(A) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code, as used in this
section and sections 3517.103 and 3517.104 of the Revised Code:
(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but
includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the general assembly, chief
justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.
(2) "Statewide candidate" or "any one statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for
the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of
state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme court,
or justice of the supreme court.
(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of state senator.
(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of state representative.
(5)(a) "Primary election period" for a candidate begins on the beginning date of the
candidate's pre-filing period specified in division (A)(9) of section 3517.109 of the Revised
Code and ends on the day of the primary election.
(b) In regard to any candidate, the "general election period" begins on the day after the
primary election immediately preceding the general election at which the candidate seeks an
office specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December
following that general election.
(6) "State candidate fund" means the state candidate fund established by a state or county
political party under division (D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.
(7) "Postgeneral election statement" means the statement filed under division (A)(2) of
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by the campaign committee of a candidate after the
general election in which the candidate ran for office or filed by legislative campaign fund after
the general election in an even-numbered year.
(8) "Contribution" means any contribution that is required to be reported in the statement of
contributions under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.
Page 1
(9)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(9)(b) of this section, "designated state
campaign committee" means:
(i) In the case of contributions to or from a state political party, a campaign committee of a
statewide candidate, statewide officeholder, senate candidate, house candidate, or member
of the general assembly.
(ii) In the case of contributions to or from a county political party, a campaign committee of a
senate candidate or house candidate whose candidacy is to be submitted to some or all of the
electors in that county, or member of the general assembly whose district contains all or part
of that county.
(iii) In the case of contributions to or from a legislative campaign fund, a campaign committee
of any of the following:
(I) A senate or house candidate who, if elected, will be a member of the same party that
established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative
campaign fund is associated;
(II) A state senator or state representative who is a member of the same party that
established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative
campaign fund is associated.
(b) A campaign committee is no longer a "designated state campaign committee" after the
campaign committee's candidate changes the designation of treasurer required to be filed
under division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code to indicate that the person
intends to be a candidate for, or becomes a candidate for nomination or election to, any office
that, if elected, would not qualify that candidate's campaign committee as a "designated state
campaign committee" under division (A)(9)(a) of this section.
(B)(1)(a) No individual who is seven years of age or older shall make a contribution or
contributions aggregating more than:
(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a
primary election period or in a general election period;
(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(iv) Ten thousand dollars to a county political party of the county in which the individual's
designated Ohio residence is located for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;
Page 2
(v) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;
(vi) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund
in a calendar year;
(vii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;
(viii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.
(b) No individual shall make a contribution or contributions to the state candidate fund of a
county political party of any county other than the county in which the individual's designated
Ohio residence is located.
(c) No individual who is under seven years of age shall make any contribution.
(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall make a
contribution or contributions aggregating more than:
(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a
primary election period or in a general election period;
(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;
(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund
in a calendar year;
(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political action committee or to a political contributing
entity in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action committee that
makes a contribution to a political action committee or a political contributing entity affiliated
with it. For purposes of this division, a political action committee is affiliated with another
political action committee or with a political contributing entity if they are both established,
financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor
organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary,
division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing
association, or other person.
(b) No political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county
political party for the party's state candidate fund.
Page 3
(3) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more
than:
(a) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a
primary election period or in a general election period;
(b) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a
primary election period or in a general election period;
(c) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(d) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;
(e) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.
(4)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political party shall make a contribution or
contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one political action
committee or to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.
(b) No county political party shall make a contribution or contributions to another county
political party.
(5)(a) Subject to division (B)(5)(b) of this section, no campaign committee, other than a
designated state campaign committee, shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating
in a calendar year more than:
(i) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund;
(ii) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund;
(iii) Ten thousand dollars to any one county political party for the party's state candidate fund.
(b) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political
party for the party's state candidate fund unless one of the following applies:
(i) The campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot in that county.
(ii) The campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an elected public office that
represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the contribution is made.
(6)(a) No state candidate fund of a county political party shall make a contribution or
contributions, except a contribution or contributions to a designated state campaign
committee, in a primary election period or a general election period, aggregating more than:
(i) Two hundred fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide
candidate;
Page 4
(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;
(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.
(b)(i) No state candidate fund of a state or county political party shall make a transfer or a
contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state
campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period aggregating
more than:
(I) Five hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide
candidate;
(II) One hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;
(III) Fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.
(ii) No legislative campaign fund shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or
contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state campaign committee
aggregating more than:
(I) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a
general election period to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;
(II) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a
general election period to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.
(iii) As used in divisions (B)(6)(b) and (C)(6) of this section, "transfer or contribution of cash or
cash equivalents" does not include any in-kind contributions.
(c) A county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county
having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand may make one or more
contributions from other accounts to any one statewide candidate or to any one designated
state campaign committee that do not exceed, in the aggregate, two thousand five hundred
dollars in any primary election period or general election period.
(d) No legislative campaign fund shall make a contribution, other than to a designated state
campaign committee or to the state candidate fund of a political party.
(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall make a
contribution or contributions aggregating more than:
(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a
primary election period or in a general election period;
(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
Page 5
(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary
election period or in a general election period;
(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;
(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund
in a calendar year;
(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political contributing entity or to a political action
committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political contributing entity that
makes a contribution to a political contributing entity or a political action committee affiliated
with it. For purposes of this division, a political contributing entity is affiliated with another
political contributing entity or with a political action committee if they are both established,
financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor
organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary,
division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing
association, or other person.
(b) No political contributing entity shall make a contribution or contributions to a county
political party for the party's state candidate fund.
(C)(1)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no campaign committee of a statewide
candidate shall do any of the following:
(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from
any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action
committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one other campaign
committee in a primary election period or in a general election period;
(iii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two hundred fifty thousand
dollars from any one or combination of state candidate funds of county political parties in a
primary election period or in a general election period.
(b) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall accept a contribution or
contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election
period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate
fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty
thousand.
(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign
committee, no campaign committee of a senate candidate shall do either of the following:
Page 6
(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from
any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action
committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a
county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period
or in a general election period.
(b) No campaign committee of a senate candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions
aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a
general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that
is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.
(3)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign
committee, no campaign committee of a house candidate shall do either of the following:
(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from
any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action
committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a
county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period
or in a general election period.
(b) No campaign committee of a house candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions
aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a
general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that
is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.
(4)(a)(i) Subject to division (C)(4)(a)(ii) of this section and except for a designated state
campaign committee, no county political party shall knowingly accept a contribution or
contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age, or accept a contribution or
contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating more than ten thousand dollars
from any one individual whose designated Ohio residence is located within that county and
who is seven years of age or older or from any one campaign committee in a calendar year.
(ii) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no county political party shall accept a
contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund from any individual whose
designated Ohio residence is located outside of that county and who is seven years of age or
older, from any campaign committee unless the campaign committee's candidate will appear
on a ballot in that county or unless the campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an
Page 7
elected public office that represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the
contribution is accepted, or from any political action committee or any political contributing
entity.
(iii) No county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions from any other county
political party.
(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no state political party shall do either of the
following:
(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating
more than thirty thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older,
from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any
one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar
year.
(5) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no legislative campaign fund shall do either of
the following:
(a) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(b) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than fifteen thousand dollars from
any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action
committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee,
other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.
(6)(a) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of
cash or cash equivalents from a state candidate fund of a state political party aggregating in a
primary election period or a general election period more than:
(i) Five hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a statewide
candidate;
(ii) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate
candidate;
(iii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.
(b) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or
cash equivalents from a legislative campaign fund aggregating more than:
Page 8
(i) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a
general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;
(ii) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a
general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.
(c) No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly,
including a designated state campaign committee, shall accept a transfer or contribution of
cash or cash equivalents from any one or combination of state candidate funds of county
political parties aggregating in a primary election period or a general election period more
than:
(i) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate
candidate;
(ii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.
(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political action committee and no political
contributing entity shall do either of the following:
(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven
years of age;
(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from
any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one campaign committee, or
from any one political party in a calendar year.
(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall accept a
contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from another political
action committee or from a political contributing entity in a calendar year. Subject to division
(D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall accept a contribution or contributions
aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from another political contributing entity or from a
political action committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action
committee or political contributing entity that accepts a contribution from a political action
committee or political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a
political action committee is affiliated with another political action committee or with a political
contributing entity if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by the
same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person,
including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization,
labor organization, continuing association, or other person.
(D)(1)(a) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(2) of this section and the
limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever
Page 9
is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political action
committees that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are, the same
corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person,
including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization,
labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to have been
made by or accepted from a single political action committee.
(b) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(7) of this section and the
limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever
is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political
contributing entities that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are,
the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other
person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation,
organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to
have been made by or accepted from a single political contributing entity.
(2) As used in divisions (B)(1)(a)(vii), (B)(3)(d), (B)(4)(a), and (C)(7) of this section, "political
action committee" does not include a political action committee that is organized to support or
oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions to or expenditures on
behalf of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action
committee, or political contributing entity. As used in divisions (B)(1)(a)(viii), (B)(3)(e), (B)(4)
(a), and (C)(7) of this section, "political contributing entity" does not include a political
contributing entity that is organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that
makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign committee,
legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity.
(3) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in divisions (B)(4) and (C)(7)(a) of this section,
all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from a national political party, a state
political party, and a county political party are considered to have been made by or accepted
from a single political party and shall be combined with each other to determine whether the
limitations have been exceeded.
(E)(1) If a legislative campaign fund has kept a total amount of contributions exceeding one
hundred fifty thousand dollars at the close of business on the seventh day before the
postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised
Code, the legislative campaign fund shall comply with division (E)(2) of this section.
(2)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that has kept a total amount of contributions in excess of
the amount specified in division (E)(1) of this section at the close of business on the seventh
day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of
the Revised Code shall dispose of the excess amount in the manner prescribed in division (E)
Page 10
(2)(b)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section not later than ninety days after the day the postgeneral
election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. Any
legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of contributions
under this division shall file a statement on the ninetieth day after the postgeneral election
statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code indicating the
total amount of contributions the fund has at the close of business on the seventh day before
the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the
Revised Code and that the excess contributions were disposed of pursuant to this division
and division (E)(2)(b) of this section. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the
secretary of state and shall contain any additional information the secretary of state considers
necessary.
(b) Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of
contributions under division (E)(2) of this section shall dispose of that excess amount by doing
any of the following:
(i) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit
of the Ohio election integrity commission fund created by section 111.29 of the Revised Code;
(ii) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions to that legislative campaign fund
as a refund of all or part of their contributions;
(iii) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under
subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(F)(1) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to file a statement required by division (E) of this
section.
(2) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to dispose of excess contributions as required by
division (E) of this section.
(G) Nothing in this section shall affect, be used in determining, or supersede a limitation on
campaign contributions as provided for in the Federal Election Campaign Act.
Page 11§ 3517.102Dollar limits on campaign contributions
en · 28,258 chars · active
Primary source. The text above is the canonical statute body as it appears in this revision of the atlas. Verify against the official gazette before quoting in litigation or formal advice. Spot an error? Suggest a correction.