Skip to content
State Cert Guide

Independent guide, not a government agency. We earn commissions on some links.

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

To renew an Iowa real estate license in active status, a salesperson or broker completes 36 hours of approved continuing education (CE) in each three-year term. That includes an eight-hour law update and a four-hour ethics course. Up to 18 extra hours carry to the next term. A newly licensed salesperson can't count the prelicense courses toward the first renewal.

By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Report a mistake

The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
36 hours, with an eight-hour law update and a four-hour ethics courseThe hours must come from approved programs, courses or activities.
Verified. www.legis.iowa.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
Licenses are issued for three-year terms and expire December 31 of the third yearThe rest of the year you were licensed in counts as a full year.
Same source and date as above
Rule
Up to 18 excess hours carry to the next term; law update and ethics don't carryThe cap is 50 percent of the required hours.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Count your hours in the three-year term your license is in. An active license needs 36 hours, and a salesperson and a broker owe the same number. The term ends on December 31 of its third year.

  2. Step 2. Pick approved courses. At most 24 of the 36 hours can be distance or online learning in a three-year term, so plan some live hours. Ask the provider whether the course counts for Iowa hours before you pay.

  3. Step 3. If you are newly licensed, don't plan on your prelicense courses. A new salesperson can't use them toward the first renewal term, and a new broker can't count the prelicense courses taken to qualify for the broker license. Otherwise, up to 24 hours of salesperson prelicense courses can count as CE.

  4. Step 4. Finish the hours before the term ends. A license can be renewed without the CE, but only to inactive status.

Before you pay

This page rests on the Iowa Administrative Code chapter on real estate CE. We haven't confirmed a course price or which providers offer the law update and the ethics course.

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

Questions

Can I pass the license exam instead of taking CE?

Yes, in both cases. A salesperson can satisfy all CE deficiencies by passing the salesperson exam, and a broker can do the same with the broker exam. Each needs an authorization letter from the Commission before scheduling the exam.

Do courses from another state or the NAR count?

They can. Credits from a course approved for renewal by another state's real estate licensing board are accepted, except state-specific courses. Courses sponsored by the National Association of Realtors or its affiliates are accepted too.

Can I take the same course twice in one term?

Only if both the course number and the instructor are different. A course counts for credit once in each three-year term.

What to do next

Start with the Iowa Administrative Code chapter on real estate education. Then look for the Iowa Real Estate Commission's own pages on CE.

www.legis.iowa.gov

Sources we read