Ohio real estate CE requirements and license renewal guide

Ohio real estate licensees must complete 30 hours of continuing education every 3 years and pay a renewal fee to keep their license current. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing administers these CE real estate requirements under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1301:5-7-02^[1], with renewal deadlines tied to each licensee's birthday. All continuing education hours can be completed online through state-approved providers, and both active and inactive licensees must meet the same standard.

Ohio real estate continuing education requirements

All Ohio real estate licensees must certify completion of 30 hours of continuing education every 3 years under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1301:5-7-02^[1] (effective February 10, 2019; last updated February 11, 2025). The required hours include three mandatory core courses of 3 hours each, with the remaining hours completed as electives.

The remaining hours are electives covering any approved real estate topic. One CE hour equals 60 minutes of instruction. Licensees may complete no more than 8 classroom hours of CE in a single calendar day.

Both active and inactive licensees must meet the full CE requirement each cycle, with limited exceptions for licensees age 70 and older described in a later section.

Post-licensing education for new Ohio licensees

New Ohio salespersons must complete a 20-hour post-licensing course within 12 months of their license issue date, and new brokers must complete a 10-hour post-licensing course within the same 12-month window. The Ohio Division of Real Estate FAQ^[2] states that salespersons must email their 20-hour post-licensure certificate to PostCert@com.ohio.gov, and broker 10-hour certificates may be sent to the same address.

The first license renewal is separate from post-licensing education. The first renewal falls on the licensee's first birthday following licensure and requires only renewal information and the standard salesperson renewal fee, with no CE due. If the licensee was licensed within 60 days of their birthday, the first renewal date moves to the second birthday following licensure.

The third-year renewal, occurring after the first-year renewal, is the first renewal that requires the full CE requirement.

When your Ohio real estate license renewal is due

Ohio real estate license renewal deadlines are tied to the licensee's birthday. Under Rule 1301:5-7-02^[1], CE must be certified on or before the licensee's date of birth at the end of each renewal cycle, beginning with the third-year renewal.

Licensees may begin the renewal process up to 60 days before the due date through the eLicense online portal. Renewal must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on the due date to avoid suspension, according to the Ohio Division FAQ^[2]. The new eLicense LPI system went live on October 20, 2025.

Brokerage renewals, known as Broker Assessments, follow a separate annual cycle and are due by June 30 each year.

Ohio real estate license renewal fees

The renewal fee for an Ohio salesperson license is $182, and the broker renewal fee is $243, both due every renewal cycle. The Ohio Division FAQ^[2] lists the following fee structure:

The salesperson late fee of $91 is confirmed on the state's FAQ page. The reactivation fee of $34 applies to both salespersons and brokers seeking to restore a suspended license. All fees are nonrefundable.

Broker CE requirements in Ohio

Brokers, brokers on deposit, and management-level licensees must complete a 3-hour course on the duties of a principal broker within their CE total, reducing their available elective hours. Under Rule 1301:5-7-02^[1], this course covers the duties of a principal broker and other issues involved in operating a real estate brokerage.

The broker management course is mandatory for any licensee who holds a broker license, serves as a broker on deposit, or acts in a management-level role, regardless of whether they are actively selling real estate.

Completing Ohio real estate CE courses online

Ohio licensees can satisfy every CE requirement through distance learning, including the mandatory core subjects, as the Ohio REALTORS® association^[3] confirms. No in-person component is required for any portion of the CE requirement.

CE course formats and providers

In addition to fully self-paced online courses, Ohio approved providers offer CE via live classroom sessions, livestream webinars, and hybrid formats. The choice of format does not affect credit, as long as the provider is state-approved.

Free continuing education options in Ohio

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) provides free online continuing education through its online education portal^[4]. Licensees can earn elective and Civil Rights CE credit at no cost through OHFA's course offerings.

CE requirements for licensees age 70 and older and inactive licenses

Licensees age 70 and older qualify for reduced CE requirements, and the rules differ between active and inactive status. For active salespersons age 70 or older, the requirement drops to 9 hours, covering only the three mandatory core courses. Active brokers age 70 or older must complete 12 hours, adding the Broker Responsibilities course to the core hours.

Inactive salespersons age 70 or older need no CE to renew but must still submit renewal information and the fee. Inactive brokers age 70 or older must submit only the Broker Responsibilities course with their renewal and complete the other core courses before reactivating.

For licensees under age 70, the renewal requirement applies equally whether the license is active or inactive, as confirmed by the Ohio Division FAQ^[2].

The Ohio real estate license renewal process

Renewal requires three steps completed through the eLicense LPI online portal: answering renewal and ethical questions, uploading CE course certificates, and paying the renewal fee. The Ohio Division FAQ^[2] outlines the process:

1. Log into the eLicense LPI system during the renewal window before your due date.
2. Answer all renewal and ethical questions presented in the application.
3. Upload your CE course certificates. CE courses can only be uploaded during this renewal window within the renewal application.
4. Pay the renewal fee.
5. Submit the completed application by 11:59 p.m. on your due date.

The system does not allow CE uploads outside the renewal window. Licensees should complete all CE coursework before starting the renewal application to avoid last-minute issues.

Late renewal, suspension, and revocation

Renewing after the due date triggers a late penalty, and the license is suspended until renewal is completed. The Ohio Division FAQ^[2] confirms that a suspended license can be corrected by paying the renewal fee, late penalty, and reactivation fee within 1 year of the suspension date.

If the license remains suspended for more than 1 year, the Division revokes it. A revoked license cannot be reactivated, and the licensee must apply for a new license.

To reapply after revocation, the licensee may take the exam again if less than 4 years have passed since revocation or less than 10 years have passed since completing pre-licensure courses. If both periods have elapsed, the licensee must retake all pre-licensure courses before applying for the exam again.

CE recordkeeping, carryover, and out-of-state course approval

Licensees must maintain proof of CE compliance for 6 years and make records available to the Ohio Division upon audit, according to Rule 1301:5-7-02^[1]. Up to 10 excess CE hours from one cycle may carry over to the next cycle to help meet the subsequent requirement.

Licensees who complete CE courses outside Ohio may request credit by submitting an out-of-state education compliance form, the course syllabus, course attendance certificate, and a $100 per-course approval fee. Out-of-state courses qualify only if they are not required courses, were taken outside Ohio, meet the standards of Rule 1301:5-7-03, and are submitted within the same reporting period.

NAR Code of Ethics vs. Ohio Canons of Ethics

Ohio's Canons of Ethics requirement and NAR's Code of Ethics training operate on separate tracks. Completing one does not satisfy the other. NAR's continuing education requirements page^[5] confirms that the association sets its own ethics training cycle independently of state licensing renewal.

Next steps for your Ohio license renewal

Check your renewal date in the eLicense LPI system, confirm that your CE coursework is complete, and submit your renewal application during the renewal window before your birthday. Keep all CE certificates in case of audit. If you are a new licensee, track your post-licensing deadline separately from your first-year renewal date, since the two deadlines fall on different dates.