions upon an employee will be enforced to the extent necessary to protect the employer's legitimate interests."

So an Ohio court is not limited to enforcing a covenant exactly as written or voiding it. Because courts are "empowered to modify or amend" the agreement, a covenant that goes too far can be enforced in a narrower form that the court finds reasonable.

Signing a non-compete after you start work

Ohio does not require a raise, bonus or promotion in exchange for a non-compete signed mid-employment. In Lake Land Employment Group of Akron, LLC v. Columber, 101 Ohio St.3d 242, 2004-Ohio-786, the Ohio Supreme Court answered that question directly:

"We conclude that forbearance on the part of an at-will employer from discharging an at-will employee serves as consideration to support a noncompetition agreement."

For how at-will employment works in Ohio, see Ohio at-will employment laws.

Income thresholds, notice rules and professions

We found no Ohio income or job-classification threshold for non-competes, and no statutory rule on advance notice, a right to consult a lawyer, garden leave, maximum length or maximum distance. Those findings rest on the same keyword search of the Revised Code described above.

We did not identify an Ohio statute that sets special non-compete rules for physicians or other health care workers. A pending bill, Senate Bill 301, would add one for nonprofit hospitals; it is not law (see the pending bills section below). This page does not cover the professional-conduct rules that apply to lawyers' agreements.

If you are fired or laid off

We found no Ohio statute on whether being fired affects a non-compete, and this page does not state a rule on it, because we did not verify Ohio case law on that question. Do not assume that a layoff or firing cancels the covenant.

Non-solicits, confidentiality agreements and trade secrets

This page does not state separate Ohio rules for customer non-solicitation or confidentiality agreements, because we did not verify the case law on them.

Ohio's Uniform Trade Secrets Act is a separate body of law. Section 1333.67 of the Revised Code states that the Act does not affect "contractual remedies, whether or not based on misappropriation of a trade secret," so the trade-secret statute does not displace a claim under a non-compete contract (Ohio Rev. Code 1333.67, text as retrieved July 31, 2026). See Ohio trade secret laws.

Choice of law, venue and remedies

We found no Ohio statute restricting out-of-state choice-of-law or forum clauses in employee non-competes, and no statute that awards an employee fees or penalties when an employer tries to enforce an overbroad covenant. These disputes are decided by the courts; we did not identify a state agency that handles non-compete complaints.

Pending Ohio non-compete bills

Two non-compete bills are pending in the 136th General Assembly, and neither is law. Senate Bill 11 (Sens. Blessing and DeMora) would void post-employment non-competes entered into, modified or extended on or after its effective date. As of October 9, 2026, the legislature's site lists it only in its as-introduced version, and it has not passed the Senate.

Senate Bill 301 (Sen. Johnson) would limit the non-competes that nonprofit hospitals may require of physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to six months and fifteen miles from where the employee worked. It is also at the as-introduced stage and has not passed the Senate.

We identified no enacted Ohio non-compete statute. The current General Assembly ends in December 2026, and a bill that has not passed by then dies.

The FTC rule and Ohio non-competes

The FTC's nationwide non-compete rule never took effect. A federal court in Texas set it aside on August 20, 2024 (Ryan, LLC v. FTC, No. 3:24-CV-00986-E, N.D. Tex.), the FTC voted on September 5, 2025 to dismiss its appeals, and the FTC removed the rule from the Code of Federal Regulations on February 12, 2026. The FTC still acts case by case, for example approving a final order on June 22, 2026 that required a pest-control company to stop enforcing non-competes. More detail: FTC non-compete ban struck down and our non-compete laws by state guide.

If you have been asked to sign

Because Ohio's rule turns on reasonableness and courts can modify a covenant, whether a particular agreement holds up depends on its length, its territory, the activity it restricts and the employer interest it protects. A lawyer licensed in Ohio can review a specific agreement against the Raimonde factors.

Related

• Non-compete laws by state
• Ohio trade secret laws
• Ohio severance pay laws
• Ohio at-will employment laws
• FTC non-compete ban struck down

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Ohio non-compete law, including the reasonableness test in Raimonde v. Van Vlerah and the consideration rule in Lake Land Employment Group of Akron, LLC v. Columber, not legal advice. The information was last verified on 2026-10-08. Ohio non-compete disputes are decided by the courts; for advice about a specific agreement, contact a legal aid office or a lawyer licensed in Ohio.

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are non-competes enforceable in Ohio?

Yes, if reasonable. Under Raimonde v. Van Vlerah, 42 Ohio St.2d 21 (1975), a covenant must be no greater than required to protect the employer, must not impose undue hardship on the employee, and must not be injurious to the public.

Does Ohio have a non-compete statute?

We found no Ohio statute governing employee non-competes; the rule comes from Ohio Supreme Court decisions, chiefly Raimonde v. Van Vlerah (1975).

Can an Ohio court rewrite an unreasonable non-compete?

Yes. Raimonde held that courts may modify or amend a covenant and enforce it to the extent necessary to protect the employer's legitimate interests, instead of only enforcing it as written or voiding it.

Is a non-compete valid if I signed it after I started the job in Ohio?

Continued employment can be enough consideration. In Lake Land Employment Group of Akron, LLC v. Columber (2004), the Ohio Supreme Court held that an at-will employer's forbearance from discharging an at-will employee is consideration for a noncompetition agreement.

How long can a non-compete last in Ohio?

We found no Ohio statute setting a maximum. Duration and territory are weighed case by case under the Raimonde reasonableness test.

Is there a salary threshold for Ohio non-competes?

We found no income or job-classification threshold in Ohio law, based on a keyword search of the Revised Code described on this page.

Does the FTC non-compete ban apply in Ohio?

No. A federal court set the FTC rule aside on August 20, 2024, and the FTC removed it from the Code of Federal Regulations on February 12, 2026. Ohio law governs.