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RE License Guide

Ohio real estate licensing

Ohio Real Estate Salesperson License requirements

A practical, source-checked guide to qualifying, passing the exam, applying, and keeping this license active.

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor  ·  Verified  ·  RE License Guide Editorial Desk

Source checked 6 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
100 hours (40 Principles and Practices + 40 Ohio Law + 10 Appraisal + 10 Finance)
Exam fee
$66
Published fees
$147 in Division $81 + PSI $66, plus Webcheck and 100-hour tuition
Typical timeline
Broker signature and Division eligibility before PSI is the sequence that surprises people
01

What to know first

Ohio is an application-before-exam state, and the broker's signature is not a courtesy. Ohio Revised Code § 4735.09 says 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 superintendent will not admit you to the exam until that file exists. People who finish a 100-hour school on Friday and try to book PSI on Saturday without a broker have the wrong sequence — that is Texas-after-REALM or Florida-after-DBPR energy, not Ohio.

HB 238, effective April 9, 2025, cut pre-license education from 120 hours to 100. R.C. 4735.09(F)(6) now lists 40 hours of real estate principles and practices, 40 hours of Ohio real estate law (including civil rights and housing discrimination), 10 hours of real estate appraisal, and 10 hours of real estate finance. The 10-hour appraisal course is waived for a holder of a valid Ohio appraiser license or certificate. Attorneys admitted to the Ohio Supreme Court are exempt from the 40-hour law/civil-rights block. Instruction is judged under the law in effect on the date it was completed, which is why a 120-hour certificate earned before the cut still has a statutory home. Pre-license instruction must generally have been completed within 10 years if the applicant has not been licensed in the previous four years.

The initial application fee is $81 and is nonrefundable (R.C. 4735.09 / O.A.C. 1301:5-1-05). PSI's Ohio Candidate Information Bulletin (effective July 1, 2026) then charges $66 when both portions are taken in the same session, $46 national-only, $43 state-only. The salesperson paper is 80 national items in 120 minutes and 40 state items in 60 minutes. Passing is a scaled 70 percent on each portion. You must take both portions in the same sitting unless you already passed one. Both portions must be passed within 12 months of the date on the label of the initial Candidate Information Bulletin; fail a portion and you re-apply to the Division with a retake service request before PSI will reseat you. There is no statutory cap on the number of attempts inside that 12-month window. Fingerprints are a complete set of impressions to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, with FBI included, within 10 days of submitting the application (R.C. 4735.09 / Division bulletin). Ohio Webcheck® is the channel schools actually name.

The initial licensing year ends on the applicant's first birthday after issuance — a birthday fuse, not a two-year TREC term and not Alabama's September 30. Within 12 months after issuance, a new salesperson must complete 20 hours of post-licensure instruction. Failure suspends the license automatically; failure to cure within 12 months of suspension revokes it automatically (R.C. 4735.09(J)). After the first birthday renewal, the cycle is three years on the birthday: 30 hours of CE including 3 civil rights, 3 core law, and 3 canons of ethics (R.C. 4735.141 / O.A.C. 1301:5-7-02). The Real Estate Recovery Fund is R.C. 4735.12 and a scored state-outline topic (4 items in "State Governance"). Indiana starts everyone as a broker after 90 hours. Kentucky uses sales associate and 96 hours plus FBI before PSI. Pennsylvania is 30+45 and Pearson after PALS. Michigan is a 40-hour statute state. Ohio is the 40+40+10+10, broker-signs-first, $81, 20-hour-in-12-months, birthday-year jurisdiction, and HB 238 is why a 2024 blog that still says 120 hours is already wrong.

02

Your path to the license

Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.

  1. Complete 100 hours (40+40+10+10) at a Division-approved school

    HB 238 cut 120 to 100 on April 9, 2025. Attorneys skip the 40-hour law block; Ohio appraisers skip the 10-hour appraisal block.

  2. Get an Ohio broker to sign the examination application

    File at lpi.elicense.ohio.gov with the $81 nonrefundable fee. Paper applications are not accepted. This is before PSI, not after.

  3. Fingerprints to BCI&I / FBI within 10 days of the application

    Webcheck®. The Division will not finish eligibility without them.

  4. Sit PSI (80 national + 40 state) in one session

    $66 combined, scaled 70 each portion, 180 minutes. Both portions within 12 months of the CIB label.

  5. Receive the license; calendar the 20-hour post-license

    Due within 12 months of issuance. Miss it and the statute suspends, then revokes. First licensing year ends on the next birthday.

  6. After the first birthday renewal, track 30-hour CE every three birthdays

    3 civil rights, 3 core law, 3 canons of ethics, plus electives (R.C. 4735.141).

03

Education and eligibility

Minimum age
18 years old
Identification
A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
Residency and identification
U.S. citizen or legal alien (proof required). Ohio residency is not independently required. High school diploma or equivalent if born after 1950. Sponsorship by an Ohio broker is required to apply.
Qualifying education
Live ODRE salesperson requirements page and live PSI bulletin Education Requirements table (fetched 2026-09-02): Real Estate Principles and Practices 40 hours; Ohio Real Estate Law, including instruction in civil rights, housing discrimination and desegregation problems 40 hours; Real Estate Appraisal 10 hours; Real Estate Finance 10 hours. Live HB 238 FAQ: effective April 9, 2025; new 10-hour Appraisal and Finance courses taken before that date satisfy; 20-hour Appraisal and Finance courses still count if completed within the 10 years immediately before the current salesperson-exam application. The 40-hour law course is not required of an applicant admitted to the practice of law before the Supreme Court of Ohio (PSI bulletin asterisk). Live salesperson page: if you have not held a real estate license within the four years before your current application, complete those courses within the 10 years before your application, from a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year (associate) degree. After issuance, R.C. 4735.09(J) 20-hour post-licensure instruction within 12 months — failure suspends automatically; failure to cure within 12 months of suspension revokes automatically. Post-license is not CE.
Education or filing deadline
Live salesperson page: courses within 10 years if not licensed in the previous four years. PSI: pass both portions within 12 months of the date on the label of the initial Candidate Information Bulletin.
Character review
Honest and truthful. Disqualifying offenses are determined under R.C. 9.79. A civil-rights adjudication relevant to purchasers or sellers of real estate is a two-year bar unless the superintendent disregards it on a preponderance showing. Non-disclosure is independently fatal.
Background process
BCI&I plus FBI fingerprints within 10 days of the application. Webcheck® is the named channel. Do not import a Michigan Live Scan or a Kentucky IdentoGO packet and expect Reynoldsburg to post it.
Experience
No licensed experience is required for the salesperson license. A broker recommendation is required to sit the exam.
Broker affiliation
The salesperson application must include the recommendation of the broker with whom the applicant is associated or intends to be associated. Ohio is application-before-exam: the broker signs before the superintendent admits the applicant to PSI. A salesperson practices only under that broker.

Documents to prepare

  • Broker-signed salesperson examination application ($81)
  • 100-hour (or pre-HB 238 120-hour) course completion
  • BCI&I / FBI fingerprint proof within 10 days of application
  • PSI passing score report (both portions within 12 months)
04

The licensing exam

PSI after the Division accepts the broker-signed application. Salesperson: national 80 items (80 points), 120 minutes, scaled 70 percent; state 40 items (40 points), 60 minutes, scaled 70 percent; both in one 180-minute session unless a portion was already passed. Combined fee $66; national-only retake $46; state-only retake $43. Bulletin dated July 1, 2026. 5–10 experimental items may appear and count against time, not score. National outline weights contracts (19%), agency (13%), practice of real estate (12%), property ownership (10%), financing (10%), valuation (8%), disclosures (7%), calculations (7%), transfer of title (6%), land-use controls (5%), property management (3%). Ohio state outline: License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission (16 items — advertising, independent-contractor agreements, commissions through the broker only, document handling, trust accounts (broker), listings, offers including electronic, Broker Lien Law (broker), inducements, ancillary trustee (broker), property management, rentals, license display (broker), Ohio Fair Housing); Brokerage Relationships / Agency Law (14); Licensing Requirements including post-license and CE (6); State Governance including investigations, penalties, and the Recovery Fund (4). Pass both portions within 12 months of the initial CIB label date.

PSI Services LLC, under contract to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Fee: $66

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Salesperson National 80 120 80 items (80 points) / 120 minutes on the live PSI Examination Summary Table (7/1/2026, bulletin 1001). Passing Score column prints 70%. Live ODRE salesperson page also prints Passing score: 70. Combo with state is 120 items (120 points) / 180 minutes at 70%. The table does not print a raw item cut (70% of 80 is 56); this hub does not invent 56 as an official bulletin number. $66 combined / $46 national-only. 5–10 experimental items may be administered, not scored, count against time. National outline (salesperson %): contracts 19, agency 13, practice 12, ownership 10, financing 10, valuation 8, disclosures 7, calculations 7, title transfer 6, land use 5, property management 3. Both portions in the same session unless one was already passed.
Salesperson Ohio State 40 60 40 items (40 points) / 60 minutes; 70% on the live PSI table and the live ODRE page. 70% of 40 is 28 — the bulletin does not print 28 as a raw cut. $43 state-only or $66 combined. Outline item bands: License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission 16 (advertising/team advertising, independent-contractor agreements, commissions through the broker only, document handling, trust/special accounts broker-only, listings, offers including electronic, Broker Lien Law broker-only, inducements, ancillary trustee broker-only, property management, rentals, broker license display broker-only, Ohio Fair Housing); Brokerage Relationships / Agency Law 14 (creating agency, duties, termination, confidentiality, disclosure, own-property disclosures, unauthorized practice of law, Canon of Ethics); Licensing Requirements 6 (activities requiring a license, renewal, change in status including military/retired/inactive, post-license education and CE); State Governance 4 (powers and structure, audit of records, investigations/hearings/appeals, violations and penalties, Recovery Fund).

Both portions in the same session unless one was already passed. Pass both within 12 months of the initial CIB label. Fail a portion: submit a retake service request and fee to the Division, then pay PSI again ($46/$43/$66). No statutory attempt cap inside the window. After 12 months, start over with a new Sales Exam Application.

What to study

  • PSI Ohio Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin

    PSI / Ohio Department of Commerce

    Item counts, $66/$46/$43, 12-month CIB window, national and Ohio state outlines including Recovery Fund and Ohio Fair Housing.

  • R.C. Chapter 4735 and O.A.C. 1301:5

    Ohio legislature / Division

    HB 238's 100-hour list, $81, post-license suspend-then-revoke, birthday CE.

  • Division salesperson requirements page

    Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing

    Broker-signed application sequence and Webcheck timing.

05

Application costs

These are commission or testing-vendor amounts we can cite. School tuition and optional preparation products are private-market prices.

Fee Amount
Application$81
Examination$66

R.C. 4735.09 / O.A.C. 1301:5-1-05: initial application $81, nonrefundable. PSI July 1, 2026 bulletin: combined salesperson $66, national-only $46, state-only $43. Exam fee paid to PSI; retakes also need a Division retake service request. Initial licensing year ends on the first birthday after issuance, then three-year birthday cycles. Recovery Fund special assessment up to $10/year of a licensing period if the fund is under $250,000 on July 1 (R.C. 4735.12). Webcheck fee is a BCI vendor amount this page does not invent.

Commission

Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing

(614) 466-4100

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4735 (including §§ 4735.07 broker, 4735.09 salesperson qualifications / $81 / 100 hours after HB 238 / 20-hour post-license, 4735.12 Recovery Fund, 4735.141 CE). O.A.C. 1301:5 (including 1301:5-1-05 exam content split and scaled cuts, 1301:5-7-02 CE). Live ODRE Requirements for an Ohio Real Estate Salesperson's License page, Requirements for an Ohio Real Estate Broker's License page, and House Bill 238 FAQ (effective April 9, 2025) fetched 2026-09-02. PSI Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing Real Estate Salesperson and Broker Candidate Information Bulletin at test-takers.psiexams.com/ohre, Copyright 2026, 7/1/2026, bulletin 1001, fetched 2026-09-02. PSI (855) 834-8749. eLicense LPI at lpi.elicense.ohio.gov. Paper applications are not accepted.
Pre-licensing

100 hours (40 Principles and Practices + 40 Ohio Law + 10 Appraisal + 10 Finance)

Live ODRE salesperson requirements page and live PSI bulletin Education Requirements table (fetched 2026-09-02): Real Estate Principles and Practices 40 hours; Ohio Real Estate Law, including instruction in civil rights, housing discrimination and desegregation problems 40 hours; Real Estate Appraisal 10 hours; Real Estate Finance 10 hours. Live HB 238 FAQ: effective April 9, 2025; new 10-hour Appraisal and Finance courses taken before that date satisfy; 20-hour Appraisal and Finance courses still count if completed within the 10 years immediately before the current salesperson-exam application. The 40-hour law course is not required of an applicant admitted to the practice of law before the Supreme Court of Ohio (PSI bulletin asterisk). Live salesperson page: if you have not held a real estate license within the four years before your current application, complete those courses within the 10 years before your application, from a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year (associate) degree. After issuance, R.C. 4735.09(J) 20-hour post-licensure instruction within 12 months — failure suspends automatically; failure to cure within 12 months of suspension revokes automatically. Post-license is not CE.

Live salesperson page: courses within 10 years if not licensed in the previous four years. PSI: pass both portions within 12 months of the date on the label of the initial Candidate Information Bulletin.
Sponsoring broker

The salesperson application must include the recommendation of the broker with whom the applicant is associated or intends to be associated. Ohio is application-before-exam: the broker signs before the superintendent admits the applicant to PSI. A salesperson practices only under that broker.
Fingerprints

One complete set of fingerprint impressions to the superintendent of BCI&I, with FBI included, within 10 days of submitting the application (R.C. 4735.09; Division bulletin). Ohio Webcheck® is the vendor channel the Division and schools name. This page does not invent the Webcheck dollar amount.
CE / renewal

Initial licensing year ends on the first birthday after issuance. Thereafter, 30 hours of CE on or before the birthday occurring every three years (R.C. 4735.141): at least 3 hours civil rights, 3 hours current state/federal legislation (core law), 3 hours canons of ethics, plus electives. Brokers and management-level licensees include a 3-hour principal-broker duties course inside the 30. Maximum 10 extra hours may transfer to the next cycle; maximum 8 hours credit in any one calendar day (O.A.C. 1301:5-7-02). Post-license 20 does not count as CE. Licensees 70 or older with an inactive license are exempt.
Recovery fund

Ohio Real Estate Recovery Fund, R.C. 4735.12, administered by the superintendent. A scored topic on the PSI state outline (State Governance). Cap is $40,000 per licensee for unpaid judgments representing actual and direct loss from licensed activity. A special assessment of up to $10 per year of a licensing period can be imposed on renewal if the fund is under $250,000 on July 1. Payment from the fund suspends the license until reimbursement plus interest. It is not E&O.
06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Booking the exam before the broker signs

    Live PSI how-to: Division eligibility first, then PSI mails the CIB. Paper applications are not accepted. lpi.elicense.ohio.gov.

  • Following a 120-hour blog

    Live salesperson page, live PSI table, and live HB 238 FAQ (fetched 2026-09-02) print 40+40+10+10 = 100 hours effective April 9, 2025. Pre-cut 20-hour appraisal/finance still counts inside 10 years.

  • Missing 20-hour post-license

    R.C. 4735.09(J) suspends, then revokes. It is not a late fee and it is not CE.

  • Assuming a retake cap, or splitting portions on the first sitting

    Both portions in the same session unless one was already passed. Pass both within 12 months of the CIB label. Fail a portion: retake service request to the Division, then PSI again.

  • Treating an Indiana broker license as an Ohio salesperson license

    Indiana abolished the salesperson title. Ohio still has one.

  • Inventing a 56/28 raw cut

    The live PSI table and the live ODRE page print 70%. They do not print 56 of 80 or 28 of 40. This hub does not invent those as official cuts.

  • Mailing a paper application

    Live bulletin: Paper applications are not accepted.

  • Letting fingerprints miss the 10-day window

    Bulletin: you have 10 days from submitting your application to the Division to get a background check. BCI&I plus FBI.

  • Renaming this paper to Kentucky or Michigan

    Kentucky is sales associate 96 with FBI before PSI. Michigan statute publishes 40 hours including 4 civil rights. Ohio is 40+40+10+10, broker-signs-first, $81, birthday-year, 20-hour post-license.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

Partner / path Accepted exam Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential.

Ohio's education or exam waivers, if any, are published by the Division. This site does not copy a secondary-source reciprocity chart. An Indiana broker license is not an Ohio salesperson license — Indiana has no salesperson title.

08

Renewal and staying active

Initial licensing year ends on the first birthday after issuance. Thereafter, 30 hours of CE on or before the birthday occurring every three years (R.C. 4735.141): at least 3 hours civil rights, 3 hours current state/federal legislation (core law), 3 hours canons of ethics, plus electives. Brokers and management-level licensees include a 3-hour principal-broker duties course inside the 30. Maximum 10 extra hours may transfer to the next cycle; maximum 8 hours credit in any one calendar day (O.A.C. 1301:5-7-02). Post-license 20 does not count as CE. Licensees 70 or older with an inactive license are exempt.

Applicant checklist

  • 100-hour certificate (40+40+10+10) or a pre-HB 238 120-hour certificate completed under the old law
  • Ohio broker recommendation on the examination application
  • $81 nonrefundable Division fee at lpi.elicense.ohio.gov
  • BCI&I / FBI fingerprints within 10 days of the application
  • PSI 80+40 at scaled 70, both portions within 12 months of the CIB label
  • 20-hour post-license within 12 months of issuance
  • First renewal on the next birthday, then 30-hour CE every three birthdays
09

How Ohio is different

Indiana is broker-entry at 90 hours on Pearson VUE with a scaled 75, no salesperson title. Kentucky is sales associate, 96 hours, FBI before the exam, 60 days to apply after passing. Pennsylvania is 75 hours as two named courses and Pearson VUE after PALS. Michigan statute publishes 40 hours including 4 of civil rights, PSI 80+35. Ohio is 100 hours after HB 238, broker recommendation before PSI, $81 then $66, scaled 70 on each portion, and a 20-hour post-license that suspends then revokes.

10

Frequently asked questions

Does Ohio issue a salesperson license?
Yes. Live ODRE salesperson page. Indiana next door does not issue that title — do not import Indiana's broker-entry vocabulary into an Ohio file.
How many pre-licensing hours after HB 238?
Live salesperson requirements page, live PSI bulletin Education Requirements table, and live HB 238 FAQ (fetched 2026-09-02): 40 Principles and Practices + 40 Ohio Real Estate Law (civil rights, housing discrimination, desegregation) + 10 Appraisal + 10 Finance = 100 hours. Effective April 9, 2025. Verified from those live pages, not a school blog that still says 120.
Do old 20-hour appraisal/finance courses still count?
Live HB 238 FAQ: yes, if completed within the 10 years immediately before your current application for the salesperson exam. New 10-hour courses taken before April 9, 2025 also satisfy.
Can I book PSI before a broker signs?
No. Live PSI how-to: submit the License Exam Application at lpi.elicense.ohio.gov (paper applications are not accepted); Division staff process eligibility; if approved, PSI mails this Candidate Information Bulletin. R.C. 4735.09 wants the recommendation of the broker with whom the applicant is associated or intends to be associated.
Exam fee, items, time, cut?
Live PSI table 7/1/2026: combined $66, national-only $46, state-only $43, not refundable or transferable. Salesperson national 80 items (80 points) / 120 minutes at 70%; state 40 (40 points) / 60 minutes at 70%; both 120 / 180 minutes. Live ODRE page: Passing score: 70. The bulletin does not print a raw item cut (70% of 80 is 56; of 40 is 28); this hub does not invent those as official cuts.
What does the original application cost?
Live ODRE salesperson page: Salesperson Examination Application with an $81.00 fee. Nonrefundable (R.C. 4735.09 / O.A.C. 1301:5-1-05). PSI is a separate $66 (or $46/$43). Webcheck® is a BCI vendor amount the live pages this hub fetched do not number — do not invent it.
Fingerprints?
Live PSI bulletin: one complete set of fingerprint impressions directly to the superintendent of BCI&I, FBI included, within 10 days of submitting the application. Ohio Webcheck® is the named channel. You have 10 days from submitting your application to the Division to get a background check.
What happens if I miss the 20-hour post-license?
R.C. 4735.09(J): the license suspends automatically. Failure to cure within 12 months of suspension revokes it automatically. It is not a late fee and it is not CE.
What CE applies after the first birthday?
Initial licensing year ends on the first birthday after issuance. Thereafter 30 hours on or before the birthday occurring every three years (R.C. 4735.141): at least 3 civil rights, 3 current state/federal legislation (core law), 3 canons of ethics, plus electives. Brokers and management-level licensees include a 3-hour principal-broker duties course inside the 30. Maximum 10 extra hours may transfer; maximum 8 hours credit in any one calendar day (O.A.C. 1301:5-7-02). Licensees 70 or older with an inactive license are exempt.
Retake rules?
Pass both portions within 12 months of the date on the label of the initial CIB. Fail one or both: submit a retake application service request and fee to the Division, then pay PSI again. You must take both portions in the same session unless you previously passed a single portion. After 12 months, start over with a new Sales Exam Application. No statutory attempt cap inside the window.
Where is the Division and who seats the exam?
6606 Tussing Rd, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068. (614) 466-4100. com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/real-estate-and-professional-licensing. PSI (855) 834-8749, test-takers.psiexams.com/ohre. Remote online proctored option is on the live bulletin.
What is scored Ohio, not NAR trivia?
Ohio Fair Housing, Canon of Ethics, Recovery Fund (4 State Governance items), Broker Lien Law (broker-only), ancillary trustee (broker-only), and the 20-hour post-license suspend-then-revoke. This paper cannot be renamed to Indiana's broker-entry 90 or Kentucky's sales-associate 96.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

  1. Ohio Revised Code § 4735.09 (salesperson qualifications, $81, 100 hours, post-license)
  2. O.A.C. 1301:5-1-05 (exam content split, 70/75 scaled, $81, 12-month eligibility)
  3. PSI Ohio Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (July 1, 2026)
  4. Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing
  5. R.C. § 4735.141 (30-hour CE every three birthdays)
  6. R.C. § 4735.12 (Real Estate Recovery Fund)

Verified 2026-09-02  ·  Next scheduled review 2026-12-01