Ohio does not require private employers to use E-Verify, though state contractors must enroll under Executive Order 2025-01. Cincinnati does not impose a city-wide private E-Verify mandate.
Federal law makes E-Verify voluntary for most private employers but mandatory for federal contractors under FAR 52.222-54. Ohio Executive Order 2025-01, signed by Governor DeWine, requires state agencies and state contractors over $75,000 to enroll in E-Verify. The order does not extend to municipalities or general private businesses. Cincinnati follows federal Form I-9 requirements for its own employees and does not impose an additional E-Verify mandate on private employers operating within the city, consistent with sanctuary-city policy and Ohio Home Rule. State legislators periodically introduce broader E-Verify mandates, none of which has yet passed.
Federal contractors who skip E-Verify face suspension and debarment. Most Cincinnati private employers without state contracts have no E-Verify obligation beyond federal Form I-9.
See how Cincinnati's e-verify mandates rules stack up against other locations.
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