Registration No. 333-36165
                                            filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)


                               CINTAS CORPORATION

                          96,567 shares of Common Stock
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        This  Prospectus  relates to 96,567 shares of Common Stock,  without par
value,  of  Cintas  Corporation,  a  Washington  corporation  ("Cintas"  or  the
"Company").  These shares are being offered for sale by David  Hoggan,  Scott R.
Petersen,   Howard  High,   and  Central   Welding  and  Supply  (the   "Selling
Shareholders").  David  Hoggan and Scott R.  Petersen  acquired  their shares in
connection  with an  acquisition  by Cintas of  Petragon,  Inc.,  a  corporation
previously owned by David Hoggan and Scott R. Petersen. Howard High acquired his
shares through a gift from David Hoggan; Central Welding and Supply acquired its
shares through a gift from Scott R. Petersen.

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        The Common  Stock may be offered to the public  from time to time by the
Selling Shareholders.  See "Selling Shareholders." The Company will receive none
of the proceeds  from the sale of the Common  Stock by the Selling  Shareholders
but will pay certain of the expenses of this offering.  The Selling Shareholders
will  bear  certain  costs  of this  offering,  including  the  commissions  and
discounts of any underwriters,  dealers and agents and the legal expenses of the
Selling  Shareholders.  The  Common  Stock  may  be  sold  directly  or  through
underwriters,  dealers or agents in market transactions or  privately-negotiated
transactions.  See "Plan of Distribution."  The Cintas Common Stock is traded in
the Nasdaq  National  Market  under the symbol  "CTAS." On October 7, 1997,  the
closing sales price of the Cintas Common Stock was $75.

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          THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE
            SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION
            PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
            ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

                  --------------------------------------------


                 The date of this Prospectus is October 8, 1997.







                              AVAILABLE INFORMATION

     The Company is subject to the informational  requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act"),  and in accordance  therewith  files
reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") under file No. 0- 11399. Reports, proxy statements
and other  information  filed by the Company can be inspected  and copied at the
public reference facilities maintained by the Commission, 450 Fifth Street N.W.,
Washington,  D.C. 20549 and at the Regional Offices of the Commission at 7 World
Trade Center,  Suite 1300, New York, New York, and at Northwestern  Atrium,  500
West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago,  Illinois. Copies of such material can
be  obtained  at  prescribed  rates  from the  Public  Reference  Section of the
Commission at the address set forth above.  In addition,  material  filed by the
Company can be obtained and inspected at the offices of The Nasdaq Stock Market,
Inc., 9513 Key West Avenue,  Rockville,  Maryland, 20850, on which the Company's
Common Stock is quoted.  The Company  files its reports,  proxy  statements  and
other  information  with  the  Commission  electronically,  and  the  Commission
maintains a Web site  located at  http://www.sec.gov  containing  such  reports,
proxy statements and other information.

     This Prospectus  constitutes a part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3
(Number 333-36165) filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933. This Prospectus  omits certain of the information  contained in the
Registration  Statement,  and  reference  is  hereby  made  to the  Registration
Statement  and to the exhibits  relating  thereto for further  information  with
respect to the Company and the shares offered hereby.  Any statements  contained
herein  concerning  the provisions of any documents are complete in all material
respects,  and,  in each  instance,  reference  is made to such copy filed as an
exhibit to the  Registration  Statement or otherwise  filed with the Commission.
Each such statement is qualified in its entirety by such reference.

                      INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     The  following  documents  filed by the  Company  with the  Commission  are
incorporated into this Prospectus by reference:


(1)  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.

(2)  Registration  Statement on Form 8-A, SEC File No. 0-11399,  registering the
     Company's  Common  Stock  under  Section  12 of  the  Exchange  Act,  which
     describes the class of securities being registered hereunder.

(3)  Definitive Proxy Statement for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c),  14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act,  after the date of this  Prospectus and





prior to the termination of the offering of the shares offered hereby,  shall be
deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference  into this  Prospectus  and to be part
hereof.

     Statements  contained in the documents  incorporated  by reference shall be
deemed to be modified and  superseded  to the extent that  statements  contained
herein modify or supersede such statements.

     THIS PROSPECTUS INCORPORATES DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE WHICH ARE NOT PRESENTED
HEREIN OR DELIVERED  HEREWITH.  THESE  DOCUMENTS (NOT INCLUDING  EXHIBITS TO THE
INFORMATION   THAT  IS  INCORPORATED  BY  REFERENCE  UNLESS  SUCH  EXHIBITS  ARE
SPECIFICALLY  INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THE INFORMATION THAT THE PROSPECTUS
INCORPORATES) ARE AVAILABLE UPON WRITTEN OR ORAL REQUEST,  WITHOUT CHARGE,  FROM
WILLIAM  C.  GALE,  VICE  PRESIDENT  OF  FINANCE  OF THE  COMPANY,  6800  CINTAS
BOULEVARD, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45262, PHONE (513) 459-1200.

                                   THE COMPANY

     Cintas  is a leader  in the  uniform  rental  and  sales  business  and has
particular expertise in designing,  planning and implementing corporate identity
uniform programs. The Company concentrates on uniform rental services and custom
uniform sales.  Revenues  received from uniform rental  services and non-uniform
rental items,  including dust mops,  entrance mats and wiping cloths,  accounted
for  approximately  88% of Cintas'  revenues for fiscal 1997. The balance of the
Company's  revenues are derived from custom uniform sales, the sale of first aid
and safety products and sales of related items. The Company provides uniform and
related rental products and services  through a network of 130 rental  locations
and three cleanroom  laundries and sells uniforms to national  customers through
distribution  centers located in Cincinnati,  Ohio, Reno, Nevada and Montgomery,
Alabama. First aid and safety products are sold, for the most part, by Cintas to
independent distributors who in turn sell these products to industrial users. At
its four garment manufacturing facilities the Company manufactures a substantial
portion of the uniform trousers and uniform shirts supplied to its customers.

     During the past five years, Cintas has made several acquisitions of uniform
rental operations which  significantly  affected the Company's  revenues and net
income. These acquisitions were completed using cash,  seller-financing,  Cintas
Common Stock or a combination of these methods.  The Company intends to continue
to  expand,  through  both  internal  growth,  including  the  establishment  of
operations in new geographic areas, and by continuing its acquisition program of
both  uniform  rental  companies  and  companies  that  engage  in the  sale and
distribution of first aid and safety products.

     Cintas was  incorporated  under the laws of the State of Washington in 1986
and is the  successor to a business  begun in 1929.  Its  executive  offices are
located at 6800 Cintas Boulevard, Cincinnati, Ohio 45262; telephone number (513)
459-1200.






                              SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

     The shares offered pursuant to this Prospectus are being sold by: (i) David
Hoggan and Scott R. Petersen who own 58,626 and 37,378 shares, respectively,  of
Cintas Common Stock, all of which are being offered for sale hereby; (ii) Howard
High who  received as a gift from David  Hoggan,  280  shares,  all of which are
being  offered for sale  hereby;  and (iii)  Central  Welding  and Supply  which
received as a gift from Scott R.  Petersen,  283 shares,  all of which are being
offered for sale hereby. The Selling  Shareholders own no other shares of Cintas
Common Stock and if all shares offered hereby are sold,  they will own no Cintas
Common Stock upon the completion of this offering.  Shares acquired by gift from
the shares owned by David Hoggan and Scott R. Petersen may also be sold pursuant
to the  Prospectus  by any  such  donee.  This  Prospectus  may  also be used by
transferees,  assignees,  distributees  and  pledgees  of  any  of  the  Selling
Shareholders.

     On September 11, 1997,  Petragon,  Inc. was acquired by Cintas  through the
merger of  Petragon,  Inc.  with a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of Cintas.  In the
merger,  David Hoggan and Scott R. Petersen received the 96,567 shares of Cintas
Common  Stock  described  in this  Prospectus  in exchange  for their  shares of
Petragon, Inc. capital stock.

                                 USE OF PROCEEDS

     The Company  will not receive any  proceeds  from the shares  being sold in
this offering.

                              PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     The  Common  Stock may be sold from time to time  directly  by the  Selling
Shareholders.  Alternatively,  the  Selling  Shareholders  may from time to time
offer the Common Stock through underwriters, dealers or agents. The distribution
of the Common  Stock by the Selling  Shareholders  may be effected  from time to
time in one or more  transactions  that may take  place on the  over-the-counter
market   including   ordinary   broker's   transactions,    privately-negotiated
transactions or through sales to one or more  broker/dealers  for resale of such
securities as  principals,  at market prices  prevailing at the time of sale, at
prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated  prices.  Usual
and customary or  specifically  negotiated  brokerage fees or commissions may be
paid by these holders in connection with such sales.

     The Company will pay certain expenses  incident to the offering and sale of
the Common  Stock to the  public.  The  Company  will not pay for,  among  other
expenses,  commissions and discounts of  underwriters,  dealers or agents or the
fees and expenses of counsel for the Selling Shareholders.

                                  LEGAL MATTERS

     The  legality of the Common  Stock  offered  hereby will be passed upon for
Cintas by Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L., Cincinnati, Ohio, of which Donald







P.  Klekamp,  a Director  of the  Company,  is a  partner.  Members of that firm
beneficially own 153,967 shares of Cintas Common Stock.

                                     EXPERTS

     The consolidated financial statements of Cintas Corporation incorporated by
reference in Cintas  Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
May 31, 1997, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent  auditors,  as
set  forth in  their  report  thereon  incorporated  by  reference  therein  and
incorporated  herein by reference in reliance  upon such report,  given upon the
authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

                                  MISCELLANEOUS

     No  person  is  authorized  to  give  any   information   or  to  make  any
representations  other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this
Prospectus and, if given or made, such informa tion or representations  must not
be relied upon as having been authorized. This Prospectus does not constitute an
offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the
registered  securities to which it relates or an offer to sell or a solicitation
of an offer to buy such securities in any  jurisdiction to any person to whom it
is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. Neither the
delivery  of  this   Prospectus  nor  any  sale  hereunder   shall,   under  any
circumstances,  create  any  implication  that  there  has been no change in the
affairs  of Cintas  since  the date  hereof  or that the  information  herein is
correct as of any time subsequent to its date.