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

To renew a New Jersey real estate license, a broker, broker-salesperson or salesperson completes 12 continuing education (CE) credit hours per license term, unless an exception applies. At least six of the 12 must be in core topics. A salesperson first licensed in the second year of the term doesn't need CE to renew at the end of it.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
12 CE credit hours per license termThe Commission's page gives the same figure for brokers, broker-salespersons and salespersons.
Verified. www.nj.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Who needs it
Every renewing broker, broker-salesperson and salesperson, with listed exceptionsThe exceptions are salespersons licensed with a real estate referral company and brokers in broker status for 40 or more years with an approved exemption.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
All 12 hours are due before April 30, 2027 for the current biennial timeframeMissing it brings a mandatory $200 late CE processing fee.
Same source and date as above
Core hours
At least six of the 12 hours must be in core topicsEthics carries two mandatory credits inside the core hours. Agency and fair housing carry one each.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check whether you need CE this term. A salesperson first licensed in the first year of the term must complete CE to renew for the next term. One first licensed in the second year isn't required to complete any CE to renew at the end of that term.

  2. Step 2. Plan the mix. At least six of the 12 hours must be in core topics, and those six include at least 2 hours in ethics, at least 1 hour in Fair Housing and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, and at least 1 hour in agency.

  3. Step 3. Fill the other six hours with any mix of core or elective topics. Finish all 12 before the April 30, 2027 CE deadline.

  4. Step 4. Allow about 10 business days for your completed CE to move from your CE provider to the testing vendor to the Real Estate Commission.

Before you pay

We read the Commission's CE page, not the regulations it cites, and we haven't confirmed any course price. Before you pay, ask the provider whether the course counts toward New Jersey core or elective hours.

Questions

Can a broker pre-licensure course count as CE?

Yes. Completing one or more broker pre-licensure education courses under N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1 fulfills the CE requirement for renewal for the license term during which the course was completed.

What happens to core hours that were waived?

A licensee granted a waiver, other than one for active duty military service, makes up the waived core courses in the next license term, in addition to that term's credits. If six core credits were waived, the next term totals 18.

Which topics count as core?

The core list includes agency, disclosure, legal issues, ethics, fair housing and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, New Jersey broker and salesperson statutes and regulations, environmental laws, escrow and financial recordkeeping rules, licensee safety, and financial literacy and planning.

Which topics count as electives?

Approved elective topics include commercial real estate, property management, seasonal rentals, the Real Estate Sales Full Disclosure Act and Real Estate Timeshare Act, financing, land use, foreclosure and short sales, and specific aspects of residential deals.

What to do next

Start with the New Jersey Real Estate Commission's CE page. Then check your own CE record with the Commission's CE portal.

www.nj.gov

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