Offenses with mandatory prison terms
This is a list of criminal offenses in Ohio that require mandatory prison terms. This list changes often, and is up to date as of July 2021.
Laws about mandatory sentences are updated often by the Ohio General Assembly. Sometimes, an offense might only require a mandatory sentence if the offender has certain prior offenses or the victim falls into a certain category. In general, these offenses may require a mandatory sentence:
- Aggravated murder. (R.C. 2903.01)
- Assault on police officers. Felonious, aggravated, or simple assault when victim is a peace officer or BCI investigator who suffered serious physical harm. (R.C. 2903.11, R.C. 2903.12, R.C. 2903.13)
- Assault on pregnant women. Felonious, aggravated, and simple assault if offender knew of pregnancy. (R.C. 2903.1, R.C. 2903.12, R.C. 2903.13)
- Corrupt activity. (R.C. 2923.32)
- F1, F2 and F3 drug offenses. (R.C. 2925)
- Felony domestic violence. (R.C. 2919.25)
- Human trafficking. (R.C. 2941.1422)
- Gross sexual imposition, with a victim under 13. (R. C. 2907.05)
- Importuning, with a victim under 13. (R.C. 2907.07)
- Illegal conveyance, when a prison or detention employee takes weapons, ammunition, or drugs into the facility. (R.C. 2921.36)
- Murder. (R.C. 2903.2)
- Rape. (R.C. 2907.02)
- Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN), repeat failure to register. (R.C. 2950.99(A)(2)(b))
- Sexual battery, with a victim under 13. (R.C. 2907.03)
- Certain traffic offenses. Felony OVI when local incarceration is not imposed and for 5 priors in 20 years specified, OVI-related aggravated vehicular homicide (AVH) and aggravated vehicular assault (AVA), involuntary manslaughter, vehicular homicide.
There are also mandatory prison requirements for offenders who have a history of aggravated murder, murder, a violent F-1 or F-2, an F-1 or F-2 attempt of violence or involuntary manslaughter, or have been designated as a Repeat Violent Offender (RVO) or a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP), or certain specifications for firearms, body armor, sexual activity or OVI listed in R.C. Chapter 2941.
Read the Supreme Court of Ohio's Felony Sentencing Reference Guide or Ohio Revised Code Section 2929.13(F) for more information on the conditions when these offenses require a mandatory prison sentence.