Ohio Caps Transfer Cost at 0.4%, by Statute
Program and regulatory figures verified October 6, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Transfer costs are the thing that catches physician buyers in some states. Ohio is not one of them, and the statutes say so in plain numbers.
Ohio's transfer cost has two parts
| Component | Rate | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| County auditor conveyance fee | 10¢ per $100 = 0.1% | Mandatory, ORC 319.54(G)(3) |
| County real property transfer tax | up to 30¢ per $100 = up to 0.3% | Optional, by county resolution, ORC 322.02 |
| Statutory maximum combined | 40¢ per $100 = 0.4% | — |
The mandatory piece is worded carefully: the auditor charges "one dollar, or ten cents for each one hundred dollars or fraction of one hundred dollars, whichever is greater, of the value of the real property transferred." On any realistic house price the percentage governs.
The optional piece is a tax "any county may levy and collect... at a rate not to exceed thirty cents per hundred dollars," adopted by resolution of the board of county commissioners. ORC 322.02 was last amended effective 9 April 2025 by House Bill 497.
★ What is my county's rate?
We will not tell you, and we would rather explain why than guess.
ORC 322.02 makes the additional tax a local resolution, so it varies county by county between nothing and thirty cents per hundred dollars. The Ohio Department of Taxation publishes a conveyance-fee series, but tax.ohio.gov returns an error to every automated tool we tried, so we have no readable primary source for individual county rates and we have verified none.
Ask your county auditor. That is the office that collects it, and the figure is a phone call away. What we can tell you with certainty is the statutory ceiling, because the statutes are readable.
Mike's view: an honest "here is the cap, here is who knows your number" is worth more than a confident figure from an aggregator that nobody checked.
What 0.4% means in context
It means Ohio is cheap to transact in by any measure, and startlingly so against the state we built alongside it:
| Purchase price | Ohio at the 0.4% cap | Philadelphia at 4.578% | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $1,200 | $13,734 | $12,534 |
| $330,327 (Columbus typical) | $1,321 | $15,122 | $13,801 |
| $400,000 | $1,600 | $18,312 | $16,712 |
And remember the Ohio column is the maximum. In a county that has not levied the permissive tax, the figure is a quarter of that.
Why this matters for a physician loan
Because 100% financing covers the purchase price and not the cash costs. In a state with a heavy transfer tax, that gap is the thing that derails a closing, and planning for it is the first conversation.
In Ohio it is a minor line item. On a $330,327 Columbus purchase, the transfer cost at the statutory maximum is $1,321. That is real money but it is not a planning problem, and it means an Ohio physician buyer can think about the loan rather than about the closing table.
Which is why this site's attention goes to the loan repayment penalty instead. That is where the money is.
What is the tax charged on?
The value of the real property transferred. The mandatory fee under ORC 319.54(G)(3) is charged for receiving statements of value and administering ORC 319.202, which is the statement-of-value filing that accompanies a transfer.
Both statutes also carry exemptions for certain transfers. We are lenders, not title counsel, so if you think a transfer may be exempt, that is a question for your closing agent or your attorney rather than for us.
What else is due at closing?
Recording fees, prepaid items such as taxes and insurance, and any reserves. None of those are financed by the loan either, and in Ohio they will typically add up to more than the transfer cost does.
We will give you the whole figure on your own file rather than a generic estimate. Call (480) 296-6513.
Frequently asked questions
How much is transfer tax in Ohio?
Ohio's statutory maximum is 0.4%. Ohio Revised Code 319.54(G)(3) sets a mandatory county auditor conveyance fee of one dollar or ten cents per hundred dollars of value, whichever is greater, which is 0.1%. ORC 322.02 permits a county to levy an additional real property transfer tax not exceeding thirty cents per hundred dollars, which is 0.3%, by resolution of the county commissioners. Verified 2026-10-06.Does every Ohio county charge the full transfer tax?
No. The 0.1% conveyance fee is mandatory, but the additional tax of up to 0.3% is permissive and levied by resolution of each county's board of commissioners, so it varies from nothing up to thirty cents per hundred dollars. Your county auditor is the office that collects it and can give you the current local figure.Is Ohio cheaper to buy a house in than Pennsylvania?
On transfer costs, dramatically. Ohio's statutory maximum is 0.4% where Philadelphia charges a combined 4.578%, roughly eleven times as much. On a $400,000 purchase that is at most $1,600 in Ohio against $18,312 in Philadelphia, a difference of $16,712. Verified against the Ohio Revised Code and the City of Philadelphia 2026-10-06.Does a physician loan cover Ohio closing costs?
A physician loan can finance up to 100% of the purchase price with no private mortgage insurance, which covers the down payment but not cash costs. Transfer costs, recording fees, prepaid items and reserves are still due at closing. In Ohio the transfer cost is modest, at most 0.4% of the price, so it is usually the smaller part of that total.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change. Ohio Physician Loan Repayment Program award amounts, eligibility, service terms and penalties are set by the Ohio Department of Health and change; the figures here carry the date we verified them against the Department's published application packet and the Ohio Revised Code, and ODH's own pages cannot be read by automated tools, so confirm your position with the Department. Ohio conveyance fees and county real property transfer taxes are set by statute and by county resolution and change. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.