2010 Ohio Revised Code
Title [47] XLVII OCCUPATIONS - PROFESSIONS
Chapter 4707: AUCTIONEERS
4707.02 Unlicensed practice.

4707.02 Unlicensed practice.

(A) No person shall act as an auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer within this state without a license issued by the department of agriculture. No auction shall be conducted in this state except by an auctioneer licensed by the department. The department shall not issue or renew a license if the applicant or licensee has been convicted of a felony or crime involving fraud or theft in this or another state at any time during the ten years immediately preceding application or renewal.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Sales at auction that either are required by law to be at auction, other than sales pursuant to a judicial order or decree, or are conducted by or under the direction of a public authority;

(2) The owner of any real or personal property desiring to sell the property at auction, provided that the property was not acquired for the purpose of resale;

(3) An auction mediation company;

(4) An auction that is conducted in a course of study for auctioneers that is approved by the state auctioneers commission created under section 4707.03 of the Revised Code for purposes of student training and is supervised by a licensed auctioneer;

(5)(a) An auction that is sponsored by a nonprofit or charitable organization that is registered in this state under Chapter 1702. or Chapter 1716. of the Revised Code, respectively, if the auction only involves the property of the members of the organization and the auction is part of a fair that is organized by an agricultural society under Chapter 1711. of the Revised Code or by the Ohio expositions commission under Chapter 991. of the Revised Code at which an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter physically conducts the auction; or

(b) Sales at an auction sponsored by a charitable, religious, or civic organization that is tax exempt under subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or by a public school, chartered nonpublic school, or community school, if no person in the business of organizing, arranging, or conducting an auction for compensation and no consignor of consigned items sold at the auction, except such organization or school, receives compensation from the proceeds of the auction. As used in division (B)(5)(b) of this section, “compensation” means money, a thing of value other than participation in a charitable event, or a financial benefit.

(6) A person licensed as a livestock dealer under Chapter 943. of the Revised Code who exclusively sells livestock and uses an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter to conduct the auction;

(7) A person licensed as a motor vehicle auction owner under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code who exclusively sells motor vehicles to a person licensed under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code and who uses an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter to conduct the auction;

(8) A person who sells real or personal property by means of the internet.

(C)(1) No person shall advertise or hold oneself out as an auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer without a license issued by the department of agriculture.

(2) Division (C)(1) of this section does not apply to an individual who is the subject of an advertisement regarding an auction conducted under division (B)(5)(b) of this section.

Effective Date: 10-01-2001; 05-06-2005; 04-14-2006; 2007 HB119 07-03-2007; 2008 HB48 09-12-2008