Ohio physician non-compete law
Ohio enforces physician non-competes within defined limits.
Ohio treats a reasonable physician non-compete as binding, so assume yours will apply and negotiate the scope down before you sign. Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 5–25 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. Narrow the radius to the specific sites where you practiced, shorten the term, and ask for a defined buyout as a release valve.
- Posture
- Enforceable, but physician covenants get heightened scrutiny
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
- 5–25 miles
- Term that tends to stand
- 12–24 months
These are the general rules for Ohio. Your contract's exact radius, term, and buyout decide how it actually lands. See how your own clause compares — free.
Check your contract — free →A case that shaped this
Castillo-Sang v. Christ Hospital Cardiovascular Associates, LLC (2020, Ohio Ct. App. (1st Dist.)) — Non-compete against a rare mitral-valve cardiac surgeon held unenforceable and NOT reformed; court found no reasonable restriction existed and that barring his surgeries would injure the public. 2020-Ohio-6865.
The detailed picture
Ohio is purely common-law (no enacted physician non-compete statute as of June 2026). Covenants are enforceable under the Raimonde v. Van Vlerah (1975) three-part reasonableness test, but courts apply HEIGHTENED, physician-favorable scrutiny under Williams v. Hobbs because physician restrictions affect the public's access to care, and courts increasingly STRIKE (rather than reform) overbroad terms. Narrowly-tailored restrictions of roughly 1-2 years and a single-county/small-mile radius are typically upheld; multi-county, statewide, or 2-yr/35-mi restrictions have been struck or judicially narrowed. Two reform bills remain PENDING but NOT enacted: SB 11 (136th GA), a full all-worker non-compete ban, is stalled in Senate committee; SB 301 would cap physician/PA/APRN non-competes at nonprofit hospitals to 6 months and 15 miles. The 2024 FTC non-compete rule was blocked by a Texas federal court (Aug 2024), so no federal preemption applies.
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in Ohio?
Ohio enforces physician non-competes within defined limits.
How far and how long can a Ohio physician non-compete reach?
Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 5–25 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. The radius and term in your specific contract decide how it lands — check your own clause.
Other states
General legal information, not legal advice. Non-compete enforceability turns on the exact wording of your contract and your circumstances; this page describes the state's general posture as last reviewed 2026-06-10.