To apply, you must:
9 Ohio Dealer License Requirements
Ohio Dealer Licenses are issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Dealer Licensing Section. This page covers Ohio's 5 Dealer License types, their requirements, bond size, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you use it through the entire Dealer License process. Ohio's dealer law accepts a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, LLP, corporation, association, joint stock company, or business trust (ORC 4517.01(A)).
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name. A corporation or LLC uploads its Secretary of State registration certificate, and a trade name needs its own. Settle the name before you order the bond; it must match the Secretary of State record exactly.
With an LLC or corporation, you can add an owner and keep your license. Notify the BMV within 15 days (ORC 4517.23). Start as an LLC or corporation: the license can't be transferred, so a sole proprietorship that changes form later reapplies (ORC 4517.10).
Choose your Dealer License Type
Ohio's 5 main Dealer License types share one online application; the same section also issues Auction Owner, Distributor, and Construction Equipment Auction Licenses. Most people start with the Used Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or APV Dealer License. Wholesale sales are allowed on it, because Ohio has no separate wholesale license.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| Used Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or APV Dealer LicenseThe type most people start with | Sell used motor vehicles, motorcycles, all-purpose vehicles, and off-highway motorcycles, retail and wholesale. Requires the training course and the $75,000 bond |
| New Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, APV, or Camping Trailer Dealer License | Sell new vehicles, plus camping trailers, which only this license covers. Requires roofed display space for at least one new vehicle and on-site repair facilities (ORC 4517.03) |
| Leasing Motor Vehicle Dealer License | Lease motor vehicles from a location separated by a barrier from any residence and from any business not mainly related to leasing (OAC 4501:1-3-32) |
| Adaptive Mobility Dealer License | Sell adaptive mobility vehicles from a location used only for those sales, with roofed display and repair space for at least one vehicle (ORC 4517.03(H)) |
| Salvage Motor Vehicle Dealer, Auction, or Pool LicenseLicensed under a separate law, ORC ch. 4738 | Buy and sell salvage vehicles from a fenced yard of at least 50,000 square feet, or 5,000 for a motorcycle-only dealer, with a 225-square-foot office. A salvage yard can't share a dealership's location |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
An Ohio Used Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or APV Dealer License requires a $75,000 surety bond, filed with the Ohio Attorney General, not the BMV (OAC 4501:1-3-11). The bond protects your customers if you break Ohio's title and dealer laws; it backs the state's Title Defect Rescission Fund. A $75,000 Dealer Bond costs only $750 a year, after a credit check.
The BMV's own estimate is $750 to $2,250 a year, depending on your credit. The original bond goes to the Attorney General before the license can be issued; you upload a copy with your application. It is written in your exact registered business name and stays in force the whole time you hold the license.
A New, Leasing, or Adaptive Mobility Dealer License in good standing, held now or in the past year, waives the Used license bond (OAC 4501:1-3-11(E)).
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Used Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or APV Dealer LicenseOhio - Motor Vehicle Dealer Title Defect ($75,000) | $750/yearabout $63 a month | $75,000 |
Set up your Dealer Office
An Ohio Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License requires an established place of business, which Ohio law says “does not mean a residence, tent, temporary stand, storage shed, lot, or any temporary quarters” (ORC 4517.01(NN)). The display lot must sit behind a permanent barrier from any residence and unrelated business. The table below is the Used Dealer License standard.
| What Ohio Requires | |
|---|---|
| Display lot | At least 3,500 square feet, not counting driveways or the office, with hard-surface ground cover such as gravel or concrete, free of dust, mud, and water |
| Office | A permanent structure on the lot, identifiable as a dealership, with an office of at least 180 contiguous square feet, hard-surface walls, not used for storage. At minimum a desk, three chairs, and a filing cabinet, with lighting, power, heat, and ventilation |
| Barrier | A permanent physical barrier of metal, brick, stone, concrete, wood, cable, landscaping, or curbing, kept up the entire license period |
| Sign | A permanent sign with the business name exactly as registered with the Secretary of State, letters at least 6 inches high, in public view; by the office entrance if not visible from the road |
| Phone | A business phone in service at all times, answered only in the dealership's name, with the number posted |
| Hours | Open to the public at least 5 hours a week, 2 of them between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, with hours posted near the entrance and an owner, officer, partner, member, or salesperson on duty |
| Lease or deed | A secured lease of at least 3 months in the applicant's name, or a deed |
| Zoning | Approved by the local zoning authority, with evidence of building and zoning compliance uploaded. The registrar grants no variances on zoning |
| Use | Used only for selling, displaying, and dealing in motor vehicles (ORC 4517.03(C)); customers may still sign purchase papers off-site |
Complete the Dealer Training Course — Used Dealer License
An Ohio Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License requires a used motor vehicle dealer training course, completed in the 6 months before you apply (ORC 4517.05(B)). One owner, officer, partner, member, trustee, or principal owner of the business attends. Ohio has no Dealer exam; the course itself asks questions as you go.
- At least 6 hours, in a classroom or online; the law caps a course at 24 hours
- Two state-approved providers: the Ohio Independent Auto Dealers Association in Westerville, (614) 863-5800, and the Automobile Dealer Training Association in Dayton, (800) 369-2467
- The provider sets the price; the state's own estimate is about $200
- You upload the certificate of completion with your application
Pass the Background Check (BCI Criminal History Record)
Every person listed in the Ownership Section of an Ohio Dealer License application submits a BCI criminal history record with the application (OAC 4501:1-3-07). That means a sole proprietor, corporate officers, partners, LLC members, and business trust trustees. Ohio residents are fingerprinted electronically at a WebCheck location, with results sent to BMV Dealer Licensing; the vendor sets the price.
If you live outside Ohio, request a paper fingerprint card and exemption form from the BMV; processing is $22. An FBI record is not accepted in place of the BCI record. BCI can take up to 30 days.
If you have a record
- Not every conviction counts. A record disqualifies you only if the offense is on the BMV's published list, which names offenses, not felonies as a class. Theft of a motor vehicle, odometer tampering, forgery, passing bad checks, and falsification are on it
- Waiting period. Most listed offenses clear 5 years after conviction or release from prison, whichever is later. A breach of fiduciary duty takes 10 years. Violent and sex offenses have no time limit. A new conviction inside the window restarts it (ORC 9.79)
- Pending charges don't count. Only a conviction, finding of guilt, guilty plea, or no-contest plea does
- Disclose it. The application asks about disqualifying offenses; you attach certified copies of the conviction, sentencing entry, and indictment. A false answer is its own ground for denial (ORC 4517.12)
- The way back. A Certificate of Qualification for Employment from a court lifts the bar, and the BMV then decides case by case (ORC 2953.25). Sealing doesn't reach odometer offenses. If denied, you get the reasons in writing, a hearing right, and 30 days to appeal to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Board
Submit your Dealer License Application
You apply online only, through the BMV's Dealer Licensing system with an OH|ID login; Ohio has no paper application. The license fee is $50 for two years, plus a one-time $150 Title Defect Rescission Fund fee on a first license. Every fee is itemized under costs.
Ohio licenses by county: you file a separate application for each county you do business in (ORC 4517.05). The paperwork asks for no Social Security number, EIN, or ID document; each owner's identity is checked through the BCI fingerprint record instead.
Pass the Site Inspection
An Ohio Dealer License location is inspected by BMV Investigations after you apply, “prior to or after the issuance of the license.” You don't schedule it. The BMV decides the application on your uploaded photos of the sign, the office inside and out, and the lot. So a license can arrive before the inspector does.
If the location fails, the license is referred to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Board for possible suspension or revocation.
Get your Dealer License Plates
Ohio dealer plates come from the BMV with the license. The Master Plate is required, $50.25 for the two-year cycle, and additional plates are $10.25 each (ORC 4503.27). How many you can hold depends on your annual sales, in the tiers below, and the BMV audits your sales at every renewal. Dealer tags let you drive your inventory.
You, an employee or agent, a prospective buyer, or a third party with your permission can drive on them (ORC 4503.30). The plate goes on any vehicle you own or lawfully possess, other than a commercial car.
It can be in transit, being demonstrated, or “otherwise being utilized by the dealer.” The statute never says “personal use”; that clause is its broadest allowance.
| Annual Sales | Dealer Plates |
|---|---|
| 1 to 10 vehicles | 2 plates |
| 11 to 15 vehicles | 3 plates |
| 16 to 49 vehicles | 4 plates |
| 50 to 99 vehicles | 5 plates |
| 100 to 250 vehicles | 10 plates |
| 251 or more vehicles | Unlimited |
Dealer License Cost
An Ohio Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License costs $50 for two years, plus a one-time $150 Title Defect Rescission Fund fee on your first application. The fee is one of the lowest application fees of any state. Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dealer Permit (the license) | $50 for 2 years, initial and renewal |
| Title Defect Rescission Fund feePaid once by first-time applicants into the state fund that refunds buyers left without a title | $150 first application only |
| Master Plate (required) | $50.25 for 2 years |
| Additional dealer plates | $10.25 each, for 2 years |
| Dealer Bond | $750 a year, $75,000 bond, credit check required$750 to $2,250 a year is the BMV's own estimate, depending on credit |
| Training course | Set by the provider; the state estimates about $200 |
| Fingerprinting | Priced by the WebCheck vendor, for Ohio residents$22 processing, paper card for out-of-state owners |
| Record Review ProcessOnly if you have a record to check | $25 |
| Postage | $4.50, one-time |
| Certified copy of the licenseFor each additional lot in the same county | $2 each |
| Replacements | $7.50 sticker$6.75 plate$14.25 plate and sticker$1 duplicate registration$2 duplicate permit |
Dealer License Renewal
An Ohio Dealer License is valid for two years and expires on a date the registrar sets within the two-year cycle (ORC 4517.10). Renewal is $50, plus the plates again: $50.25 for the Master Plate and $10.25 per additional plate. You renew through the same online Dealer Licensing system.
Common Questions
Can you get an Ohio Dealer License with a felony?
Yes, unless the offense is on Ohio's list of disqualifying offenses and still inside its waiting period. For most listed offenses that is 5 years from conviction or release. A breach of fiduciary duty takes 10 years; violent or sex offenses have no time limit (ORC 9.79). A pending charge doesn't count; more under Background Check.
Can you get a Dealer License in Ohio without a lot?
No. An Ohio Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License requires a display lot of at least 3,500 square feet and a 180-square-foot office. The lot sits behind a permanent barrier from any residence. Ohio has no wholesale license that skips the lot.
How many cars can you sell in Ohio without a Dealer License?
In Ohio, you can make up to 5 casual sales of motor vehicles in any 12-month period without a Dealer License. A sixth casual sale in the 12 months from your first sale requires a license (ORC 4517.02(A)(6)). A casual sale is a sale by a non-dealer to a buyer who will use the vehicle themselves.
Does Ohio have a wholesale Dealer License?
No. Ohio has no separate wholesale-only Dealer License. The BMV's own FAQ says wholesale purchases and sales “may be made incidental to, and in support of, engaging in business at retail” (BMV FAQ). A Used or New Dealer License, with its lot and office, is what gets you into the dealer auctions.
Does Ohio require insurance for a Dealer License?
No, not for the Used Dealer License. Nothing in Ohio's dealer law, the BMV's rules, its fee schedule, or its used-dealer documentation list asks for proof of insurance. That list is a lease or deed, Secretary of State certificates, BCI records, the training certificate, the bond, and photographs.
How long does an Ohio Dealer License take?
No Ohio law sets a deadline for the BMV to decide. Plan around the BCI background check, which can take up to 30 days and must be in before the application moves. Veterans, service members, and spouses get expedited processing the BMV says can be 2 to 4 weeks faster.
Do I need a business bank account?
No. No Ohio statute, BMV rule, or required-documents item asks for a business bank account. Ohio does require $75,000 in net worth, verifiable on application, and the $75,000 Dealer Bond can satisfy it (OAC 4501:1-3-11).
Do salespeople need a license in Ohio?
No. Ohio abolished the motor vehicle salesperson license on April 9, 2025 (ORC 4517.10), so hiring salespeople adds no licensing step. A salesperson license issued before then runs to the end of its term and can't be renewed.
Support
The Dealer Licensing Section handles the Used Dealer License and the other Chapter 4517 licenses; only the bond is filed elsewhere, with the Attorney General.
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Dealer Licensing Section |
| Phone | (614) 752-7636 Dealer Licensing(614) 752-7220 fax |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| [email protected] | |
| Address | 1970 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43223Mail: P.O. Box 16521, Columbus, OH 43216-6521 |
Additional sources (14)
The forms and the portal for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages the page was checked against.
- ORC 4517.01, definitions — the business types Ohio accepts, “established place of business,” and “casual sale”
- ORC 4517.03, place of business — the exclusive-use rule, off-site signings, and the new and adaptive mobility dealer premises
- ORC 4517.12, grounds for denial — a false statement on the application and a disqualifying offense under ORC 9.79
- ORC 4517.23, change of status — the 15-day supplemental statement when owners, partners, or officers change
- ORC 4517.33, appeals — the 30-day appeal to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Board after a refusal
- OAC 4501:1-3-02, training course providers — the 6 to 24 hour course, classroom or online, and how providers are approved
- OAC 4501:1-3-07, criminal history record — who submits a BCI record, the disclosure duty, and no-contest pleas
- ORC 2953.25, Certificate of Qualification for Employment — the certificate that lifts an automatic licensing bar
- ORC 4503.27, additional dealer plates — a reasonable number of additional plates at a set annual fee
- Permits and Licenses Issued (BMV) — the full list of licenses and permits the Dealer Licensing Section issues
- Business Impact Analysis for OAC 4501:1-3 (PDF) — the $75,000 bond decision, the $750 to $2,250 premium estimate, and the training cost estimate
- Expedited dealer license applications for military (BMV) — the 2 to 4 week saving for service members, veterans, and spouses
- ORC chapter 4738, salvage dealers — the separate law for salvage motor vehicle dealers, auctions, and pools
- OAC 4501:1-4-04, salvage facility standard — the 50,000 square foot yard, the 6-foot fence, and the 225 square foot office
