A reference in these Rules to a section of the Revised Code shall mean the section as amended from time to time including the enactment of additional sections the numbers of which are subsequent to the section referred to in the rules.
Rule 81.References to Ohio Revised Code
Last amended July 1, 1970 · Last verified July 1, 2026
In one sentenceRule 81 provides that any reference in the Civil Rules to a Revised Code section means that section as amended from time to time, including any enactment or amendment made after the rule itself was adopted.
Full Text of Rule 81
Amendment History
Effective Date: July 1, 1970
Plain-English Summary
A reference in the Civil Rules to a section of the Revised Code means that section as it exists from time to time, carrying forward any amendment made to it, including one enacted or effective after the Civil Rule referencing it was adopted. This keeps a rule's cross-reference to a statute current automatically, without requiring an amendment to the Civil Rules every time the General Assembly updates the referenced statute.
Frequently Asked Questions
When a civil rule cites a Revised Code section, does it mean the version of that statute in effect when the rule was written?
No. Rule 81 provides that the reference means the statute as amended from time to time, so later statutory amendments are automatically incorporated without needing to amend the rule itself.
Does Rule 81 apply to statutes enacted after the citing rule was adopted?
Yes. It covers amendments and enactments made even after the Civil Rule containing the reference was adopted.
Why does Rule 81 matter for reading the Civil Rules?
It means any statutory cross-reference in the rules should be read against the current version of the Revised Code section, not a frozen version from when the rule was written.
Source & verification. The rule text, Effective Date, Amended dates, and Staff Notes are reproduced verbatim from the
official Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure (Ohio R. Civ. P. 81). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Ohio (Ohio Constitution, Art. IV, § 5(B)). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: statutory cross-referenceRevised Code reference