Frequently Asked Questions
Ohio teaching license renewal requirements, coursework, and the CORE system
To renew an Ohio teaching license, complete your required professional development, gather your documentation, and submit a renewal application through Ohio's CORE online system before your license expires. You'll need either six semester hours of coursework, 18 CEUs (180 contact hours), or a combination approved by your LPDC. Once your hours are done, log into CORE at ohid.ohio.gov, upload your transcripts or certificates, and pay the renewal fee.
For a five-year Professional or Associate license, you need six semester hours of coursework in your teaching area, or 18 CEUs (180 contact hours). Your LPDC can approve a combination of both. All coursework must connect to your licensure area or teaching assignment.
An LPDC (Local Professional Development Committee) is a district-level committee that manages professional development for employed teachers. Your LPDC reviews and approves your Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP), which maps out the training you'll complete before renewal. It also decides whether a combination of semester hours and CEUs counts, so working with your LPDC early matters if you're teaching in a district.
Ohio accepts college coursework aligned to your certificate area, professional development workshops (online or in-person), and teaching-focused conferences, seminars, or institutes. All activities need to connect to classroom instruction or your licensure area and support student learning. Employed teachers typically document qualifying activities through an IPDP reviewed by their LPDC.
A lapsed license means reinstatement, not renewal, and Ohio sets the bar higher for it. The state requires nine semester hours for reinstatement, compared to six for a standard renewal. Knowing your expiration date and finishing your coursework on time saves you the extra work.
CORE (Certification/Licensure Online Resource for Educators) is Ohio's online licensure system at ohid.ohio.gov. After finishing your professional development, you submit your renewal application through CORE, upload your transcripts and completion certificates, and pay the renewal fee. Every Ohio license renewal and reinstatement goes through CORE.
Yes. Teachers outside a district meet the renewal requirement by completing university coursework for graduate-level credits. Six semester hours at an accredited university in a subject tied to your licensure area is the straightforward path. Model Teaching offers accredited credit courses that produce an official university transcript through one of its university partners.
Employed teachers in Ohio work with their LPDC to create an IPDP (Individual Professional Development Plan) that identifies the training they'll complete for renewal. The plan matters because your committee uses it to determine which activities count. Teachers outside a district skip the LPDC process, but should keep thorough records of completed coursework. You'll need those when submitting through CORE.
