What Are Felons Not Allowed to Do in Ohio?

A felony conviction in Ohio carries a long list of restrictions that outlast the sentence itself. If you are asking what felons cannot do in Ohio, the short answer is that you cannot possess a firearm, sit on a jury, hold public office, or work in many licensed professions, and you may face barriers to housing, federal benefits, international travel, and custody of your children. Some rights come back automatically once you are released. Others require a court petition, a certificate, or a pardon. A few are gone for good.

Firearm Possession

Firearms are the strictest area, and both Ohio and federal law apply.

Ohio Revised Code 2923.13 makes it a crime for anyone convicted of a felony offense of violence or a felony drug offense to acquire, carry, or use a firearm. The statute applies no matter where the conviction happened.¹

Federal law reaches further. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), anyone convicted of any crime punishable by more than one year in prison is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Because nearly every Ohio felony carries a potential sentence over one year, the federal ban covers effectively all Ohio felons, not just those with violent or drug convictions.²

You can petition to restore firearm rights in the court of common pleas in the county where you live. The court considers whether you have been fully discharged from prison, community control, and any post-release supervision, whether you have led a law-abiding life and appear likely to continue, and whether any other legal prohibition still applies. You must be completely done with your sentence before applying. People with two or more prior felony convictions carrying firearm specifications are permanently barred from relief under this statute.³

Even after an Ohio court grants relief, federal databases can lag. If a firearm purchase is denied through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, you can appeal by submitting a written request with your transaction number and supporting court documentation to the FBI’s Appeal Services Team. The FBI will respond with a general reason within five business days, and once records reflect the state restoration, you can be cleared to complete the purchase.⁴

Voting

Voting is the rare bright spot. In Ohio, you lose the right to vote only while you are actually incarcerated. The moment you walk out, you are eligible again, whether you are on parole, probation, or fully discharged. No application, no hearing, no waiting period.⁵

You will need to re-register, since prior registrations are typically canceled during incarceration, and you must be an Ohio resident for at least 30 days before the election.⁵ Being on parole or felony probation does not disqualify you, contrary to a common myth. The Ohio Public Defender’s Office has confirmed that people under those forms of supervision keep the right to vote.⁶

Jury Service and Public Office

Ohio Revised Code 2961.01 declares a person convicted of a felony incompetent to serve as a juror or hold an office of honor, trust, or profit. That disability stays in place unless the conviction is reversed or annulled, or the person obtains relief through a pardon or record sealing. Ohio courts treat a felony conviction as an automatic ground for disqualifying a prospective juror.⁷

Federal jury service has a parallel rule. Federal law bars anyone charged with or convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from serving on a federal jury, unless civil rights have been restored.⁸

Employment and Professional Licensing

Most employers run background checks, and a felony record can end an application before you get a chance to explain. Ohio’s Ban the Box law, Ohio Revised Code 9.73, prohibits public employers from asking about criminal history on initial job applications, so your qualifications get reviewed first. The law does not cover private employers, who can ask about criminal history at any point.

Professional licensing is often the harder barrier. Boards in healthcare, education, law enforcement, and financial services typically evaluate whether an applicant has good moral character, and a felony can be an automatic disqualifier for licenses connected to the offense. Ohio addresses this through the Certificate of Qualification for Employment, which converts a mandatory licensing bar into a discretionary one. A licensing board with a CQE holder in front of it must individually assess the person’s fitness for the role rather than reject them outright. The certificate also gives employers legal protection from negligent hiring lawsuits when they hire someone with a record.⁹

You apply for a CQE through the court of common pleas. It covers both felony and misdemeanor convictions and can also make you eligible for the Ohio Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which gives employers a financial incentive to hire you.¹⁰

Commercial Driver’s License

Trucking is a common reentry job, but certain felonies close that door. Under federal motor carrier regulations, using any vehicle to commit a felony results in at least a one-year CDL disqualification for a first offense. A second major offense triggers a lifetime disqualification, though some states allow reinstatement after 10 years with evidence of rehabilitation. Using a vehicle in a drug trafficking felony brings a lifetime disqualification with no possibility of reinstatement.

Housing

Both public and private housing screen for criminal records, and a felony trips many of those screens.

Federal law imposes two absolute bans on public and federally assisted housing. Anyone subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement is permanently barred from admission.¹¹ A separate federal provision permanently bars anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing. Beyond those categories, local public housing authorities in Ohio set their own policies and may weigh the severity of the offense and time since release.

Private landlords in Ohio can legally run background checks and deny applicants based on felony records. No state law prohibits it. HUD guidance under the Fair Housing Act discourages blanket bans and urges landlords to evaluate applicants individually, but the guidance is not a hard rule. Some cities and nonprofits operate reentry housing programs that offer transitional housing or rental assistance.

Federal Benefits During and After Incarceration

Incarceration disrupts several federal benefit programs.

Social Security retirement and disability benefits are suspended once you have been in jail or prison for more than 30 continuous days following a conviction. The benefits are not lost; they resume on release. But the suspension applies to any month in which you were incarcerated for any part, so the gap can be longer than expected.¹²

Supplemental Security Income follows similar rules and adds one more: you are ineligible for SSI in any month when you have an outstanding felony arrest warrant or are violating a condition of probation or parole. Clearing the warrant or getting back into compliance is a prerequisite to restarting payments.¹³

The Earned Income Tax Credit requires you to have lived in the United States for more than half the tax year. Time in prison counts as living in the U.S. for residency purposes, but earning enough qualifying income while incarcerated or in the months after release is often the practical barrier.¹⁴

Passports and International Travel

Most Ohio felons can obtain a passport and travel internationally once their sentence and supervision are complete. The main federal exception is drug trafficking: federal law denies passports to anyone convicted of a federal or state drug felony if they used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense. The denial runs through the entire period of imprisonment and supervised release.¹⁵

Individual countries set their own entry rules. Canada, for example, commonly turns away travelers with felony convictions. Anyone still on parole or post-release control also needs permission from a supervising officer before leaving the state, let alone the country.

Custody and Parental Rights

A felony does not automatically end parental rights, but it factors into custody and visitation decisions. Ohio courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child, and a criminal record is one part of that analysis. The nature of the offense matters more than the fact of a conviction. A theft from a decade ago with a clean record since carries far less weight than a recent assault.

Some convictions make custody nearly impossible. Domestic violence against the other parent or the child, sexual assault, and child abuse convictions will almost certainly result in a court denying custody and may limit visitation to supervised settings.

Incarceration creates a separate risk. Under Ohio Revised Code 2151.414, a court can move to terminate parental rights if a parent is incarcerated at the time of a custody hearing and will not be available to care for the child for at least 18 months. Staying in contact through letters, calls, and any available prison visitation programs is one of the few things a parent can do to demonstrate continued commitment while inside.

Supervision After Release

Almost everyone leaving an Ohio prison faces a period of supervised release. The type depends on when and how you were sentenced.

Parole

Parole applies to people sentenced under Ohio’s older indeterminate sentencing system. Release is not automatic. The Ohio Parole Board reviews behavior in prison, rehabilitation, and risk assessments before deciding whether to grant supervised release. Conditions typically include regular check-ins with a parole officer, travel restrictions, drug testing, and compliance with treatment programs. Violations can send you back to prison.

Post-Release Control

For people sentenced under Ohio’s current determinate structure, post-release control (PRC) starts automatically after release. The length depends on the felony:¹⁶

Felony sex offenses: 5 years of mandatory PRC.
First-degree felonies (non-sex offense): 2 to 5 years of mandatory PRC.
Second-degree felonies (non-sex offense): 18 months to 3 years of mandatory PRC.
Third-degree violent felonies (non-sex offense): 1 to 3 years of mandatory PRC.
Other third-, fourth-, and fifth-degree felonies: up to 2 years of discretionary PRC, imposed only if the Parole Board determines supervision is necessary.

PRC conditions mirror parole in most respects, including mandatory reporting, drug testing, and firearm restrictions. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority enforces them, and violations can result in additional incarceration.¹⁶

Getting Restrictions Lifted

Three tools can reduce the reach of a felony conviction: record sealing, firearm relief, and a pardon.

Record Sealing

Sealing hides a conviction from most background checks, which can open up employment, housing, and licensing. Eligibility is limited. First- and second-degree felonies cannot be sealed. Neither can felony offenses of violence at any level or most sex offenses. A third-degree felony that is not an offense of violence can be sealed, and you can seal up to two such convictions. Fourth- and fifth-degree felonies can also be sealed if none is a violent offense.¹⁷

The waiting clock starts when you complete your full sentence, including any prison time, community control, and PRC. Third-degree felonies require a three-year wait after final discharge; fourth- and fifth-degree felonies require one year; offenders subject to sex offender registration wait five years after the registration requirement ends. Senate Bill 288, effective April 2023, shortened the wait for fourth- and fifth-degree felonies from three years to one.¹⁷

You file the petition in the court that sentenced you. The court considers your rehabilitation, whether you have stayed out of trouble, and any objections from prosecutors or victims. If granted, the record becomes inaccessible to most employers and landlords, though law enforcement and certain government agencies still see it. Sealing does not erase the conviction. It also does not restore firearm rights on its own.

One practical gap: private background check companies may keep showing a sealed record for months after the court order. They update on their own schedules, and some take six months to a year to catch up. If you are denied a job or apartment based on a record that has been sealed, providing the court order directly to the employer or landlord, and pursuing a correction with the background check company, is often necessary.

Firearm Relief

Restoring firearm rights takes a separate petition under Ohio Revised Code 2923.14, described earlier. A pardon does not do this automatically.³

Pardons

A pardon is official forgiveness from the governor. It does not erase the conviction, but it signals rehabilitation and can remove barriers that a sealed record alone might not resolve. The Ohio Parole Board investigates each application, takes input from prosecutors, victims, and law enforcement, and makes a recommendation to the governor. Traditional pardons are granted sparingly.¹⁸

Ohio also runs an Expedited Pardon Project for people who have clearly turned their lives around. To qualify, you must have no felony or misdemeanor convictions in the last 10 years, minor traffic violations excluded, and a demonstrated history of community service. Qualifying applicants receive one-on-one help with the application and skip the traditional clemency waitlist. The Parole Board typically makes its recommendation on the same day as the hearing, and the governor makes the final decision.¹⁸

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2923.13 – Having Weapons While Under Disability
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
3
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2923.14 – Relief From Weapons Disability
4
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Guide for Appealing a Firearm Transfer Denial or Delay
5
Ohio Secretary of State. Restore Your Right
6
Ohio Public Defender’s Office. If You Have Been Convicted of a Crime, You Still Have the Right to Vote
7
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2313.17 – Causes for Challenge of Persons Called as Jurors
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
9
The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System. Certificate of Qualification for Employment
10
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Certificate of Qualification for Employment
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 13663 – Ineligibility of Dangerous Sex Offenders for Admission to Public Housing
12
Social Security Administration. Benefits After Incarceration: What You Need To Know
13
Social Security Administration. How Does an Individual’s Fugitive Status Affect SSI Benefits
14
Internal Revenue Service. Who Qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
15
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers
16
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2967.28 – Post-Release Controls
17
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2953.32 – Sealing of Record of Eligible Offender
18
Governor of Ohio. Ohio Governor’s Expedited Pardon Project