What are the Ohio felony crimes by class and sentences?

Ohio’s felony offenses are sorted into five degrees of felonies. A first-degree felony is a very serious crime, while a fifth-degree felony is the least serious class. Ohio has a specific sentencing range that corresponds to the severity of the degree. However, certain extremely serious crimes are outside of the felony degree system, and they have a separate set of rules for sentencing.

Examples of Felony Classifications

Though there are a variety of felony offenses within Ohio, common crimes are typically classified into these levels:

Unclassified felonies include aggravated murder.

First-degree felonies include murder, kidnapping, and rape.

Second-degree felonies include abduction and illegally creating explosives.

Third-degree felonies include fleeing and eluding and certain drug offenses.

Fourth-degree felonies include sexual conduct with a minor and grand theft auto.

Fifth-degree felonies include receiving stolen property and breaking and entering.

Sentencing for Unclassified Felonies
Unclassified felonies are considered the most severe of all felonies in Ohio. There are mandatory prison terms for unclassified felonies. Therefore, a person convicted of aggravated murder will have a prison sentence of at least 20 years, and a person convicted of murder must serve at least 15 years in prison. Depending on the circumstances, a person convicted of an unclassified felony may face a life sentence. They may also face a maximum fine of $20,000 for murder or $25,00 for aggravated murder.

Sentencing for Felony Levels
If a person is convicted of a classified felony in Ohio, their sentence will be within a certain range:

First-degree felonies — 3 years to 11 years in prison and a maximum of $20,000 in fines

Second-degree felonies — 2 years to 8 years in prison and a maximum of $15,000 in fines

Third-degree felonies — 9 months to 36 month (1-5 years for certain F-3’s) in prison and a maximum of $10,000 in fines

Fourth-degree felonies — 6 months to 18 months in prison and a maximum of $5,000 in fines

Fifth-degree felonies — 6 months to 12 months in prison and a maximum of $2,500 in fines

However, Ohio law has mandatory sentencing for particularly serious felonies. Rape, other sexual offenses, attempted rape of a child, and possessing a firearm while committing a felony all have harsher prison sentences than other crimes within their felony level.