Independent guide, not a government agency. We earn commissions on some links.
How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my New York real estate license?
A New York real estate licensee takes at least twenty-two and one-half hours of continuing education (CE) before each renewal. The hours must fall in the two years before it. They include cultural competency, fair housing, ethics and implicit bias. New York law lets the state approve distance learning courses if providers demonstrate they can monitor and verify who takes part.
By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Report a mistake
The rule, fact by fact
- Course hours
- At least twenty-two and one-half hours within the two years before the renewalNo renewal license is issued to a licensee who has not attended them.
- Verified. New York Real Property Law · Section 441, licenses and renewals (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
- Valid for
- A renewal period is two years from the date a license expiredIf you don't apply for renewal within that period, you must pass the written exam again. That doesn't apply if induction or enlistment in the armed forces kept you from renewing.
- Same source and date as above
- Online accepted
- The department may approve distance courses if providers can monitor who takes partComputer-based courses are covered too, and the provider must be able to verify who took part for the specified time period.
- Same source and date as above
How to get it done
Step 1. Find your renewal date. A renewal period is two years from the date the last license expired, and the hours must fall in the two years before the renewal.
Step 2. Pick a course the secretary of state has approved. The department may approve computer-based and distance learning courses if the provider can monitor and verify who takes part for the specified time period. Ask the provider whether the course counts for New York real estate hours.
Step 3. Take the hours, with the set topics inside them. They include at least two hours of cultural competency, three of fair housing, two of implicit bias, two and one-half of ethics and one of recent legal matters, plus one of agency law. Credit is one hour for each sixty minutes of actual attendance.
Step 4. Send your proof before the license expires. A license doesn't stay in effect past its period if the proof isn't submitted and accepted before it expires. If the delay isn't your fault, the department may issue a temporary renewal license for the time it deems appropriate, so you can send the proof. You give an affidavit, in a form the department accepts, about the courses you took.
Before you pay
We couldn't read the New York Department of State's own pages, so this page rests on the New York Real Property Law alone.
Before you pay, ask the provider whether the course counts for New York real estate hours and what it costs. Check that, the renewal fee and the secretary of state's rules on how courses are taught on the department's own pages.
Questions
Can every hour be online?
Not necessarily. The secretary of state writes the rules on the method and setting of CE courses, so ask the provider whether the course counts.
What does the fair housing training cover?
It includes, but isn't limited to, the legacy of segregation and unequal treatment in housing, unequal access to amenities and resources, federal, state and local fair housing laws, and anti-bias training.
How much agency law does a new salesperson take?
Two hours, not one. In the initial two-year licensing term for salespersons, the law asks for two hours of agency related instruction instead of one.
Does the course keep a record of my attendance?
Yes. Records are kept of attendance at each session, and they go to the department when the course ends.
Who teaches the legal topics?
Attorneys. Each course is taught by a qualified faculty, with attorneys presenting the legal subjects.
What to do next
Start with the New York Real Property Law. Then look for the Department of State's own pages on CE.
Sources we read
- www.nysenate.gov › 441 · read Nov 13, 2026