How to become a broker and real estate agent in Ohio
13 min read·
Getting a real estate license in Ohio involves five main steps: meeting eligibility requirements, completing the state's pre-licensing education requirement, finding a sponsoring broker, passing the licensing exam, and submitting your application to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. Whether your goal is to become a real estate agent or eventually advance to a broker license, the process starts with the same salesperson license. The Division, part of the Ohio Department of Commerce, issues and oversees all real estate licenses in the state.
To get an Ohio real estate license, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or legal alien, have a high school diploma or equivalent if born after 1950, and complete 100 hours of pre-licensing education from a postsecondary institution awarding at least a two-year degree. You must then secure a sponsoring Ohio broker, submit a Salesperson Examination Application with an $81 fee, complete state and FBI criminal records checks within 10 business days of applying, and pass both the State and National portions of the licensing exam with a score of 70.See the answer for every state
Ohio does not publish an official timeline for obtaining a real estate salesperson license. The process requires completing 100 hours of pre-licensing education, securing a sponsoring broker, submitting an $81 application, completing a background check, and passing the 120-question state licensing exam. Most candidates complete the entire process in 2 to 6 months, depending on study pace and how quickly each step is finished.See the answer for every state
No disqualifying offense under Ohio Revised Code section 9.79
Civil rights
No court adjudication of civil rights violation in real estate within past 2 years
If you have a criminal record, you can submit a pre-determination request with a $5 fee to learn whether your offense would disqualify you before investing in coursework. Coursework may begin before age 18, but applicants must be 18 or older to seek licensure. Pre-licensing education must come from a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year associate degree. If you have not held a real estate license within the four years before your current application, your pre-licensing courses must have been completed within the 10 years before applying.
To obtain an Ohio real estate salesperson license, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or legal alien, and have a high school diploma or equivalent if born after 1950. You must complete 100 hours of pre-licensing education (Real Estate Principles and Practices 40 hours, Ohio Real Estate Law 40 hours, Real Estate Appraisal 10 hours, Real Estate Finance 10 hours) from a postsecondary institution awarding at least a two-year degree, secure a sponsoring Ohio broker, submit a Salesperson Examination Application with an $81 fee, complete state and FBI criminal records checks, and pass both the State and National portions of the exam with a score of 70.See the answer for every state
Complete the 100-hour pre-licensing education requirement
Before sitting for the salesperson exam, candidates must finish 100 hours of approved coursework. Effective April 9, 2025, Ohio House Bill 238 lowered the total from 120 hours to 100 hours. Some older resources may still reference the previous 120-hour figure.
Ohio requires 100 hours of pre-licensing education to obtain a real estate salesperson license: Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law including civil rights and housing discrimination (40 hours), Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours), and Real Estate Finance (10 hours). The courses must be completed at a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year associate degree. If the applicant has not held a real estate license within the four years before applying, the education must have been completed within the 10 years preceding the application.See the answer for every state
Yes. Ohio permits pre-licensing education to be completed entirely online through state-approved providers, with no mandatory in-person component for coursework. The required 100 hours cover Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours), Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours), and Real Estate Finance (10 hours), and the education must be completed at a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year associate degree.See the answer for every state
Ohio requires pre-licensing education to be taken at a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year associate degree. Courses can be completed online through state-approved providers, as Ohio has no mandatory in-person component for pre-licensing coursework. If the applicant has not held a real estate license within the four years before applying, the education must have been completed within the 10 years preceding the application.See the answer for every state
Secure a sponsoring broker before the exam application
Ohio requires you to secure a sponsoring broker before submitting your exam application. Under Ohio Revised Code § 4735.09(A)[2], the salesperson application must be accompanied by the recommendation of the real estate broker with whom the applicant is associated or intends to be associated. The official exam application form includes a sponsoring broker certification section that must be completed as part of the application packet.
This means you need to identify and recruit a sponsoring broker while completing your pre-licensing coursework, so the broker's information is ready when you submit your application. The broker must hold an active Ohio real estate broker license.
Submit the exam application and complete the background check
After completing pre-licensing education and securing a sponsoring broker, you submit the Salesperson Examination Application with an $81 fee to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. The Division's eLicense portal[3], live as of October 20, 2025, handles applications online; paper forms are no longer accepted for processes available through the portal.
The application includes your sponsoring broker's certification, proof of education completion, and answers to ethical conduct questions. After the Division accepts your application, it forwards your information to the testing vendor for exam scheduling.
You must complete your background check within 10 business days of submitting the application, according to the Ohio Division of Real Estate's FAQ page[4]. Visit a WebCheck location for digital fingerprints and instruct the site to send Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and FBI results directly to the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing using reason code 4735.143. Do not have fingerprints taken before filing your application.
If all ethical questions on your application are answered "No," you may receive provisional approval to take the exam while the background check processes. If any ethical question is answered "Yes," the Division must review your background results before approving you for the exam.
The salesperson exam application fee is $81, and the exam registration fee paid to PSI is $63 for both the state and national portions. Background check costs vary by WebCheck provider, typically ranging from approximately $50 to $100. Pre-licensing education (100 hours) costs vary by provider and format, with online options generally less expensive than classroom or hybrid formats. A 20-hour post-licensing course is also required within 12 months of licensure at additional cost.See the answer for every state
Pass the Ohio real estate salesperson exam
The Ohio real estate salesperson exam tests national and state real estate knowledge, and you must pass both portions with a passing score of 70, per Ohio's salesperson requirements page[1]. Once the Division processes your application, you schedule the exam through the testing vendor, which offers the exam at testing centers and through online proctoring, according to PSI's real estate exam overview[5].
The Ohio real estate licensing exam is administered by PSI and consists of a national portion and a state portion. For salespersons, the exam has 120 multiple-choice questions (80 national and 40 state) with 180 minutes total to complete, and the passing score is 70 on both portions. For brokers, the passing score is 75 on both portions. PSI offers both in-person testing at accredited centers and secure online proctoring.See the answer for every state
PSI administers the Ohio real estate licensing exam. After the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing processes an application, it exports the applicant's information to PSI, which then emails the candidate a Candidate Information Bulletin with scheduling instructions. PSI offers both in-person testing at accredited test centers and secure online proctoring for Ohio real estate exams.See the answer for every state
PSI, Ohio's testing vendor, offers real estate licensure practice tests and prep materials through its online store. The salesperson exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions: 80 national questions covering topics such as contracts, agency, financing, and property ownership, and 40 state questions covering Ohio governance, licensing requirements, license law and rules, and brokerage relationships. Candidates have 180 minutes to complete the exam and must score at least 70% on both portions.See the answer for every state
After passing: post-licensing education and first renewal
After passing the exam and receiving your license, Ohio requires a 20-hour post-licensing course within 12 months of your license issue date. This is one specific 20-hour course, not multiple courses totaling 20 hours, and you must email the completion certificate to PostCert@com.ohio.gov, per the Ohio Division of Real Estate's FAQ page[4].
Your first renewal falls on your birthday following licensure and requires a $182 fee, with no CE required. If you were licensed within 60 days of your birthday, the due date may be your second birthday following licensure. Your third-year renewal, due 3 years after your first-year renewal, is the first renewal that requires continuing education.
Ohio requires 30 hours of continuing education every 3 years to renew a real estate license, and both active and inactive licensees must meet this requirement. The 30 hours must include 3 hours each of Canons of Ethics, Core Law, and Civil Rights; brokers must also complete a 3-hour Broker Responsibilities course. Licensees age 70 or older have reduced requirements: 9 hours for salespersons and 12 hours for brokers.See the answer for every state
Yes. Ohio law allows all 30 hours of real estate continuing education to be completed online through approved providers, including the 9 hours of core courses (Canons of Ethics, Core Law, and Civil Rights). Brokers must also complete a 3-hour Broker Responsibilities course within the 30 hours. Licensees may take CE in online, livestream, or in-person classroom formats.See the answer for every state
Becoming a real estate agent in Ohio
REALTOR® status is a voluntary designation — not a state license type — according to NAR's membership page[6]. The national trade body behind it counts more than 1.5 million professionals across nearly 1,400 local chapters.
To become a REALTOR®, a licensed real estate agent must join their local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues for the national, local, and state associations. NAR members must adhere to the NAR Code of Ethics and complete ethics training every three years. NAR represents more than 1.5 million members across nearly 1,400 local associations.See the answer for every state
In Ohio, a real estate salesperson (commonly called an agent) works under the supervision of a sponsoring broker. To become a salesperson, an applicant must be at least 18, complete 100 hours of pre-licensing education, pass the state exam with a score of 70 on both portions, and pay an $81 application fee. A broker has additional requirements: holding an active salesperson license for at least two of the last five years, completing 20 qualifying transactions, meeting further education requirements, passing the broker exam with a score of 75, and paying a $135 application fee. Brokers can operate independently or supervise salespersons, while salespersons cannot practice without a sponsoring broker.See the answer for every state
Verify an Ohio real estate license
The Division's online portal lets the public check any licensee's standing and credential history.
Ohio's eLicense License Lookup tool allows anyone to verify a real estate licensee's credentials and license standing. ARELLO, the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, also maintains a licensee verification database with Ohio as a participating jurisdiction, containing over 4.3 million licensee records across 44 jurisdictions.See the answer for every state
Ohio has reciprocity agreements with eight states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Under Senate Bill 131, effective December 29, 2023, out-of-state broker applicants may also qualify through four pathways: a substantially similar license, private certification, documented work experience, or a standard initial license application. Applicants under the reciprocity pathways must pass the state portion of the Ohio real estate exam and pay a $135 application fee.See the answer for every state
Your next steps after getting licensed
Once you receive your Ohio real estate salesperson license, your immediate priorities are completing the required post-licensing education, managing your first renewal on your birthday, and deciding whether to join a REALTOR® association for MLS access and professional development.
