Ohio 211 Designation and Sponsorship Policy
Ohio 211 was authorized by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in Case No. 93-1799-TP-COI on June 21, 2001, to serve as the implementation coordinator for 211 in the state of Ohio. Pursuant to this ruling, Ohio 211 created policies to govern the 211 designation process.
As of February 2026, Ohio 211 has designated or authorized 211 service for all counties in Ohio. Ohio 211 welcomes local sponsors of the 211 service for a county or region if they desire to partner with the existing regional 211 provider to fund the 211 service and promote 211 within the local community.
In addition, Ohio 211 has established an expedited designation process for mergers, mutually agreed upon transfers of a designation between organizations, designee business closure, or revocation of the designation by the current designee. If a designee ceases to fund the 211 service and does not remain in contact with Ohio 211, they will be considered to have revoked their 211 designation.
Any entity interested in applying for a 211 designation in Ohio must submit the application for designation as a 211 and provide all required documentation. To be designated, an entity is required to:
- Ensure quality service as evidenced by 24 hour, 7 day a week service delivery by an organization that is accredited by Inform USA and adherence to the current version of the Inform USA Standards and Quality Indicators for the Provision of Information and Referral. Accreditation must be obtained prior to designation.
- Demonstrate a plan to fund and market 211 within the service area.
- Demonstrate local support for designation as the 211 for that county as evidenced by letters of support from 80% of required organizations as listed in the application.
If you are interested in learning more about the 211 designation or sponsorship process for a county in Ohio, please use our contact form for more information about the application process and timeline.
