Every fee on the page.
Cancel within 60 days of your first charge, and your money comes back automatically.
How the guarantee works →Ohio camp licensing requirements.
Who licenses day camps and overnight camps in Ohio, under which rules, and who is exempt. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Get startedor book a demo
Day camps and overnight camps in Ohio
| Camp type | What the state asks | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Day camps | State registration | Child day camps must register every year with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth unless an exemption in R.C. 5104.21 applies.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | State permit | Resident camps need a permit from the local board of health with jurisdiction, under the Ohio Department of Health's resident camp rules.Source: Rule 3701-25-03 | Responsibility of the operator., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Who oversees camps in Ohio
| Agency | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ohio Department of Children and Youth | Registers child day camps and approves camps that seek publicly funded child care.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Local boards of health (city and general health districts) | Grant permission to operate resident camps.Source: Resident Camp Program | Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Ohio Department of Health, Resident Camp Program | Sets the statewide resident camp standards.Source: Resident Camp Program | Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026. |
Staff-to-camper ratios in Ohio
One staff member to the number of campers shown, as the rule sets it.
| Applies to | Group | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Day camps | Children 5 to 11 years old, approved child day camps only | 1:18Source: Rule 5180:2-18-09 | Supervision of children and ratios for an approved child day camp., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Day camps | Children 11 to 18 years old, approved child day camps only | 1:20Source: Rule 5180:2-18-09 | Supervision of children and ratios for an approved child day camp., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Exemptions
- Day camps that run two consecutive weeks or less, and no more than two weeks a year, do not have to register.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs for children 5 and older run by a county, township, municipality, park district or joint recreation district are exempt.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Organized training or instruction, such as art, sport or computers, for at most eight hours a week is exempt.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs where a parent or guardian of each child stays on site and readily accessible are exempt, unless held at a parent's workplace.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Day camps regulated by another state department are exempt from Department of Children and Youth registration.Source: Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Universities, colleges and other registered educational facilities are not resident camps under the Department of Health rules.Source: Rule 3701-25-01 | Definitions., Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
Official rules
- Ohio Revised Code 5104.21
Child day camp registrationOhio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. - Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5180:2-18
Child Day CampsOhio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026. - Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-25
Camps (resident camps)Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- Section 5104.21 | Child day camp registration.Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Rule 5180:2-18-03 | Approved child day camp registration and application.Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Rule 5180:2-18-09 | Supervision of children and ratios for an approved child day camp.Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Rule 3701-25-03 | Responsibility of the operator.Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Rule 3701-25-01 | Definitions.Ohio Laws (codes.ohio.gov). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Resident Camp Program | Ohio Department of HealthOhio Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 2, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
Rules change, and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency before you open or change a program.
This page is a summary of public rules. It is not legal advice, and Bloomily does not file license applications.
Camp licensing in other states
- Alabama
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Arizona
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Arkansas
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- California
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Colorado
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Connecticut
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Delaware
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Florida
Day camps: no state license. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Georgia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Idaho
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Illinois
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Indiana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Kentucky
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Louisiana
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Maine
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Maryland
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- Massachusetts
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Michigan
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Mississippi
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Missouri
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Montana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Nebraska
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: no state license.
- Nevada
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Hampshire
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Jersey
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- New York
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- North Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Oregon
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- South Carolina
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- South Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Tennessee
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Texas
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Vermont
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Washington
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state registration.
- West Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Wisconsin
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
Running the camp itself
- See camp registration software
Online forms, deposits, waitlists and check-in for day camps and summer camps.
Check us before you commit.
Three things directors ask before they start, answered where you can read them.
Help whenever you need it.
AI help is built in, plus full support from our team. Ask a question, and it answers from your own records.
How AI help works →Children’s data deserves grown-up care.
Encrypted on the way and at rest. Each program’s records are walled off. We never hold card numbers.
Trust and security →Running a camp in Ohio? Put forms, deposits, waitlists and check-in on Bloomily.
Get startedor book a demo
One flat price per camp, never per child. $199 a month billed yearly ($2,388), or $249 month to month. Free for home daycares up to 18 children. Every fee is on the pricing page.
Sign up today and set up in an afternoon.
Run more than one kind of program? Talk to us.