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How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my Arkansas real estate license?

After its first renewal, an active Arkansas real estate license needs seven hours of continuing education (CE) a year. A license on inactive status needs none to renew. For 2026, the Arkansas Real Estate Commission names a required topic and leaves the rest to electives.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
7 hours of continuing education in 2026One hour covers limiting risk to preserve personal safety for agents and clients, and the other six are electives.
Verified. arec.arkansas.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
Seven hours each year, with renewal done by September 30 to avoid a penaltyAn active license not renewed before December 31 expires on January 1.
Verified. Arkansas Real Estate Commission · Licensing Frequently Asked Questions (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Rule
CE taken on or after October 1 can renew a license for the next two calendar yearsA class taken October 1 or later can be used for the renewal of either of those two years.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check where your license stands. The CE requirement begins after the first renewal of your license, so you complete it before the second renewal. An inactive license needs no CE to renew.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course on a real estate topic. The Commission requires every CE topic to be real estate-related, and it highly recommends topics such as license law, ethics and fair housing.

  3. Step 3. Take the 2026 hours: one hour on limiting risk to preserve personal safety for agents and clients, plus six hours of electives.

  4. Step 4. Renew by September 30 to avoid a penalty. CE completed on or after October 1 may be used to renew for either of the next two calendar years.

Before you pay

This page rests on the Arkansas Real Estate Commission's 2026 CE topics page and its licensing FAQ. We haven't confirmed a course price or whether an online course counts.

Before you pay, ask the provider whether the course counts for Arkansas CE. Check that on the Commission's own pages.

Questions

Can a post-license module count as CE?

Yes, a salesperson post-license module can also meet the annual CE requirement if an approved instructor offers it in an approved manner and it isn't applied to a post-license requirement at the same time. The broker post-license curriculum may not be used as CE.

What does it take to move an inactive license to active?

Complete six classroom hours of CE for each year the license has been inactive, up to 30 classroom hours, in the year you activate it or the year before. You also file an activation form and pay the $30.00 fee if your renewals are up to date.

How can I tell whether a course fulfills the requirement?

Contact the Arkansas Real Estate Commission at 501-683-8010.

Do any CE topics have a time cap?

Yes. Two topics cannot exceed two classroom hours of content: real estate court decisions, and researching county and city records and requirements regarding real estate.

What to do next

Start with the Arkansas Real Estate Commission's CE topics for 2026. Then look at its approved course list.

arec.arkansas.gov

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