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How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my Ohio real estate license?

Unless an exception applies, Ohio real estate licensees complete thirty hours of continuing education (CE) by their birthday three years after first licensure, then every three years. The Division says the hours include three each of ethics, core law and civil rights. A new salesperson also owes a post-licensure course within a year. Licensees seventy or older follow a nine-hour rule.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
Thirty hours of CE every three years, due on the licensee's birthdayFor CE, the first deadline is the birthday that falls three years after the date of initial licensure.
Verified. codes.ohio.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Age 70 or older
Licensees seventy or older in a reporting period submit proof of nine hoursThose hours cover Ohio real estate law and canons of ethics, among other subjects.
Same source and date as above
Rule
Broker-level licensees include a three-hour course on a principal broker's dutiesIt applies to anyone licensed as a broker or broker on deposit, or acting as a management level licensee.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that the statute covers you. It applies to each person licensed under section 4735.07 or 4735.09 of the Revised Code, except a license in resigned status and the other cases the statute names. A salesperson who later becomes a broker keeps the same time period. In your first year as a salesperson, the Division also wants one specific 20-hour post-licensure course.

  2. Step 2. Pick a school, seminar or institution the Ohio Real Estate Commission has approved. The Commission sets that approval by rule, and an approved school has to be open to all licensees on an equal basis.

  3. Step 3. Complete thirty hours, with three hours each of Canons of Ethics, Core Law and Civil Rights. If you are licensed as a broker or broker on deposit, or act as a management level licensee, the hours include a three-hour course on the duties of a principal broker.

  4. Step 4. Send proof that you finished with your notice of renewal, in the manner the superintendent provides. The superintendent will not renew a license when the licensee has not complied.

Before you pay

This page rests on the Ohio statute on CE and the Division of Real Estate's FAQ. We haven't confirmed course prices or which schools the Commission has approved.

Before you pay, ask the provider whether the course counts toward Ohio CE.

Questions

Can I take Ohio real estate CE online?

Yes. The statute lets you finish CE by classroom instruction or by distance education.

What happens if I miss the deadline?

The license is suspended automatically, without any action by the superintendent. It stays suspended until the superintendent reactivates it, and that happens only once you meet the requirements. If you have not met them twelve months after it was suspended, the license is revoked automatically.

Can I get more time if I am disabled?

A licensee who is disabled at any time during the last three months of the third year may receive more time, as the superintendent deems appropriate. The licensee asks the Division of Real Estate and gives the Commission proof of the disability.

What happens to my license if my broker misses CE?

If a broker's license is suspended for missed CE, the licenses of the salespersons associated with that broker are suspended too. A salesperson's license is reactivated at no charge if the broker proves that he or she complied and is reactivated, or if the salesperson applies to leave and associate with a different broker.

What to do next

Start with the Ohio statute on CE. Then look for the Ohio Real Estate Commission's own pages on approved schools.

codes.ohio.gov

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