Ohio · Sales tax registration
Ohio vendor's license application, done for you.
Ohio does this differently from almost every other state in two ways. Form ST-1 goes to the auditor of the county where the sales will be made rather than to a state department, and unlike most states, there is a fee. The Ohio Business Gateway is the faster route and issues the licence immediately.
Who you are dealing with
County Auditor, for the county where sales are made
- Handles:
- Issuing the vendor's license
- System:
- County auditor's office, or the Ohio Business Gateway
- Form:
- Form ST-1, Application for Vendor's License to Make Taxable Sales, with the fee, submitted to the auditor of the county in which the sales are to be made
Ohio Department of Taxation
- Handles:
- The sales tax account behind the licence, and the returns you file afterwards
- System:
- Ohio Business Gateway
- Form:
- Vendor's licenses can be obtained immediately through the Gateway, but you must establish a Gateway account first
- Phone:
- 888-405-4039
State fee. Ohio charges for a vendor's license, which makes it unusual. The amount depends on the licence type and the county, and county auditor offices publish differing figures, so we confirm the exact fee with your county before filing rather than quoting a number that may not apply to you. We pass it through at cost.
When you have to register
You need the licence before making taxable retail sales in Ohio. Because it is issued per county of sale, a business selling from more than one Ohio location needs to think about where its licences sit rather than assuming one covers the state.
What comes next
Not applicable to an application, but the asymmetry is worth knowing. A county auditor issues the licence. Cancelling it happens on the final state sales tax return, within 15 days of your final sale, by entering the last day of business. Different office at each end.
How long it takes
The Ohio Business Gateway issues vendor's licenses immediately, once you have established a Gateway account. County auditor offices commonly ask you to allow several weeks for a paper application. We use the Gateway unless there is a reason not to.
What we do
We work out exactly which accounts you need, prepare and submit each registration, and hand you the account numbers, rates, and deposit schedules your payroll system asks for. One flat price per account, and any state fee passed through at cost.
What makes Ohio harder than average
- It comes from a county, not the state. The ST-1 goes to the auditor of the county where sales are made. Almost every other state issues its sales permit centrally, so people look for a state portal and conclude Ohio has hidden it.
- There is a fee, and the amount is not uniform. Ohio charges for a vendor's license where most states charge nothing, and county auditor offices publish different figures depending on licence type. Confirm before you file rather than assuming.
- The Gateway needs an account before it can help you. Vendor's licenses issue immediately through the Ohio Business Gateway, but only once a Gateway account exists. That set-up step is the actual first task.
- Issued by a county, cancelled by the state. The licence arrives from a county auditor and is cancelled by completing the last-day-of-business section on your final state sales tax return, within 15 days of the final sale. Nothing about the application prepares you for that.
Questions and answers
Why is Ohio's sales tax licence handled by a county?
That is simply how Ohio structures it. Form ST-1 is submitted to the auditor of the county in which the sales are to be made. Most states issue centrally, which is why Ohio catches people out.
How much does it cost?
Ohio charges a fee, unlike most states, and the amount varies by licence type and county. We confirm the current figure with your county auditor before filing and pass it through at cost rather than quoting a number that might not apply.
What is the fastest way to get one?
The Ohio Business Gateway issues vendor's licenses immediately, provided you have already established a Gateway account. Paper applications through a county auditor take considerably longer.
I sell from two Ohio locations. Do I need two licences?
Because the licence is issued for the county where sales are made, multiple Ohio locations need thinking through rather than assuming one licence covers everywhere. Tell us where you sell from and we will work it out.
What do you need from me to start?
The legal name and FEIN, the Ohio counties you will sell from, the date taxable sales begin, and whether you already have an Ohio Business Gateway account.
Agency details verified 2026-08-03