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Meeting minutes in Ohio: when they are due and what executive session minutes say

Short answer

Ohio's law says: "The minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly prepared, filed, and maintained and shall be open to public inspection. The minutes need only reflect the general subject matter of discussions in executive sessions authorized under division (G) or (J) of this section." The law sets no number of days.(Ohio Rev. Code § 121.22(C))

This guide explains the law in plain words; it is not legal advice. For a question about your board, ask your legal counsel.
By Clarivis · Checked against Ohio Rev. Code §§ 121.22(C), 149.38, 149.39, 149.41 and 149.42 on Sat, Oct 24, 2026.

Where this fits in your meeting cycle: Clarivis is software that helps a body follow these steps: it shows when a special meeting's notice is due to the news media that have requested notification, flags an executive session item until a Statutory basis is selected, and drafts the minutes for your body to correct and approve; it does not give the notice or tell the news media for you.

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Questions on this page

Each answer below quotes Ohio's law.

When are minutes due?

Statute text

“The minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly prepared, filed, and maintained and shall be open to public inspection.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 121.22(C)

The law sets no number of days.

What about executive session minutes?

Statute text

“The minutes need only reflect the general subject matter of discussions in executive sessions authorized under division (G) or (J) of this section.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 121.22(C)

Executive session guide

How long are minutes kept?

Ohio's open meetings law says minutes are "maintained" but sets no period for keeping them. How long a body keeps them is set by the schedules of records retention and disposition that its county, township, municipal or school district records commission reviews.

For a county body:

Statute text

“The functions of the county records commission shall be to provide rules for retention and disposal of records of the county, and to review applications for one-time disposal of obsolete records and schedules of records retention and disposition submitted by county offices.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 149.38(B)(1)

For a township body:

Statute text

“The function of the commission shall be to review applications for one-time disposal of obsolete records and schedules of records retention and disposition submitted by township offices.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 149.42

For a city or village body:

Statute text

“The functions of the commission shall be to provide rules for retention and disposal of records of the municipal corporation, and to review applications for one-time disposal of obsolete records and schedules of records retention and disposition submitted by municipal offices.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 149.39

For a board of education:

Statute text

“The function of the commission shall be to review applications for one-time disposal of obsolete records and schedules of records retention and disposition submitted by any employee of the school district or educational service center.”

Ohio Rev. Code § 149.41

Checklist for meeting minutes

  • "The minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly prepared, filed, and maintained and shall be open to public inspection." (§ 121.22(C))

Meeting notice guide

What the law does not settle

These are questions to take to your legal counsel; this guide does not answer them.

  • How soon minutes must be prepared, filed and open to inspection to count as "promptly". The law sets no number of days.
  • How much an executive session's minutes must say to reflect its "general subject matter".

How Clarivis helps

Clarivis drafts; people decide.

  • Records and transcribes the meeting, then drafts minutes from the transcript for your Committee Admin or Editor to read and correct before your body approves them.
  • Shows no minutes due date. Ohio's law sets no number of days, so Clarivis records when the minutes were published and flags no date.
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This guide for other states

Sources