Understanding Victims Compensation in Ohio: A Comprehensive Guide to Eligibility, Benefits, and the Application Process

What Is Ohio Crime Victim Compensation?

The Ohio Attorney General’s Crime Victim Compensation program can repay certain out-of-pocket costs after a violent crime. The Attorney General’s Office says financial assistance may be available for innocent victims and their family members, including medical and counseling bills, work loss, and funeral expenses. It generally cannot pay property expenses.

This is a state benefit, not a lawsuit. It does not pay pain and suffering. The Ohio Court of Claims describes the same program: the Attorney General investigates the claim and issues the first decision, and the Court of Claims provides judicial review.

If you were injured during a crime — including where property security was inadequate — a civil claim is a separate path. You can request a free case review while you apply with the state, or call 833-236-8253.

Who Can Apply for Crime Victim Compensation in Ohio?

The Attorney General’s apply page says you may be eligible when each of these is true:

• The crime was reported to law enforcement.
• The victim cooperated with requests of law enforcement.
• The victim was not committing a criminal act that caused or contributed to the injuries, except in homicide claims.
• The victim has expenses that are not fully covered by collateral sources (other sources of payment) such as workers’ compensation, life insurance, or medical insurance.
• You are the victim, a dependent of a homicide victim, or responsible for some of the victim’s expenses.

The same page says reimbursement may be available to:

• Victims injured as a result of a violent crime.
• Dependents of homicide victims.
• People responsible for a victim’s expenses, such as a parent or guardian.

It says these people may not be eligible:

• Offenders or accomplices.
• Victims whose crimes are not reported to law enforcement.
• Victims who do not fully cooperate with law enforcement.
• Victims who committed criminal or tortious acts (civil wrongs) that contributed to their injuries.

What is the deadline to apply?

File within 3 years of the date of the crime, unless the claimant is a minor. The apply page says a minor claimant has until their 24th birthday.

The application form says the claimant cannot be a minor, and that a separate application is required for each victim. Read that instruction next to the minor-deadline rule and confirm who should sign with Crime Victim Services before you file.

Does a criminal record matter?

The apply page also says that, as of March 2, 2022, criminal backgrounds are no longer disqualifiers, and possession of a felony drug at the time of the incident is no longer a disqualifier. Someone previously denied for those reasons may refile if the crime was no more than 3 years before the new application.

Do you still have to report the crime?

The Ohio Court of Claims says the former 72-hour deadline for a police report has been eliminated. You still have to report the crime. It also says you can apply if the person who hurt you was never charged, as long as you fully cooperate with the investigation and prosecution.

What Can Crime Victim Compensation in Ohio Cover?

The apply page lists these categories. The $50,000 figure is a cap on total payments, not a promise of what any claim will pay. Several expenses have their own caps.

• Medical and related expenses.
• Counseling for immediate family members of victims of homicide, sexual assault, or domestic violence. The application form also lists counseling for the victim.
• Wages lost because of the crime.
• Crime scene cleanup for personal security, such as doors and windows. The application and the fiscal year 2024 report cap this at $750.
• The cost to replace items taken as evidence. The application and the fiscal year 2024 report cap this at $750.
• Clothing damaged because of medical treatment or assessment.
• Hearing aids, eyeglasses or other vision aids, dental appliances, teeth or other dental aids, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and other mobility equipment.
• Lost wages and travel for family members of a deceased victim to attend court proceedings.
• Financial support for dependents of a deceased victim.
• Funeral and burial expenses. The application and the fiscal year 2024 report cap these at $7,500.

What will Ohio not pay?

The Attorney General’s Office will not reimburse expenses another source can cover, such as insurance. Submit those bills first. The program does not pay pain and suffering, or stolen, damaged, or lost property. The application says an award must be at least $50 before payment is made.

Can you get emergency help?

After you file, the application says the law may allow an emergency award of up to $2,000 if a final award is likely and the crime will cause undue hardship without immediate help.

What did the program pay in a recent year?

The fiscal year 2024 Crime Victim Services report covers July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Those are past-year figures, not a forecast of a new claim. Assault was the most common award category, and homicide accounted for the most money paid.

How to Apply for Victims Compensation in Ohio

1. 1Confirm the crime was reported to law enforcement and that the victim cooperated. The Court of Claims says the old 72-hour police-report deadline no longer applies.
2. 2Register and file in the Crime Victim’s Compensation Portal, or download the Attorney General’s application.
3. 3Gather the law-enforcement report, itemized bills, and insurance details. The form says all bills must go to insurance or other benefit plans before compensation can be considered.
4. 4Sign the application. The form says the claimant cannot be a minor, and it asks for a separate application for each victim.
5. 5Submit online, or mail the form to Crime Victim Services Section, 30 E. Broad Street, 26th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215. You can fax it to 614-752-2732 or 855-229-0600, or email a PDF or Word file to CrimeVictimsCompensationApplications@OhioAGO.gov. Photos and screenshots are not accepted.
6. 6Respond to follow-up requests. A supplemental application is available for expenses that come up after the first filing.

Questions about the state application: (877) 584-2846 for general information, (800) 582-2877 for a specific case, or (614) 466-5610. Start with the Ohio Attorney General apply page or the Crime Victim’s Compensation Portal.

What Documents Should an Ohio Claim Include?

The application asks applicants to support the claim with records such as:

• The law-enforcement agency the crime was reported to, the date it was reported, and where it happened.
• Itemized medical or counseling bills, plus insurance or benefit-plan information. The form says bills must be submitted to those plans first.
• For hospital bills, household size and annual household income at the time of the hospitalization, which the form uses for the Hospital Care Assurance Program.
• For lost wages: copies of six paychecks from before the crime, the dates you were absent, and the doctor who certified the time off.
• For funeral expenses: the funeral home’s name and address, and a death certificate if you have one.
• A signed authorization so the Attorney General can request records. The form says leaving off a Social Security number may significantly slow the claim, and that the application is a public record except for information state or federal law protects.

What If Your Ohio Application Is Delayed or Denied?

For a general look at how long victim compensation can take, see How Long Does Victim Compensation Take?.

How do you appeal an Ohio decision?

The Attorney General investigates the claim and issues the decision. If you disagree with that decision, in whole or in part, the Ohio Court of Claims says you may appeal an award, the amount of an award, or a denial.

1. 1File the appeal within 30 days of the Attorney General’s final decision. The Court says there is no fee to appeal a compensation decision.
2. 2The Court of Claims says it will hold a hearing within 90 days. You can testify and ask the Court to subpoena witnesses (order them to appear).
3. 3It says it will issue a written decision within 60 days after the hearing, and that the decision is final.

Do you need a lawyer?

You do not need an attorney to apply or to appeal. The Court of Claims says that if you hire one to help with the compensation claim:

• The program pays that fee, and it is not taken out of the award.
• The attorney submits the fee to the program.
• The attorney cannot charge you for help filing the claim or for representation in the application or appeal.

The fiscal year 2024 report cites the compensation statute on protection orders. It says an attorney who obtains a protection order that physically separates the victim from the offender may be paid reasonable fees not exceeding $1,000, at a rate not exceeding $100 an hour. Travel to court hearings is not more than $30 an hour.

A decision on the state benefit does not decide a civil claim. Traction Law Group focuses on civil claims for people injured during violent crimes. That review is free, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. Request a free case review or call 833-236-8253.

Amounts, deadlines, and covered expenses on this page are drawn from the Ohio Attorney General’s Apply for Victims Compensation page, the program application, the fiscal year 2024 Crime Victim Services report, and the Ohio Court of Claims Crime Victims Compensation page, accessed September 28, 2026. Confirm the current rules there before you file. This guide is not legal advice.