1.2 Ohio License Requirements

Ohio Salesperson License Requirements

Ohio's pre-license and exam rules changed materially with the occupational-license reform effective April 9, 2025. Memorize the current numbers — older study material still cites the retired 120-hour requirement, and the exam writers seed that obsolete figure as a distractor.

Salesperson Eligibility

To qualify for an Ohio real estate salesperson license you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Hold a high school diploma or GED (required if born after January 1, 1950).
• Be honest, truthful, and of good reputation (the statutory "good moral character" standard).
• Have no disqualifying criminal history for an offense bearing on fitness to practice.

A conviction is not an automatic bar; the Division reviews criminal history case-by-case for relevance, recency, and rehabilitation. Theft, fraud, and forgery offenses weigh heaviest because they relate directly to handling other people's money.

Pre-License Education — 100 Hours

Complete 100 hours at a Division-approved school. The 2025 reform cut the total from 120 to 100 hours by halving the two shorter courses: Real Estate Finance dropped from 20 to 10 hours and Real Estate Appraisal dropped from 20 to 10 hours. The two 40-hour core courses were unchanged.

2025 Update: Pre-license education is now 100 hours, down from 120. Any answer citing 120 hours is outdated. Applications filed before April 9, 2025 followed the old 120-hour rule; on or after that date, the 100-hour structure applies.

The Licensing Examination

The two portions are scored independently. Passing one does not bank it indefinitely — see the 12-month rule below. Because each portion has its own 70% bar, a candidate who scores 90% national but 65% state has failed and retakes only the state portion.

Fees You Will Actually Pay

Candidates routinely confuse three separate fees. Keep them straight — the exam loves to swap them:

Trap: The $81 is the exam-application fee paid to the Division, not the license fee. The license fee charged after you pass is $60. The $63 goes to PSI. Mixing these three is the single most common state-portion fee error.

Background Check — Fingerprints

You must submit fingerprints for a BCI (Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation) and FBI check within 10 days of submitting your license application, through WebCheck or an approved vendor. The Division reviews the results for character fitness.

Broker License Requirements

A broker license demands experience, extra education, and a separate exam.

Experience Requirement

You must have held an active Ohio salesperson license for at least 2 of the past 5 years and show at least 20 transaction points (closed sales, leases, or equivalent qualifying activity). The "20 transactions" rule is really 20 points, where different deal types carry different point values — a residential closing and a commercial lease are not weighted identically.

Broker Education (post-2025 reform)

The reform eliminated the old 90-college-credit-hour requirement. A broker candidate now completes the salesperson pre-license courses plus four 30-hour broker courses with no college-credit requirement:

Trap: "90 college credit hours" is the old broker rule, retired in April 2025. The current path is four 30-hour courses with no college-credit requirement.

The 12-Month Rule

Salesperson Application Sequence

1. Complete 100 hours of approved pre-license education.
2. File the examination application with the Division and pay $81.
3. The Division clears you to PSI; pay the $63 exam fee and schedule.
4. Pass both portions at 70% each.
5. Apply for the license within 12 months, paying the $60 license fee.
6. Submit fingerprints within 10 days of the license application.
7. Affiliate with a sponsoring broker — the broker activates the license.

Important: A salesperson license cannot be issued or activated without a sponsoring broker. The broker, not the applicant, completes the activation in the eLicense system.