Ohio real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing.
To get a real estate license in Ohio (the salesperson license): Minimum age: At least 18; a high school diploma or its equivalent is also required if you were born after 1950. Pre-licensing education: Four courses, 100 hours in all: Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law (40), Real Estate Appraisal (10) and Real Estate Finance (10), from a postsecondary institution that awards at least an associate degree. Licensing exam: Both the State and National portions of the Ohio salesperson exam; the passing score is 70. Sponsoring broker: You must be sponsored by an Ohio broker, and you need the sponsor to apply for the exam. Your licensing authority is the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing.
Requirements for the Ohio salesperson license
| Requirement | Ohio |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 18; a high school diploma or its equivalent is also required if you were born after 1950. |
| Pre-licensing education | Four courses, 100 hours in all: Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law (40), Real Estate Appraisal (10) and Real Estate Finance (10), from a postsecondary institution that awards at least an associate degree. |
| Post-licensing education | One 20-hour post-licensure course; the certificate is due one year from your license issue date. |
| Licensing exam | Both the State and National portions of the Ohio salesperson exam; the passing score is 70. |
| Background check | State and FBI criminal records checks. |
| Sponsoring broker | You must be sponsored by an Ohio broker, and you need the sponsor to apply for the exam. |
| State fees | $81 exam application fee; $182 renewal fee. |
| License term | Your first renewal is due on your first birthday after licensure; the next one is due three years after that. |
| Continuing education | 30 hours for each renewal, including three hours each of Canons of Ethics, Core Law and Civil Rights; first due at the third-year renewal. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
How to get licensed in Ohio
- Find an Ohio broker to sponsor you.
- Complete the four required pre-licensing courses.
- Submit the salesperson examination application with the $81 fee and proof of your education.
- Complete the state and FBI criminal records checks.
- Once the Division accepts your application, the testing vendor sends instructions; schedule and pass both portions of the exam.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a real estate agentThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayReal estate agent salary in OhioWhat agents earn there.
Open →CareerReal estate agent career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →CareerReal estate brokerThe next license up.
Open →CompareAgent vs brokerHow the two roles differ.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
- This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.
- Ohio Department of Commerce, Requirements for an Ohio Real Estate Salesperson's License, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Ohio Department of Commerce, Real Estate FAQ, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.