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

A Tennessee affiliate broker first licensed on or after July 1, 1980 needs at least 16 hours of continuing education (CE) to renew, unless the license was retired the whole two-year license period. You take the hours in that period. A pre-license course does not count as CE.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
Affiliate brokers licensed from July 1, 1980: 16 hours in the preceding two-year periodA license temporarily retired for the entire preceding period is outside this rule.
Verified. publications.tnsosfiles.com (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Online accepted
A computer-based or online course may be approved if ARELLO or another body certifies itThe certification has to cover technology, support of the technology, interactivity and course design.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
Approved distance education courses must be completed within one year of enrollmentCredit is granted to the licensee only when the course is finished in that time.
Same source and date as above
Rule
No CE credit for courses completed before licensure or during a prior license periodThe rule is written for affiliate brokers.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check whether the 16-hour rule applies to you. It does not apply to an affiliate broker whose license was temporarily retired for the entire preceding two-year license period.

  2. Step 2. Pick a CE course, not a pre-license course. The Commission's courses page says pre-license courses shall not be used for CE.

  3. Step 3. Complete at least 16 hours of continuing real estate education in the two-year license period before you renew.

  4. Step 4. Take the TREC Core Course. The Commission's courses page lists it as a mandatory course to renew your license.

  5. Step 5. Renew in your CORE account. You do not need a CE Broker account to renew, because the renewal information is completed through CORE.

Before you pay

This page rests on a Tennessee Real Estate Commission rule chapter and three of its pages. We haven't confirmed a course price, whether the TREC Core Course counts toward the 16 hours, or the hours a broker needs.

Before you pay a school, ask whether the Commission has approved the course for CE.

Questions

How long is a CE hour?

Each hour of classroom instruction required under the statute consists of fifty minutes of actual instruction.

Can I get credit for taking the same course twice?

Not in the same renewal period. Credit is not awarded for a course whose content duplicates or repeats a course already credited in that period.

How many CE hours do I need to reactivate a retired license?

You must complete 16 CE hours before you reactivate, within the current renewal period. If you reactivate within the period in which you retired, hours you earned before retiring in that period count. While a license is retired, CE is not required. Check CE Broker to confirm whether you need education.

How do I check the hours I have completed?

The free Basic Account with CE Broker gives you access to your course history and your CE compliance status. It lists the courses reported so far and whether you have met your renewal requirements.

What if my license expired more than a year ago?

You must retest and reapply. Instead of retesting, you may take an approved 30-hour T.R.A.C.E. course to reinstate.

What to do next

Start with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission's courses page. Then read the Commission's educational rules and ask a school which of its courses count.

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