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

To renew a Texas real estate license you take continuing education (CE). Sales agents at a first renewal and some brokers with an old exemption are treated differently. The statute sets a floor of 15 classroom hours. The Texas Real Estate Commission sets the exact number by rule.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least 15 classroom hours; the commission sets the exact number by ruleThe Commission may not raise the number by more than three over a license term.
Verified. Texas Occupations Code · Chapter 1101, Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Who needs it
A license holder outside the first sales agent renewal rule must attend approved CEThe courses must be taken during the term of the current license.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
The commission may issue or renew a license for 24 monthsA license expired for six months or longer cannot be renewed. You can obtain a new license instead.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check which rule applies to you. A sales agent at a first renewal follows a separate rule: at least 18 semester hours, or the same in classroom hours, of qualifying real estate courses, including at least eight hours on legal topics. Other license holders take the CE described below, unless an exemption applies.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course the Commission has approved. The statute says it may count alternative delivery or correspondence courses in place of class. Ask the provider whether the course counts for Texas hours before you pay.

  3. Step 3. Take the hours the Commission sets, at least 15. At least eight of them must cover legal topics. The statute lists the Commission's rules, fair housing laws, Property Code issues, agency law and antitrust laws, and more.

  4. Step 4. Renew on time. If you can't finish the hours first, the statute lets the Commission renew your license before they're done. It may charge up to $200 in addition to any late fee, and require you to finish the hours within 60 days after the license is issued, renewed or returned to active status.

Before you pay

This page rests on the Texas statute alone. The statute sets a floor, and the Commission sets the exact hours and course titles by rule. We haven't confirmed that number, a course price, or whether an online course counts.

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

Questions

Do courses from the State Bar of Texas count?

Some do, for the hours beyond the legal topics. The Commission automatically approves qualifying real estate courses, and real estate-related courses the State Bar of Texas approves for minimum continuing legal education participatory credit, toward those remaining hours.

Can the other hours be on any real estate topic?

Yes, if the Commission approves the course. Once the legal topics are covered, the remaining hours may go to other real estate-related topics and courses it approves.

Is any Texas broker exempt from CE?

A narrow group is. A broker who qualified for an exemption under the former license act before October 31, 1991, doesn't have to meet the mandatory CE to renew the broker license.

Do I need an extra course if I supervise other agents?

Yes. A broker, and a sales agent who supervises another license holder, must take a broker responsibility course during the license term, unless the broker is exempt from CE. The course may not exceed six classroom hours, and its hours may count toward your remaining CE hours.

Can the Commission waive the first-renewal rule?

No. The statute says the Commission may not waive the requirements for a sales agent's first renewal.

What to do next

Start with the Texas statute on real estate licenses. Then look for the Texas Real Estate Commission's own pages on CE.

tcss.legis.texas.gov

Sources we read