Transfer a Real Estate License to Ohio

Verified July 2026 · 27 official sources

Every state honored, Ohio law exam and fingerprints stand

Since December 2023 Ohio honors salesperson and broker licenses from every state. Hold yours a year, line up an Ohio sponsoring broker, pass fingerprints and a 40-question state law exam, and pay $81, with no Ohio coursework and no national exam. Answer the ethics questions clean and you can test early, then work on a provisional license while the background check finishes. One deadline follows you in, the 20-hour post-licensing course within 12 months of issuance, or the license is suspended.

First year: $174 to $199 + courseRenewal: $182 / 3 yrsWait: Decision within 60 days of a complete fileWork while waiting: Yes, provisional license once you pass the examTravel required: Likely one exam trip, remote option confirming

What carries over to Ohio, and what does not

Comes with you

Your license itself, held 1+ year, drives the waiver
National exam portion, waived entirely
All Ohio pre-licensing education, 100 hours waived
Years and transactions toward the Ohio broker tier

New for this state

Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint check, fresh for every application
State law portion of the Ohio exam, 40 questions, scaled 70
Letter of good standing from each licensing state
Consent to service of process form
Ohio sponsoring broker to approve the application

If you hold a broker license

Brokers get the same recognition at $135 but must show 2 of the last 5 years working as a broker plus 20 transactions completed as a broker, with out-of-state work counting. The broker exam passes at a scaled 75, the post-licensing course is 10 hours, and renewal runs $243 every 3 years. A principal broker must keep a physical office in Ohio, a PO box does not count, so most arrivals affiliate as an associate broker instead.

Working in Ohio without a Ohio license

On a single deal Commercial only. Under ORC 4735.022 an out-of-state broker can work an Ohio commercial deal without an Ohio license through a written cooperation agreement with an Ohio broker, with every dollar running through that broker's trust account. Residential has no such door, a license is required and a referral is the only channel.

Referrals Yes, broker to broker. An Ohio broker may pay a referral fee to a broker licensed in another state who introduces the client and then steps away completely. Salespersons collect only through their own broker.

Your send-off checklist

YOULine up an Ohio sponsoring broker. Every salesperson application, recognition included, needs one to recommend you and approve it in the portal.

YOUOrder a letter of good standing from every state where you hold the license. varies

YOUCreate an OHID account and file the out-of-state salesperson application in eLicense LPI with the letters and the consent to service of process form. Paper filings are returned. $81 eLicense LPI

YOUGet printed within 10 business days of applying, BCI and FBI, reason code 4735.143, results straight to the Division. Outside Ohio, use the FastFingerprints pilot or mail ink cards to BCI in London, Ohio. $50 to $75, confirming Ohio AG fingerprint options

STATE BOARDSThe Division reviews the file and exports you to PSI. Clean ethics answers can earn provisional approval to test before background results arrive.

YOUSchedule with PSI and pass the state portion, 40 questions in 60 minutes, scaled 70. Each retake costs a fresh $81 plus a new PSI fee, and everything must pass within 12 months. $43, confirming PSI Ohio portal

STATE BOARDSThe Division decides within 60 days of a complete file. Pass with the background check still out and you get a provisional license and can work while it finishes. The license goes electronically to your broker.

YOUR SCHOOLFinish the 20-hour post-licensing course within 12 months of your issue date and email the certificate to PostCert@com.ohio.gov. Missing it means automatic suspension, then revocation a year later. school sets price

YOUCalendar the first renewal. It lands on your first birthday after licensure, costs the full $182, and needs no CE. After that it is $182 every 3 years with 30 CE hours.

The money

Application, includes the first license	$81
PSI exam, state portion only	$43 per sitting, confirming
Fingerprints, BCI plus FBI	$50 to $75, confirming
Letters of good standing	varies
Consent to service of process	$0
20-hour post-licensing course, year one	school sets price
E&O insurance	$0, not required
Recovery fund	$0 separate, built into license fees
TOTAL First year, typical	$174 to $199 + course
Then: renewal every 3 years	$182

Watch out in Ohio

Fingerprint order matters. Apply first, then get printed within 10 business days, with results sent to the Division, never to you.
Every exam retake means another $81 application fee plus a new PSI fee, and passed portions expire if the 12-month window closes.
Miss the 20-hour post-licensing course deadline and the license suspends automatically, with revocation 12 months after that.
A pending complaint or investigation in any state freezes the application until it is resolved.

Official links for Ohio

Keep going

The real estate planner, which builds a plan across several states at once.
Errors and omissions insurance by state, the 15 states that mandate it.
All three professions we cover.

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