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Under an emergency law effective November 22, 2020, Ohio licenses set to expire between March 9, 2020 and April 1, 2021 are now valid until July 1, 2021.

This extension applies to any “license, permit, certificate, commission, charter, registration, card, or other similar authority that is issued or conferred by a state agency, a political subdivision of [Ohio], or an official of a political subdivision of [Ohio].”

Any action that a licensee would normally be required to take to maintain the validity of a license set to expire before April 1, 2021 can now be taken anytime before July 1, 2021. This includes, for example, the submission of a renewal application and the payment of a license renewal fee. Licensing boards and agencies cannot proceed with disciplinary actions against a license for the failure to renew that license as long as the license is renewed before July 1, 2021.

Nothing in this law prevents licensing boards and agencies from proceeding with formal discipline against a license for any reason other than the failure to renew by the previously-effective deadline.

At least one licensing board has interpreted this provision to extend the validity of a license, but not extend other deadlines. For example, if you are required to complete a set number of hours of continuing education each year, the deadline for completing the continuing education may not be extended even though the deadline for submitting the renewal application has been. Licenses will also, almost certainly, stay on the same renewal cycle and your next renewal deadline will not change.

If you have questions regarding renewing your license, you should consider contacting one of the attorneys at Graff & McGovern, LPA. Attorney Brandon Smith can be reached at brandon@grafflaw.com and (614) 228-5800, ext. 7.