Licensure
Background Check
In January 2010, to comply with House Bill 1, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) started requiring initial applicants for any license or permit that it issues to complete both an Ohio criminal background check and an FBI criminal background check, conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCII). These checks need to be less than 365 days old to be considered valid for licensing purposes.
Educators who are renewing a license or permit and have lived continuously in the State of Ohio for the previous five years, and have a BCI background check on file with ODE, will need to complete only an FBI criminal background check once every five years. Currently, they must complete both BCI and FBI checks whenever they renew.
Educators who have not lived continuously in the state for the past five years will need to complete both a BCI and FBI background check.
Further, educators with multiple licenses only need to submit the required background checks when they are applying for the renewal of the license or permit that is of the longest duration. Educators who hold a permanent certificate are still required to submit the required background checks once every five years. Permanent certificate holders who have lived continuously in Ohio for those five years, however, will only need to submit FBI background checks.
If an application is received for these applicants without the appropriate background check results on file, ODE will place the application on hold pending receipt of the results. For questions or more information, please contact the Office of Educator Licensure at (614) 466-3593.