International Residential Code
Ohio enforces the 2018 IRC
The 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) has been in force in Ohio since Jul 1, 2019. It applies statewide. Adopted by Ohio Board of Building Standards (on proposal of the Residential Construction Advisory Committee). The legal citation is OAC Chapters 4101:8-1 through 4101:8-44; ORC 3781.10.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2018 IRC
2019 Residential Code of Ohio
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- OAC Chapters 4101:8-1 through 4101:8-44; ORC 3781.10
- Adopted by
- Ohio Board of Building Standards (on proposal of the Residential Construction Advisory Committee)
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- State amendments
- Major
- Also called
- RCO, OAC 4101:8
Applies to one-, two- and three-family dwellings. Chapters 34 and 44 were refiled effective Apr 15, 2024 (2023 NEC) but the IRC base stays 2018. No 2021 IRC-based RCO has been adopted.
Coming next
- Change to the 2018 IRCPartialNo date yetProposedOAC Chapter 4101:8
Initial stakeholder input July 2026, comments due Sep 30, 2026, hearing date to be determined. Draft still says 2018 IRC, so it is not a new edition; page also mentions removing IRC electrical chapters.
How Ohio adopts the IRC
Under ORC 3781.10(H)-(I) the Residential Construction Advisory Committee proposes the residential code and amendments to it; the Board adopts by rule. If the Board neither accepts nor rejects a proposed committee amendment within 90 days, it becomes part of the residential code. Ordinary rule steps (hearing, JCARR filing) apply.
Cycle. Irregular; RCO base moved 2012 IRC (2013/2015) to 2015 IRC (2018) to 2018 IRC (2019); no 2021 IRC adoption as of 2026-10.
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- UndatedLegislationHB 361 (136th General Assembly)
Regards building inspections, local regulations and zoning; amends ORC 3781.10 and 3781.181; in House Local Government Committee.
Pending
ohiohouse.gov (opens in a new tab)
How it was checked
Verified
Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from two source pages.
Evidence 2 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
“The 2018 edition of the “International Residential Code”, first printing, Chapters 2 through 24, 29, and 44”
OAC 4101:8-1-01 Administration (Residential Code of Ohio)Ohio Legislative Service Commission, codes.ohio.govcodes.ohio.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved “Effective: July 1, 2019”
Rule 4101:8-1-01 AdministrationOhio Legislative Service Commission, codes.ohio.govcodes.ohio.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Ohio’s own record.
ICC’s code adoption mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
Adoption chart (April 2026): Ohio IRC column 18