Real Estate License from Montana to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) ↗
Yes — Ohio recognizes real estate licenses from all states, including Montana. Apply to the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Ohio honors licenses from every state, so your Montana license clears the threshold automatically. The work that remains is Ohio-side mechanics: the application, the background check, the state-law exam where required, and affiliating with a Ohio brokerage to activate the license. None of it is difficult; all of it is sequential — start the license-history certification first, it has the longest lead time.
What changes, Montana → Ohio
| Montana (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 70 | 100 |
| Application fee | $80 ($80 application fee; separate Pearson VUE examination fee paid to the test vendor) | $81 (Salesperson examination/application fee paid to the Division; excludes WebCheck/FBI background-check fees and the PSI exam fee.) |
| Processing time | Board of Realty Regulation does not publish a processing-time range | Division does not publish a processing-time estimate for out-of-state applications. |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Realty Regulation (Department of Labor & Industry) | Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be sponsored by a licensed Ohio real estate broker.
- Complete Ohio (BCI) and FBI criminal background checks with no disqualifying convictions.
- Provide letters of good standing for every jurisdiction where you hold a license or certification.
- Complete a consent to service of process statement.
- Option 1: hold a substantially similar out-of-state license for at least 1 year and be active in at least 1 of the past 5 years.
- Pass the Ohio state-law portion of the salesperson examination.
- Pay the fees ($81 (Salesperson examination/application fee paid to the Division; excludes WebCheck/FBI background-check fees and the PSI exam fee.)) and allow Division does not publish a processing-time estimate for out-of-state applications..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio accept a Montana real estate license?
Yes — Ohio recognizes real estate licenses from all states, including Montana. Apply to the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (Ohio Department of Commerce) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Which exams will I take moving from Montana to Ohio?
National portion waived: out-of-state applicants qualifying under Options 1-3 pass only the Ohio state-law portion of the salesperson exam; standard new applicants (Option 4) take the full Ohio salesperson examination..
What does the move cost?
$81 (Salesperson examination/application fee paid to the Division; excludes WebCheck/FBI background-check fees and the PSI exam fee.) (Salesperson examination/application fee paid to the Division; excludes WebCheck/FBI background-check fees and the PSI exam fee.).
Can I keep selling in Montana after I'm licensed in Ohio?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Montana license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Ohio DREPL - Out of State Licensed Salesperson Applicants (new law effective Dec. 29, 2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio DREPL - Requirements for an Ohio Real Estate Salesperson's License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio Revised Code Section 4735.09 (salesperson licensure / pre-license education) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MT Board of Realty Regulation — Real Estate Salesperson license information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MT Board of Realty Regulation — Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Requirements & Application Checklist (Updated 11/2025; Out-of-State Licensee/Waiver Process; $80 fee; 70-hour pre-licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]