Background Checks

From the ODE website:

• Who is required to complete background checks?

  All candidates seeking their first Ohio educator license, certificate or permit must submit both Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and FBI criminal background checks. Your background checks must be no older than one year (365 days) at the time the Department issues your initial credential.

  Additionally, everyone who holds a credential issued by the Ohio Department of Education must complete FBI background checks every five years. Please note that credential holders are responsible for obtaining required updated background checks within the five-year timeframe prescribed by law, even if the expiration date of a background check does not coincide with the expiration date of the Department-issued credential.