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Do I need continuing education to renew my real estate license?
After a first renewal, the nine states below ask for continuing education (CE) hours to renew an active license. North Carolina asks for 8 hours a year. California asks for 45 at each renewal. Some states count online courses. Find your state's hours below.
By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.
The steps, in order
Find your state's CE rule
Hours vary from state to state
Check your license type and period
Active and inactive licenses can differ
Take courses your state accepts
Check the course before you pay
Renew your license
Four steps in order: find your state's CE rule, check your license type and renewal period, take courses your state accepts, then renew. Hours and dates vary from state to state.
What the rule says
How many CE hours does California ask for?
At your first renewal, a salesperson completes 45 clock hours of CE that the Department of Real Estate (DRE) has approved.
Which California courses come with the first renewal?
For a salesperson, four three-hour courses: ethics, agency, trust fund handling and risk management. You also take a three-hour fair housing course, with an interactive part where you role-play as a consumer and as a real estate professional.
Is there another California course at a first renewal?
Yes. A salesperson also takes a two-hour course in implicit bias training and at least 18 hours of consumer protection courses.
What about a California broker or officer at a first renewal?
A broker or officer renewing an original license for the first time also completes 45 clock hours of CE that DRE has approved.
Which courses does a California broker or officer take at a first renewal?
Five three-hour courses: ethics, agency, trust fund handling, risk management, and management and supervision. They also take a three-hour fair housing course, with the same role-play part.
Is there more for a California broker or officer at a first renewal?
Yes. A broker or officer also takes a two-hour course in implicit bias training and at least 18 hours of consumer protection courses.
What about later renewals in California?
The total stays at 45 hours. DRE words this rule for a license that expires on or after January 1, 2023, or that renews late after that date.
Which subjects does California require later on?
One nine-hour survey course covers seven mandatory subjects: ethics, agency, trust fund handling, risk management, management and supervision, fair housing and implicit bias training. Or you take individual courses in all of them.
Does California ask for more than those subjects?
Yes. You also need at least 18 hours in the consumer protection category.
Can I get more time in California?
You can ask for more time if you qualify. If DRE grants it, you have 90 more days from the date your license expires to show you finished the CE.
How do I ask for the California extension?
Ask by mail before your license expires. You send the renewal application, form RE 213, any supporting documents and the fee by US mail before the expiration date. DRE says the request cannot be completed online at this time.
Is anyone exempt in California?
A licensee who is 70 or older and has held a license in good standing for 30 continuous years or more can request an exemption from CE.
Where do I find a California CE course?
DRE posts a list of the CE courses it has approved. Pick from that list.
How many CE hours does Colorado ask for?
Active brokers complete 24 hours of CE in each three-year license cycle.
Is any part of the Colorado total fixed?
Yes. 12 of the 24 hours are the Annual Commission Update course. You take three different versions of it, each four hours long.
Do new Colorado brokers need CE right away?
No. A newly licensed broker has no CE duty in the initial licensure period.
Can I make up a Colorado Update course late?
No. Once the course year has passed, you cannot make up that version. The Division lists three alternatives: the 24-hour Broker Reactivation Course (allowed once every other license cycle), passing the State portion of the Colorado Broker's Exam, or 48 hours in Colorado Contracts & Regulations plus 24 hours in Real Estate Closings, 72 hours in all.
Where do I find a Colorado CE course?
The Division of Real Estate posts a list of the CE courses it has approved.
How many CE hours does Florida ask for after the first renewal?
After the first renewal, to renew an active license as a broker, broker associate or sales associate, you show at least 14 classroom hours of 50 minutes each in each biennium of a license period.
Does Florida ask for those 14 hours at the first renewal?
No, except for a broker whose license is null and void and who wants a sales associate license. Otherwise sales associates and brokers do not have to meet the 14-hour CE rule before the first renewal after they are first licensed.
What can a Florida broker do once the license is null and void?
To operate as a sales associate, a broker whose license is null and void may be issued a sales associate license after providing proof of the 14-hour CE course, completed within the 6 months after the broker license expired.
Does Florida ask a new sales associate for other courses?
Possibly. Florida law says the commission may prescribe postlicensure courses of no more than 45 classroom hours of 50 minutes each, exam included, before the first renewal. Check the commission's current rules before you plan around it.
Does Florida ask a new broker for other courses?
Possibly. Florida law says the commission may prescribe postlicensure courses of no more than 60 classroom hours of 50 minutes each, exam included, before the first renewal. Check the commission's current rules before you plan around it.
What if a Florida sales associate skips those courses?
Unless the hardship extension or the real estate degree exemption applies, the license of a sales associate who does not complete the required postlicensure courses before the first renewal is considered null and void.
What if a Florida broker skips those courses?
Unless the hardship extension or the real estate degree exemption applies, the license of a broker who does not complete the required postlicensure courses before the first renewal is considered null and void.
Can a new Florida licensee get more time for those courses?
Possibly. The commission may allow an additional 6 months after the first renewal. It applies to a sales associate or broker who cannot, due to individual physical hardship as defined by rule, finish the courses in time. Check how the rule defines hardship before you rely on it.
Is anyone exempt from the Florida postlicensure courses?
Yes. They do not apply to an applicant or licensee who has a 4-year degree, or higher, in real estate from an accredited institution of higher education.
Can I take Florida CE online?
Possibly. Florida law says the commission may accept an approved distance learning course in place of the classroom course, hour for hour. Check that your course is approved before you pay.
What if I miss the end of the Florida license period?
A license that is not renewed at the end of the license period reverts to involuntarily inactive status.
How many CE hours does Georgia ask for?
Unless a rule says otherwise, to renew an active license you complete 36 instructional hours of CE during the renewal period.
Does Georgia require a subject?
Yes. At least 3 hours must be on license law in each renewal period.
Do Georgia brokers have extra requirements?
Yes. Unless a rule says otherwise, Georgia brokers complete 36 hours of CE in each 4-year renewal period. 18 of those hours must be on topics specific to Broker education.
Did the Georgia broker change affect salespersons?
No. The Georgia Real Estate Commission says the change does not affect the CE requirements for Salespersons or CAMs.
Is anyone exempt from CE in Georgia?
Yes. A licensee who obtained a license before 1980 and has a less-than 6-digit license number is still exempt from CE.
What about a non-resident Georgia broker?
A non-resident broker may continue to meet the Georgia CE rules by submitting proof of licensure in the resident state. You send a copy of your license or pocket-card from that state. It must show that you are on Active status and have an expiration date later than your GA expiration date.
How many CE hours does Massachusetts ask for?
You complete 12 hours of CE to renew a real estate or salesperson license.
When can I renew in Massachusetts?
Renewal opens 90 days before your license expires.
What is my Massachusetts renewal deadline?
In a renewal year, you renew your license on your birthday.
How many CE hours does North Carolina ask for?
To renew on active status, you complete 8 hours of CE in each license period. The period runs from July 1 to June 10.
Is any North Carolina course required?
Yes. For brokers without BIC Eligible Status, 4 of the hours must be the General Update course. The Commission changes its subject each license year.
What changes for a North Carolina BIC Eligible broker?
For brokers with BIC Eligible Status, 4 of the hours must be the Broker-in-Charge Update course each license period.
When is North Carolina CE due?
You complete it each annual license period, between July 1 and June 10.
Can I finish in late June in North Carolina?
No. Sponsors may not offer courses for CE credit between June 11 and June 30 of each year.
Do new North Carolina brokers need CE?
Not in the license period when the license is issued. You must meet the CE rule before the second renewal.
Can I renew an inactive North Carolina license without CE?
Yes. You can keep renewing on inactive status without CE. Before you activate the license, you show that you have obtained some education.
Can I take North Carolina CE online?
In part, yes. The Commission says distance courses are online, self-paced courses.
Which North Carolina distance courses count?
The Commission lists the providers approved to offer distance CE elective courses. Check that your provider is on that list before you pay.
Where do I find a North Carolina CE course?
The Commission has approved many community colleges, private schools, trade organizations and others to sponsor the Update courses and the electives.
How many CE hours does Ohio ask for?
A salesperson renews every three years with 30 hours of CE. The Department says this holds whether the license is active or inactive.
Does Ohio require a subject?
Yes. Three hours each of Canons of Ethics, Core Law and Civil Rights. Brokers must also include Broker Responsibilities.
Does age change the Ohio total?
Yes. An active salesperson who is 70 or older completes 9 hours of CE, which are the three core courses.
Does a first renewal in Ohio need the 30 hours?
No. The Ohio Department of Commerce says to include 30 hours of CE with the renewal unless this is your first renewal.
What does a new Ohio salesperson do at the first renewal?
The Department says you only need to submit the renewal information and pay the fee.
Is there a course due in the first year in Ohio?
Yes. A certificate for one specific 20-hour post-licensure course is due one year from your license issue date. It is one course, not several that add up to 20 hours.
When does Ohio first ask for the 30 hours?
At the third-year renewal, due three years after your first-year renewal. It is the first renewal that requires 30 hours of CE.
When is Ohio renewal due?
Your first renewal is due on your first birthday after you are licensed. If you were licensed within 60 days of your birthday, it may be your second birthday instead. Double check your due date.
What time on the due date does Ohio count?
Renew by 11:59 p.m. on the due date to avoid suspension.
How many CE hours does Oregon ask for?
On the broker page, a repeat active renewal takes additional hours to reach a minimum of 30 total.
Which Oregon renewal is a repeat active renewal?
Oregon lists two paths for an active license. One is for a licensee who has renewed an active license at least once and renews active again.
What about a first active renewal in Oregon?
The broker page lists a Broker Advanced Practices course of 26 or 27 hours.
Is there another course at a first renewal in Oregon?
Yes. It also lists a Law and Rule Required Course of 2 or 3 hours.
Is there a fair housing course in Oregon?
Yes. Since January 1, 2026, Oregon says all licensees complete a 2-hour Fair Housing course.
Do I need CE to renew an inactive Oregon license?
No. Oregon says no CE is needed to renew inactive. When you decide to activate the license, you will need to meet the applicable CE rules.
Where do I find an Oregon CE course?
Oregon's steps send you to Certified Continuing Education Providers.
How many CE hours does Virginia ask for?
An experienced salesperson completes 16 hours of CE to renew.
Do any of the Virginia hours have to be on set subjects?
Yes. For salespersons, 11 of the 16 hours must be in fair housing, ethics, agency, contracts and legal updates.
Can I take Virginia CE online?
Possibly. The regulation counts classroom, correspondence or other distance learning instruction hours for an active salesperson in each licensing term. Ask the Board which courses it approves.
Who has to take Virginia CE?
Brokers and salespersons who have renewed their license at least once. They complete Board-approved CE to renew or activate.
Virginia Real Estate Board · Continuing Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Where people go wrong
- Using one state's hours for another can leave you with too few. North Carolina asks for 8 hours in a license period. Georgia brokers need 36 over each 4-year renewal period, but non-resident brokers and some licensees from before 1980 follow other rules. Oregon's broker page asks for at least 30 total when you renew an active license again.
- Leaving CE until late can cost you. In North Carolina, sponsors may not offer courses for CE credit between June 11 and June 30 of each year. In Colorado, you cannot make up an Update course once its course year has passed.
- An inactive license is not the same everywhere. North Carolina and Oregon let you renew inactive without CE. From the third-year renewal on, Ohio asks for 30 hours on an inactive license too, unless you are 70 or older.
- A new license may follow another rule. North Carolina and Colorado ask for no CE in the first period. Ohio's 30 hours do not apply at a first renewal. Florida does not ask for its 14 hours before the first renewal. The one case that does is a broker whose license is null and void and who wants a sales associate license. The commission may prescribe postlicensure hours of 50 minutes each, up to 45 for a sales associate or 60 for a broker. Anyone with a 4-year degree or higher in real estate from an accredited institution of higher education is exempt from them. California asks a salesperson for 45 clock hours at the first renewal.
- Enough hours can still fall short. Georgia needs at least 3 hours on license law, Ohio needs three core courses, Virginia needs 11 of its 16 hours in set subjects, and California names its mandatory subjects and asks for at least 18 hours in consumer protection.
Questions
I am an Ohio salesperson who is 70 or older and inactive. Do I owe CE?
Not while the license is inactive. The Department says you still submit renewal information and the fee. To reactivate later, you complete the 9 hours of CE, which are the core courses, before you reactivate.
When do I ask California for a CE exemption?
Before the online renewal period. DRE says the exemption request must go by US mail before that period, so you can use eLicensing to renew your license.
What if my state is not on this page?
Look for it in the real estate CE list. It lists more states, Texas among them. If yours isn't there, ask the agency that licenses real estate in your state how many hours it asks for and which courses count.
Your next step
If your state is one of the nine above, read its sources, linked under Sources, before you pay for a course. For Florida, those sources are statutes. Where your state posts a course list, check the course against it. We haven't compared CE providers.
Sources we read
- www.dre.ca.gov › California Department of Real Estate, Continuing Education Requirements · read Nov 13, 2026
- dre.colorado.gov › Colorado Division of Real Estate, Broker Continuing Education · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.flsenate.gov › Florida Statutes § 475.182 (2026) · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.flsenate.gov › Florida Statutes § 475.17 (2026) · read Nov 13, 2026
- grec.state.ga.us › Georgia Real Estate Commission, Rule 520-1-.05 · read Nov 13, 2026
- grec.state.ga.us › Georgia Real Estate Commission, 2025 Broker CE Rule Changes · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.mass.gov › Massachusetts, Renew a real estate license · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.ncrec.gov › North Carolina Real Estate Commission, Continuing Education · read Nov 13, 2026
- com.ohio.gov › Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, Real Estate FAQ · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.oregon.gov › Oregon Real Estate Agency, CE requirements for brokers · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.dpor.virginia.gov › Virginia Real Estate Board, Continuing education flyer · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.dpor.virginia.gov › Virginia Real Estate Board, Continuing Education · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.ncrec.gov › North Carolina Real Estate Commission, Distance CE providers · read Nov 13, 2026
- law.lis.virginia.gov › 18VAC135-20-101, Continuing education requirements · read Nov 13, 2026
Who publishes this guide
State Cert Guide is an independent guide to what each state requires. If a fact on this page is wrong, tell us and we fix it.