OPIF - Online Public Inspection File

While the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1345) prohibits unfair, deceptive or unconscionable acts by suppliers, the statute does not identify every prohibited practice. Such determinations are often left to the courts.

The CSPA allows for enhanced damages to be assessed against a supplier for a violation that has been previously addressed in an administrative rule or by any Ohio court if the Attorney General’s Office has that decision available in its Public Inspection File. In such a case, a consumer may recover three times the amount of actual damages or $200, whichever is greater.

Until now, the Attorney General's Public Inspection File has been available only through requests made to the Consumer Protection Section. Now, on the OPIF web page, the legal community, consumers and suppliers can submit inquiries that will lead them to the relevant legal holdings. By using OPIF, the legal community, consumers and covered suppliers can ensure that consumer transactions meet the requirements of Ohio law.

• Search for Public Inspection Files