Ohio Department of Commerce

State Government Regulatory Servicescom.ohio.gov

The Ohio Department of Commerce is Ohio's chief state regulatory agency, issuing approximately 600,000 licenses, permits, and certifications annually across 10 divisions covering banking, securities, real estate, construction, liquor, cannabis, fire safety, and unclaimed funds.

Company typePublic
Founded-
HeadquartersColumbus, United States
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What Ohio Department of Commerce does

The Ohio Department of Commerce is a cabinet-level state government agency of the State of Ohio headquartered at 77 South High Street, 23rd Floor, Columbus, Ohio, and serves as Ohio's chief regulatory body. The agency is organized into 10 divisions and programs: Financial Institutions, Industrial Compliance, Liquor Control, Real Estate & Professional Licensing, Securities, State Fire Marshal, Unclaimed Funds, Cannabis Control, Manufactured Homes Program, and Video Service Authorization. It issues approximately 600,000 licenses, permits, registrations, and certifications annually across regulated industries including banking, securities, construction, real estate, liquor, cannabis, and manufactured housing, serving Ohio businesses, professionals, and consumers across all 88 counties.

The Department operates a digital technology infrastructure built on the OHID identity verification system, the IC Customer Portal for Industrial Compliance permit and license management, the OCILB eLicense Center for commercial contractor licensing, and the DIC Web Portal for inspections and compliance tracking. It distributes grant funding (most notably $14.5 million in 2026 to Ohio fire departments for equipment, training, and MARCS radio systems), enforces wage and hour laws, regulates building codes and mechanical systems, runs the OHLQ state liquor retail operation in partnership with JobsOhio Beverage System, and oversees Ohio's medical marijuana program. Outreach is delivered through a multi-channel public engagement strategy including a website, podcast (Protecting What Matters), email newsletters, and active social media presence.

As a state government agency, the Department does not operate on a commercial revenue model. It is funded through Ohio state budget appropriations and regulatory fees set by the Ohio Revised Code, with licensing fees, permit fees, and regulatory assessments supporting its operations. Its "customers" are Ohio-licensed businesses and professionals, Ohio citizens seeking consumer protection and unclaimed funds recovery, and fire departments receiving grants. Leadership consists of Director Sheryl Maxfield, Assistant Director Charity Robl, Chief Legal Counsel Pete Thomas, and division-level superintendents including Robb Coventry (Industrial Compliance), Kevin Reardon (State Fire Marshal), and Andrea Seidt (Securities Commissioner).

Ohio Department of Commerce firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Ohio Department of Commerce
Legal name: Ohio Department of Commerce
Website: https://com.ohio.gov
Company type: Public
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: The Ohio Department of Commerce is Ohio's chief state regulatory agency, issuing approximately 600,000 licenses, permits, and certifications annually across 10 divisions covering banking, securities, real estate, construction, liquor, cannabis, fire safety, and unclaimed funds.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Ohio Department of Commerce industry classification

Industry

Product category: State Government Regulatory Services
NAICS: Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)
akta.pro primary industry: State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)
akta.pro secondary industries: Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB), Product, Safety & Quality Compliance (incl. Regulatory Affairs) (BPAHAFAM), Competition/Antitrust & Market Conduct Regulators (BPAIAOAD)

Keywords

State regulatory services
Business licensing
Consumer protection
Fire safety regulation
Financial institution oversight

Where Ohio Department of Commerce is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Columbus
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Ohio Department of Commerce business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Government Services: The Ohio Department of Commerce is a state government agency funded through general tax revenues and regulatory fees. It does not operate on a commercial revenue model but rather provides regulatory services funded by the state.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	Regulatory services funded by state government

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Ohio Department of Commerce product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Ohio Department of Commerce operates as Ohio's chief regulatory agency, issuing approximately 600,000 licenses, permits, registrations, and certifications each year across ten divisions. Its core offerings include business and professional licensing, building and construction code compliance inspections, regulation of state-chartered financial institutions and securities, liquor and cannabis control, fire safety and prevention, and management of unclaimed funds. The agency provides both in-person services through division offices and digital self-service through multiple online portals.

Product overview

The Ohio Department of Commerce is the state's chief regulatory agency operating as a platform of multiple divisions offering distinct but interconnected government services. The agency issues approximately 600,000 licenses, permits, registrations, and certifications annually across ten divisions: Financial Institutions, Industrial Compliance, Liquor Control, Real Estate & Professional Licensing, Securities, State Fire Marshal, Unclaimed Funds, Manufactured Homes Program, Cannabis Control, and Video Service Authorization. Core offerings include licensing and registration services, construction and building code compliance (through the IC Customer Portal and OCILB eLicense Center), consumer financial protection, fire safety and prevention, and alcohol/cannabis regulation. The agency provides both in-person services and digital self-service through multiple online portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

OHLQ (Ohio Liquor): The retail operations of the Division of Liquor Control, selling beer, wine, and spirits through state-operated stores.

Products and services

Licensing & Registration Services

Quantifiable outcome

Nearly 600,000 licenses, permits, registrations, and certifications issued annually
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Ohio Department of Commerce

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Ohio Department of Commerce technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Ohio Department of Commerce partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJOBS is a strategic partner in the Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) program, working with the Division of Liquor Control to operate state liquor agencies and celebrate special releases like the America250 Collection commemorating America's 250th anniversary.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of OhiominorOthersFree books program for children ages 0-5, part of broader consumer education and literacy initiatives supported by the Department.
AEP OhiominorOthersPartnership for fire safety education, specifically holiday cooking and decorating tips to prevent fires during the holiday season.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Ohio Department of Commerce competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

California Department of Consumer Affairs: California's primary state-level regulatory and licensing body overseeing multiple professions and consumer-facing industries; closely comparable to Ohio Department of Commerce in vertical scope (banking-adjacent, real estate, professional licensing) but operating in a larger jurisdiction.
New York State Department of State: New York's chief state regulator covering licensing, business filings, fire prevention, and professional oversight; comparable vertical breadth to Ohio's Department of Commerce, although with broader incorporated-services mandate.

Direct peers

North Carolina Department of Commerce: Despite differences in mandate (NC emphasizes economic development), it is the namesake state commerce department with regulatory authority over NC banking, securities, and industrial compliance — a comparable state-level commerce platform.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Texas state agency issuing licenses, permits, and regulatory oversight across diverse industries; the closest analog in scope and structure to Ohio's multi-division Department of Commerce (statewide, multi-vertical regulatory platform).
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: Florida's cabinet-level agency that licenses and regulates businesses and professionals across construction, real estate, financial services, and other regulated industries — structurally parallel to Ohio Department of Commerce.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Illinois state agency regulating financial institutions, securities, real estate, and licensed professions — overlapping heavily with several Ohio Department of Commerce divisions (DFI, Securities, REPL).

Others

SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission): Federal-level securities regulator that overlaps with Ohio's Division of Securities on broker-dealer/investment adviser oversight and securities enforcement — useful comparison for regulatory scale and enforcement intensity, though federal rather than state.

Regional players

Ohio Department of Insurance: A sibling Ohio state agency regulating a parallel vertical (insurance), helpful as a structural comparison point for single-state, single-vertical regulatory operation rather than a direct competitor.
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs: Michigan's central licensing/regulatory state agency covering corporations, securities, real estate, fire safety, and manufactured housing — peer agency with overlap on multiple Ohio Commerce divisions.
Pennsylvania Department of State: Pennsylvania's state-level professional licensing and regulatory agency with bureaus covering banking, securities, real estate, and corporations; a regional peer operating an analogous multi-division regulatory platform to Ohio Commerce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Ohio Department of Commerce financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Ohio Department of Commerce leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Ohio Department of Commerce subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries10 records

Ohio Department of Commerce funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Ohio Department of Commerce M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Department of Commerce

What does Ohio Department of Commerce do?

Is Ohio Department of Commerce a public or private company?

Ohio Department of Commerce is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Ohio Department of Commerce founded?

Ohio Department of Commerce was founded in -1. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is Ohio Department of Commerce based?

Ohio Department of Commerce is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.

How does Ohio Department of Commerce make money?

One revenue line is on record: government Services.

Who are Ohio Department of Commerce's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are California Department of Consumer Affairs and New York State Department of State. Direct peers are North Carolina Department of Commerce, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) is listed as an others. Regional players are Ohio Department of Insurance, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Pennsylvania Department of State.

Does Ohio Department of Commerce have an API?

No public API is recorded for Ohio Department of Commerce.

What industry is Ohio Department of Commerce in?

Ohio Department of Commerce's product category is State Government Regulatory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIABAO, State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector), with a secondary code of BPAIAOAB, Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General). Its NAICS code is 92615.