Ohio Rev. Code § 3773.42
Upon the proper filing of an application for a referee's, judge's, matchmaker's, timekeeper's, manager's, trainer's, contestant's, or second's license and payment of the applicable application fee, the Ohio athletic commission shall issue the license to the applicant if it determines that the applicant is not likely to engage in acts detrimental to the fair and honest conduct of public boxing matches, mixed martial arts events, or any other unarmed combat sports regulated by the commission and is qualified to hold such a license by reason of the applicant's knowledge and experience.
A person shall not be determined to possess the knowledge and experience necessary to qualify that person to hold a referee's license unless all of the following conditions are met:
The commission shall issue a referee's license to each person who meets the requirements of divisions (A) and (B) of this section.
If upon the proper filing of an application for a contestant's license the commission determines that the applicant is not likely to engage in acts detrimental to the conduct of public boxing matches, mixed martial arts events, or any other unarmed combat sports regulated by the commission and possesses sufficient knowledge and experience, the commission shall issue the license to the applicant.
Each license issued pursuant to this section shall bear the correct name, or assumed name, if any, of the licensee, the address of the licensee, the date of issue, and a number designated by the commission.
A license issued pursuant to this section shall expire twelve months after its date of issue unless renewed. Upon application for renewal and payment of the renewal fee prescribed in section 3773.43 of the Revised Code, the commission shall renew the license unless it denies the application for one or more reasons stated in section 3123.47 or 3773.53 of the Revised Code.
R.C. § 3773.42