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Ohio Rules of Evidence – 2026

The Ohio Rules of Evidence govern what information may be presented at trial in Ohio courts. They establish standards for the admissibility of testimony, documents, and other evidence.

Browse all 62 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

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Article I: General Provisions Article II: Judicial Notice Article III: Presumptions Article IV: Relevancy and Its Limits Article V: Privileges Article VI: Witnesses Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony Article VIII: Hearsay Article IX: Authentication and Identification Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings and Photographs Article XI: Miscellaneous Rules

Article I: General Provisions

Rule 101 Scope of Rules: Applicability; Privileges; Exceptions Rule 102 Purpose and Construction Rule 103 Rulings on Evidence Rule 104 Preliminary Questions Rule 105 Limited Admissibility Rule 106 Remainder of or Related Writings or Recorded Statements

Article II: Judicial Notice

Rule 201 Judicial Notice of Adjudicative Facts

Article III: Presumptions

Rule 301 Presumptions in General in Civil Actions and Proceedings

Article IV: Relevancy and Its Limits

Rule 401 Definition of “Relevant Evidence.” Rule 402 Relevant Evidence Generally Admissible; Irrelevant Evidence Inadmissible Rule 403 Exclusion of Relevant Evidence on Grounds of Prejudice, Confusion, or Undue Rule 404 Character Evidence not Admissible to Prove Conduct; Exceptions; Other Rule 405 Methods of Proving Character Rule 406 Habit; Routine Practice Rule 407 Subsequent Remedial Measures Rule 408 Compromise and Offers to Compromise Rule 409 Payment of Medical and Similar Expenses Rule 410 Inadmissibility of Pleas, Offers of Pleas, and Related Statements Rule 411 Liability Insurance

Article V: Privileges

Rule 501 General Rule Rule 502 Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product; Limitations on Waiver

Article VI: Witnesses

Rule 601 General Rule of Competency Rule 602 Lack of Personal Knowledge Rule 603 Oath or Affirmation Rule 604 Interpreters Rule 605 Competency of Judge as Witness Rule 606 Competency of Juror as Witness Rule 607 Impeachment Rule 608 Evidence of Character and Conduct of Witness Rule 609 Impeachment by Evidence of Conviction of Crime Rule 610 Religious Beliefs or Opinions Rule 611 Mode and Order of Interrogation and Presentation Rule 612 Writing Used to Refresh Memory Rule 613 Impeachment by Self-Contradiction Rule 614 Calling and Interrogation of Witnesses by Court Rule 615 Separation and Exclusion of Witnesses Rule 616 Methods of impeachment

Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony

Rule 701 Opinion Testimony by Lay Witnesses Rule 702 Testimony by Experts Rule 703 Bases of Opinion Testimony by Experts Rule 704 Opinion on Ultimate Issue Rule 705 Disclosure of Facts or Data Underlying Expert Opinion

Article VIII: Hearsay

Rule 801 Definitions Rule 802 Hearsay Rule Rule 803 Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial Rule 804 Hearsay Exceptions; Declarant Unavailable Rule 805 Hearsay Within Hearsay Rule 806 Attacking and Supporting Credibility of Declarant Rule 807 Hearsay Exceptions; Child Statements in Abuse Cases

Article IX: Authentication and Identification

Rule 901 Requirement of Authentication or Identification Rule 902 Self-Authentication Rule 903 Subscribing Witness' Testimony Unnecessary

Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings and Photographs

Rule 1001 Definitions Rule 1002 Requirement of Original Rule 1003 Admissibility of Duplicates Rule 1004 Admissibility of Other Evidence of Contents Rule 1005 Public Records Rule 1006 Summaries Rule 1007 Testimony or Written Admission of Party Rule 1008 Functions of Court and Jury

Article XI: Miscellaneous Rules

Rule 1102 Effective Date Rule 1103 Title

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Ohio Rules of Evidence cover?
The Ohio Rules of Evidence govern what information can be presented at trial in Ohio state courts, including standards for witness testimony, documents, photographs, and other types of evidence. They apply in civil and criminal proceedings and set out when evidence may be admitted, excluded, or limited by a judge.
How do the Ohio Rules of Evidence compare to the Federal Rules of Evidence?
The Ohio Rules of Evidence are modeled closely after the Federal Rules of Evidence but apply only in Ohio state courts, while the federal rules govern proceedings in U.S. district courts. There are meaningful differences in specific provisions, so anyone researching an Ohio state court case should work from the Ohio rules directly rather than assuming the federal rules match.
Where in the Ohio Rules of Evidence would I find rules about witness testimony and expert opinions?
Witness competency and testimony are covered in the 600s rules (such as Ohio Evid.R. 601 through 615), while expert opinion testimony falls under the 700s rules, including Ohio Evid.R. 702, which sets out the requirements for expert witnesses in Ohio courts. The 62 rules are organized by topic, so checking the rule number range is a quick way to locate a specific subject area.