Licensure Guide

This page includes information about necessary steps to obtain your Ohio Educator or Pupil Services license, including the required Pre-Service Teacher permit needed while enrolled in your educator preparation program.

All teacher preparation candidates at University Educator Preparation programs in the State of    Ohio are required to obtain a Preservice Teaching (PST) permit from the Ohio Board of         Education before they can be placed in a public school classroom (Ohio HB 33 section                         3319.0812).

It is an entry-level permit for all educator preparation candidates taking part in a course and/or   required experience that places them in a public PreK-12 classroom. In addition a PST permit:

• Opens your OH|ID licensing account for all future licenses
• Adds you to Ohio’s RAPBACK (rapid background check) system, which does a continuous Ohio records checks, reducing the need for annual background checks in Ohio
• Replaces the need to apply for an Ohio substitute teaching license
• Takes UC’s School of Education out of the background check and decision-making process

The first step to obtaining your PST permit is to complete BCI (state) and FBI (national) background checks. 

These civilian background checks are done through the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The current cost of the combined BCI/FBI check is $66 (subject to change) at the University of Cincinnati Public Safety (UCSP) office and can be paid by personal check or credit card.

We suggest the following steps:

1. Candidates should request a background check (code 3319.291 School Employees – Licensure with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development) from the UCSP office (Edwards 4, Edwards Center). The UC Public Safety Office works cooperatively with the Office of Field Experiences and is knowledgeable about the state licensure requirements. Note that if you go to Public Safety, you must make an appointment.
2. Request an electronic copy of your report to be sent to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development. This will connect your report to your PST permit application.
3. Candidates should collect a paper copy, when it is available, and keep it for their records and to present to their clinical schools if requested.
4. Candidates should make an electronic copy and upload it into the appropriate SLL location for UC records. As part of our partnership with our clinical schools, we have committed to ensuring all candidates have appropriate clearance.
5. A candidate may use a different location than UCSP for their BCI/FBI checks, but the alternate location MUST be able and willing to directly submit an electronic copy to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development. Thus, we recommend using the University’s Public Safety Office, as they are familiar with the process.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to apply for their PST permit in a timely fashion to have it in      hand at the start of their clinical experiences. Permits are issued with a July 1 date, regardless of your application date, and are good for three (3) years – e.g., a permit obtained July 1, 2024, is valid until June 30, 2027. It is possible to renew a PST permit for an additional year, although at this time the state does not have this procedure fully codified. The cost for the 3-year permit is $75, paid by credit card. There is an additional charge of $5 for initial enrolment in the RAPBACK system.

To apply for a permit:

1. Create an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development OH|ID account at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce site (use login button at top of page). Candidates with a coaching license, teaching license or substitute teaching license can log in with that information.
2. From the login navigate to the App store and search for “CORE” and “Request Access.”
3. Complete the PST permit application.
4. Standard processing takes 10 working days, although it may be faster or slower at different times of the year. Check your UC email for information and your OH|ID account for permit status.
5. Once received, copy the permit and upload the copy into UC SLL Gateways. Keep a copy to present to your clinical school.
6. Candidates can contact the School of Education licensing officer, Kristina Slusser-Hornback, for questions about the PST permit process.

Candidates who know they have a compromised background check should disclose this both to their field coordinator and on their PST permit application. There are steps that can be taken to overcome some offenses, and the UC program will support the candidate where it can. In these instances, we encourage candidates to work with a lawyer to have the offense removed from their record.

The state provides comprehensive information about criminal records and educators.

Some convictions will prohibit you from obtaining a PST permit and/or teaching license in the state of Ohio (absolute bar offenses). You can access a list of these offenses here.

A candidate who has a non-barring offense on their background checks will have their case reviewed by the State Board of Education’s professional conduct committee. The Board will investigate and make a determination as to whether the candidate can be issued a PST permit.

UC must abide by the State’s determination on PST permits. Candidates unable to receive a PST permit should work with their advisor to explore other career choices.

The Ohio RAPBACK system does a continuous check of Ohio records. If a candidate has a law enforcement encounter resulting in a notification to the RAPBACK system, the following process is followed.

1. The RAPBACK system will send notification to the State Board of Education.
2. The state will contact UC’s licensure office for information about the school/school district placement of the candidate.
3. UC will send the placement information to the state but is not allowed to directly contact the district or school.
4. The Board of Education will contact the school/school district of the infraction and determination of PST permit status.
5. The school/school district will make a determination as to whether the candidate can continue in their clinical placement or should be removed.
6. The school/school district will inform the appropriate UC field coordinator if a placement is to be terminated.

If a candidate has an encounter with law enforcement, they should contact their field and program coordinators immediately to discuss their status and make plans for their progress in their licensing program. It is important to note that UC program and field coordinators do not have access to RAPBACK records. It is the responsibility of the candidate to inform their program.

In addition, UC is not allowed to disclose background check records to the schools or school districts. We can help candidates plan how to discuss or disclose an issue, but we cannot do it for them.

Finally, UC and the School of Education must abide by the decisions made by the State Board of Education and school district as to a candidate’s ability to work in their schools. Even if the state grants a PST permit, be aware that some schools/school districts may be unwilling to accept the candidate for a clinical field placement.

Questions regarding Educator Licensure?
Please contact our Licensure Officer, Kristina Slusser-Hornback.