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Real estate license requirements by state
Pick your state. You get what the page shows for this credential and the date we read it.
Verified states
Verified so far: 46 of 51 states
| State | What the state says | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | If you have never held a real estate license, you finish a 60-hour salesperson course and pass the exam. You must be at least 19. The Alabama Real Estate Commission wrote the rules. A license from another state has other rules. So does a broker license. | |
| Alaska | If you have never held a real estate license, you take the required classes and pass the salesperson exam. You must be at least 19 and carry the required insurance. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Arizona | If you have never held a real estate license and want a salesperson license, you take a salesperson course. It runs ninety classroom hours or the equivalent. Then you pass the course exam and the state exam. You must be at least eighteen. A broker has other rules. | |
| Arkansas | If you've never held a real estate license, here is what an Arkansas salesperson license needs. You must be 18, finish 60 hours of classes, pass an exam and clear a state and federal background check. The Arkansas Real Estate Commission issues it. A broker license has its own steps. So does a license from another state. | |
| California | You take three college-level courses, pass the exam, then apply. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) lists these steps for a salesperson. Use an accredited college. A private school works too. The Real Estate Commissioner must have approved its courses. | |
| Colorado | A new agent in Colorado starts with a broker license. Take 168 hours of classes, unless a path below fits you. A real estate degree from an accredited college or university can stand in. Then pass the national and state exams and get a fingerprint check. Have E&O cover before it goes active. | |
| Connecticut | Never had a real estate license? In Connecticut, the salesperson form asks for a 60-hour course first. Then you apply, pass an exam, and start work under a broker. Lawyers and people with a license from another state have other ways in. | |
| Delaware | If you have never held a real estate license, you take a prelicensing course and pass the exam. You must be at least 18. The Delaware Real Estate Commission may set the course standards by rule. A license from another state has a separate path. | |
| District of Columbia | If you hold no license from elsewhere and want a salesperson license, you take 60 hours of salesperson pre-licensing courses from a DC Real Estate Commission-approved provider and pass both the national and DC parts of the exam. Then you apply within six months of passing. Applicants licensed elsewhere follow DC's endorsement or reciprocity rules. | |
| Florida | A Florida sales associate must be at least 18. You also need a high school diploma or its equivalent. The law lets the commission require a course of up to 63 classroom hours. A 4-year or higher real estate degree from an accredited college excuses you from it. Then you apply and pass the state exam. | |
| Georgia | For a salesperson license, the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) requires you to meet one of several course rules. The first one it lists is a 75-hour course at a school GREC has approved. You also pass the exam and pay the fees. A license from another state may spare you the exam. GREC doesn't ask you to have worked in real estate first. | |
| Hawaii | If you have never held a real estate license, you finish a prelicensing course that the Commission approves, or an equivalent it accepts. Then you pass the salesperson exam. You must be an adult. You need a high school diploma or its equivalent. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Idaho | If you have never held a real estate license and want a salesperson license, Idaho requires 90 hours of prelicense education, in two 45-hour modules. You can take them in a classroom, on Zoom or as self-paced online study. Finish them within three years before you apply, unless the Commission waives that limit. | |
| Illinois | The usual path to an Illinois broker license is 75 hours of classes and a state exam. You must be at least 18. Licensed in another state? You apply by endorsement instead. | |
| Indiana | An Indiana real estate broker license takes a course certificate, an exam score report and a $60.00 fee. Licensed in another state? Ask Indiana to accept it. Once licensed, you must finish 30 hours of study in 2 years. | |
| Iowa | To become an Iowa salesperson, you must finish a short course of at least thirty hours. The agency must approve it. You must be eighteen or older. Iowa also requires an FBI criminal history check. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Kansas | Most first-time Kansas salespeople take a principles course and a Kansas practice course, each of at least 30 hours, and pass an exam. You must be 18 or older and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. A broker you'll work for must recommend you. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Kentucky | Most first-time Kentucky sales associates finish a 96-hour course, pass an exam and apply. You must be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or GED. The license fee is $130 for an active agent. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Louisiana | If you've never held a real estate license and want a Louisiana salesperson license, you need 90 hours of courses. You must also pass an exam and work under a broker. The Commission decides how many hours count. | |
| Maine | If you've never held a real estate license in any state, you take the sales agent course, pass the exam and apply. You also need a broker to hire you. | |
| Maryland | If you've never been licensed, here is what a Maryland salesperson license needs. You take a 60-hour course and pass a two-part exam. A broker must commit to affiliate with you. State law adds more, like a minimum age and good character. | |
| Massachusetts | To get a salesperson license by exam, you meet these rules first. You must take 40 hours of classes, unless a waiver below covers the classes. You also need 3 endorsements. Other routes have other rules. | |
| Michigan | If you've never held a Michigan license, you take 40 hours of courses. You then pass the exam and find a broker to sponsor you. | |
| Minnesota | If you've never held a Minnesota license, you take 30 hours of courses and pass the exam. Then you take 60 more hours before you file. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Missouri | If you have never held a real estate license, are not a licensed attorney and want a salesperson license in Missouri, you take a 48-hour pre-exam course at an accredited Missouri school. Then you pass both parts of the Missouri salesperson exam and finish a 24-hour practice course. You must be 18 and be fingerprinted. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Montana | To get a Montana salesperson license you must be at least 18 and have two years of high school credit or the equivalent. You finish between 60 and 80 classroom or equivalent hours, as the board sets them. You pass an exam. A supervising broker must also recommend you. | |
| Nebraska | Never held a real estate license? Then you apply for a resident salesperson license. The Nebraska Real Estate Commission (NREC) lists 96 hours of courses and a minimum age of 19. A license from another state may be a different path. | |
| Nevada | If you've never held a real estate license, you apply to the Nevada Real Estate Division for a salesperson license. You must be 18 or older. You take 120 hours of classes and pass a state exam and a national exam. A law degree replaces two courses, not the 18 hours of Nevada law. An active broker or manager signs your form. | |
| New Hampshire | For an initial salesperson license, New Hampshire's licensing office (OPLC) lists a 40 hour pre licensure course and NH state exam results. Applicants who are not reciprocal also need national exam results. Then you apply online. | |
| New Jersey | If you have never been licensed, you start with a salesperson license from the New Jersey Real Estate Commission. It takes a 75-hour course at a licensed school. Then you pass the exam and get fingerprinted. You apply for the license through a sponsoring broker. A broker license is a later step. | |
| New Mexico | New Mexico's Real Estate Commission issues an associate broker's license and a qualifying broker's license. If you aren't licensed to practice real estate in New Mexico, you must pass the broker's exam, unless you are a licensed applicant from Massachusetts, Louisiana or Georgia. The courses add up to 90 hours. A broker currently licensed elsewhere may qualify to apply for a waiver of some. | |
| New York | If you've never held a New York license, you take approved courses, pass a written exam and name the broker you'll work with. The statute asks for at least seventy-seven hours of courses before you apply. Brokers have other rules. | |
| North Carolina | Most people take a 75-hour course, apply, and pass a two-part exam. These are the main steps the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) lists for a broker license. You can take the course in person or online. A broker licensed in another state may skip the course and some or all of the exam. The license must qualify. | |
| Ohio | If you have never held a real estate license, you finish four courses, pass a background check and pass the exam. Ohio's Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing reviews your file. Do the courses in the last ten years if you held no license in the past four. You need a broker to sponsor you. This page is for salespeople only. | |
| Oklahoma | If you have never been licensed, you start in Oklahoma with a provisional sales associate license. You take a 90-hour course and get a background check. Then you apply and pass an exam. After that, you issue your license online. If you held an active license in another state in the past five years, you follow different steps. | |
| Oregon | If you have never been licensed, you start in Oregon with a broker license. You get it only after you finish the steps. They include 150 hours of classes, an exam and a background check. A broker works under a managing principal broker. A principal broker license is a separate path. | |
| Pennsylvania | If you have never held a license and do not qualify by a degree or by coursework from another state, you complete 75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate courses. Then you pass both portions of the Pennsylvania salesperson exam. You also need an employing broker who holds a valid Pennsylvania broker license before you apply. Brokers have other rules. | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island's regulations ask an applicant for a real estate salesperson's license to show 45 classroom hours, finished within two years before applying. Remote instruction must be live and interactive. A licensed salesperson must also be affiliated with a licensed principal broker to do any real estate work that needs a license. | |
| South Carolina | In South Carolina the entry license is called an associate license. If you hold no real estate license and no listed degree, you must be eighteen and hold a high school diploma or an equivalent. You finish sixty hours of principles and thirty hours of advanced principles. You pass both the state and national parts of the exam and submit to a criminal records check. Brokers have other rules. | |
| South Dakota | If you're starting out, South Dakota's broker associate license takes a course of at least 116 hours, an exam score of 75% and an approved application. You must be at least 18. You must also be a U.S. citizen or live in South Dakota. A responsible broker license has other rules. | |
| Tennessee | To get a Tennessee affiliate broker license, you start with 60 hours of classes. You can't sign up for the exam until you finish them. A principal broker signs your exam form. The 30-hour new affiliate course and proof of insurance go in when you apply. | |
| Texas | If you've never held a Texas license, you take courses, pass the exam and find a sponsoring broker before you can work as a sales agent. The Texas Real Estate Commission sets the courses. Former licensees have other rules. So do brokers. | |
| Virginia | For a salesperson license, you take a 60-hour course the Virginia Real Estate Board has approved, pass the state and national exams, and apply. The Board's list has online courses. Check that your course is on it before you pay. | |
| Washington | To do brokerage work for a real estate firm in Washington, you need a license from the Department of Licensing. You get it only after you finish its steps. A new broker takes classes. Then you pass the state and national exams and give your fingerprints. A broker with a license from another state has a separate path. | |
| Wisconsin | To get a Wisconsin real estate salesperson license, you apply in LicensE and pay the fees. You also finish the required classes and pass the state exam. Not licensed in another state? You need a board-approved 72-hour course or 10 semester-hour credits in real estate or real estate law. A license from another state has its own path. | |
| Wyoming | A first-time Wyoming salesperson applicant submits two fingerprint cards. They complete and pass the Salesperson I and Salesperson II courses and the Wyoming Law course. They pass the National Exam and the State Exam for Salespersons. Then they submit a completed application. |
Coverage by state
- Verified, opens its page
- No page yet
- AL Alabama, verified
- AK Alaska, verified
- AZ Arizona, verified
- AR Arkansas, verified
- CA California, verified
- CO Colorado, verified
- CT Connecticut, verified
- DE Delaware, verified
- DC District of Columbia, verified
- FL Florida, verified
- GA Georgia, verified
- HI Hawaii, verified
- ID Idaho, verified
- IL Illinois, verified
- IN Indiana, verified
- IA Iowa, verified
- KS Kansas, verified
- KY Kentucky, verified
- LA Louisiana, verified
- ME Maine, verified
- MD Maryland, verified
- MA Massachusetts, verified
- MI Michigan, verified
- MN Minnesota, verified
- MS Mississippi, no page yet
- MO Missouri, verified
- MT Montana, verified
- NE Nebraska, verified
- NV Nevada, verified
- NH New Hampshire, verified
- NJ New Jersey, verified
- NM New Mexico, verified
- NY New York, verified
- NC North Carolina, verified
- ND North Dakota, no page yet
- OH Ohio, verified
- OK Oklahoma, verified
- OR Oregon, verified
- PA Pennsylvania, verified
- RI Rhode Island, verified
- SC South Carolina, verified
- SD South Dakota, verified
- TN Tennessee, verified
- TX Texas, verified
- UT Utah, no page yet
- VT Vermont, no page yet
- VA Virginia, verified
- WA Washington, verified
- WV West Virginia, no page yet
- WI Wisconsin, verified
- WY Wyoming, verified
States without a page yet
We don't have a page for these states yet:
Mississippi, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia
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