Most Ohio employers are familiar with the federal basics of background screening: disclosure, authorization, and the process that applies when information in a report may affect a hiring decision.
The rules that can be easier to miss are often closer to home.
Ohio's record-sealing laws, Toledo's salary-history ordinance, and changing fair-chance requirements can all affect what employers ask applicants and how information is used during hiring.
For Northwest Ohio employers especially, it is worth knowing where those state and local rules fit into the larger screening process.
The federal rules usually get most of the attention, but for Ohio employers, some of the easiest requirements to miss are the ones closer to home.
Sealed and expunged records require a closer look
Ohio law allows certain criminal records to be sealed or expunged, and the state has expanded eligibility in recent years.
For most ordinary employment inquiries, sealed or expunged records are treated differently from records that remain publicly available. Ohio law generally limits questions about sealed records, although there are exceptions for certain positions, licensing situations, law enforcement, and other specifically authorized purposes.
That distinction matters in background screening.
A database may have captured information before a court sealed or expunged a case. If that information is not kept current, an old record can continue appearing even though the legal status of the case has changed.
This is one reason current source research and quality review matter. Employers benefit from information based on the record as it exists today, with applicable reportability rules considered before information reaches the final report.
Toledo employers: salary history is a separate local rule
For employers hiring in Toledo, background-check compliance is not the only local hiring rule worth reviewing.
Toledo's Pay Equity Act has been in effect since 2020 and covers certain employers using 15 or more employees for pay within the city.
The ordinance generally prohibits covered employers from asking applicants about salary history, screening applicants based on past compensation, or relying on salary history when deciding whether to make an offer or determining compensation.
There are limited exceptions in the ordinance, including certain voluntary disclosures and internal employment situations. This is the kind of requirement that can be missed because of an old application or interview process rather than an intentional policy decision. A salary-history question may still be sitting on an application that has been used for years.
Toledo employers may want to periodically review applications, interview questions, and compensation discussions to make sure their process reflects the current ordinance.
Ban the box: public employers now, private legislation proposed
Ohio already has a statewide ban-the-box requirement for public employers.
Since 2016, state agencies and political subdivisions generally cannot include a question about an applicant's criminal background on the initial employment application.
That state law does not currently create the same statewide restriction for private Ohio employers. However, legislation has been introduced that may change that.
Senate Bill 143, introduced during the current General Assembly, would place new restrictions on when covered private employers can inquire about or consider criminal history and would establish additional procedures around certain hiring decisions.
As of September 2026, that proposal has not become law.
That distinction is important. Proposed legislation is not a current requirement, but it is worth watching, especially for organizations that want to avoid rebuilding their hiring process every time a new rule takes effect.
The multistate issue for Ohio employers
An Ohio headquarters does not necessarily mean Ohio law is the only law that matters. If an Ohio company hires someone who will work in another state or city, additional rules may apply based on where that employee will actually work.
Those rules can include fair-chance requirements, restrictions on employment credit reports, salary-history laws, additional notices, and other hiring requirements.
That means the process used for someone working in Toledo may not be the same process used for an employee working remotely from Chicago, New York, or another jurisdiction.
For employers hiring across state lines, location should be part of the screening conversation before the order is placed, not something discovered after the background check is already underway.
How CIC helps Ohio employers stay current
Corporate Intelligence Consultants is headquartered in Perrysburg and has worked with Ohio employers since 1977.
Our role is not to make the hiring decision for an employer. CIC provides screening information for employer review, and the employer determines how that information is used within its own hiring process.
Reportability rules are considered before information is released, and our research and quality assurance teams review reports before they reach the client.
That review becomes especially important when a record has changed, identifiers do not line up, or something requires additional research before it can be appropriately reported.
CIC also communicates important screening-related changes to clients and can provide sample materials for employer review when appropriate. Employers remain responsible for reviewing their own forms, policies, and hiring procedures with legal counsel.
A few common questions
Can an Ohio employer see sealed or expunged records?
Generally, sealed and expunged records receive protections under Ohio law, but there are statutory exceptions for certain positions, agencies, licensing situations, and other authorized purposes. Employers in regulated industries should confirm whether any exceptions apply to their positions.
Does Toledo's Pay Equity Act apply to every employer?
No. The ordinance defines covered employers based in part on having 15 or more employees for pay within Toledo and includes additional requirements about where the employer and employment are located. Employers with multiple locations or employees working near city boundaries should review whether the ordinance applies to a particular hire.
Is ban the box currently the law for private employers throughout Ohio?
No. Ohio's statewide law currently applies to public employers. Legislation has been introduced that would extend restrictions to certain private employers, but as of September 2026 it has not become law.
Closing thought
Background-screening rules do not stay still.
A process that worked several years ago may still contain an outdated application question, an old assumption about criminal records, or a hiring step that does not work the same way in another state.
For Ohio employers, staying current means occasionally looking beyond the background-check package itself and reviewing the entire hiring process around it.
CIC works with employers to build structured screening programs that support consistent and defensible hiring decisions. For a broader look at screening in the state, explore CIC's Ohio background-check resources or contact the CIC team.
This blog post is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, or compliance advice. The Fair Credit Reporting Act and related federal, state, and local laws are complex and continue to evolve. Corporate Intelligence Consultants is a consumer reporting agency and is not a law firm. Employers may want to review their own screening program, forms, processes, and hiring requirements with their internal compliance team or legal counsel before relying on any information in this post.