How do I get my Ohio real estate salesperson's license?

General Requirements

To apply for a real estate salesperson license in Ohio, you must:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Have a high school diploma, GED, or international equivalent if you were born after 1950.
3. Be of good character and reputation.
4. Not have been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude; not violated any civil rights laws in real estate within the past two years.

If you meet these two qualifications, you can earn a real estate salesperson's license in (6) steps.

Step 1: Complete Your Pre-license Education

Ohio requires salespersons to complete 120 hours of instruction from an approved pre-license school. Online courses are the most convenient way to complete your 120 hours.

The required hours break down into four courses necessary for your Ohio salesperson license:

• Ohio Real Estate Principles Practices (40 hours)
• Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours)
• Real Estate Finance (20 hours)
• Real Estate Appraisal (20 hours)

Step 2: Find a Sponsoring Broker

All Ohio salespersons work under the supervision of a sponsoring broker. You will need to be sponsored by an Ohio licensed broker to submit your application for the salesperson exam as you’ll need their brokerage information and signature on the form.

Step 3: Applying for the State Exam

Your application for the salesperson exam also serves your Ohio state license application. You can’t apply until after completing your pre-license education because you will need proof of completing the education requirements.

The application fee is $81. You will need to submit your proof of meeting the education requirements, such as official transcripts or course completion certificates.

If you answer “yes” to any character questions, you will need to provide explanations and potentially additional documentation.

Once you are ready to submit, mail the completed application and the $81 check or money order to the Ohio Division of Real Estate at:

Ohio Department of Commerce
Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing
77 South High Street, 20th floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Once the ODRE approves your application, your information will be sent to the testing vendor. You’ll receive a Candidate Information Bulletin from PSI and information on scheduling your exam.

Step 4: Complete a Background Check

Every Ohio salesperson candidate must complete a criminal records check at the state and federal levels. You must apply for a background check within 10 days of submitting your salesperson examination application.

Ohio requires you to use a Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I) approved Webcheck® user. You must schedule with a Webcheck® user to have your fingerprints taken and submitted to the system. When you take your fingerprints, it’s vital to provide the center with the right reason codes:

BCI&I Reason Code: 4735 05 and/or 121 08
FBI Reason Code: 121 08

You must also provide the center with the address to send the results.

Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing
77 S High St., 20th Fl.
Columbus, OH 43215-6133

The fees for your fingerprinting and background check will vary by the center, but some locations have posted their prices on the approved Webcheck® location list. A typical cost for state and FBI checks ranges from $58-71.

The Ohio Division of Real Estate should receive your background check results within 30 days.

Step 5: Scheduling Your Salesperson Exam

The first step upon receiving your information from PSI is to complete the exam registration form. This registration is good for one examination attempt. You’ll need to pass both exam portions – state and national– within one year of the date on the sticker of your Candidate Handbook.

PSI recommends you register and schedule your exam by visiting https://www.psiexams.com or calling (855) 834-8749. For online registration, select the examination and enter the OH RE _ID# that was provided to you.

Exam centers are located in Akron, Cambridge, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and Troy. Search the website or see the Ohio Candidate Bulletin for a list of addresses.

The exam fee for both sections is $61, and you'll directly pay PSI for the exam. PSI accepts credit cards, money orders, company checks, or cashier's checks. Note that cash and personal checks are not accepted.

Note that if you do not pass one or both sections of the exam, you’ll need to apply for a retake with the ODRE. PSI will provide you with an application at the testing site.

Step 6: Take and Pass the State Exam

The Ohio state salesperson exam is divided into two sections: national and state law. You must pass both sections to be issued your salesperson license.

The Ohio salesperson exam breaks into:

1. National section of 80 questions and a passing score is 70%. The time allowed is 120 minutes.
2. State section of 40 questions and a passing score is 70%. The time allowed is 60 minutes.

You will receive a score report on-screen immediately upon completion of the exam. If you fail, your information will include a diagnostic report. You’ll also leave with a printed unofficial score report.

Passing both portions is required for the ODRE to issue you a license.

Once the Ohio Division of Real Estate receives the passing result from PSI, it will process the result and issue you a salesperson license. Congratulations, you are an official Ohio real estate salesperson!