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How do I get a real estate license in 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
40 hours of real estate education, for a salesperson licenseThis is the salesperson rule. A broker license has different rules.
Verified. Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons · Prepare for and schedule your Real Estate license exam (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$85 for a salesperson and $106 for a broker. A missed exam costs $54 to rescheduleThese are exam fees. You can't get the fee back or hand it to someone else, and it is good for one year from the day you pay.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
At least 2 years and at most 3 years. The expiration date is your date of birthThe license starts on the day you pass the exam and ends on your date of birth, so how long it lasts depends on your birthday.
Same source and date as above
Broker license
At least 3 years with an active Massachusetts broker, 40 more hours, a $5,000 surety bondThis is the broker route. You must already hold a Massachusetts salesperson license, the 3 years are at a minimum of 25 hours a week, and the $5,000 surety bond must be notarized.
Same source and date as above
Exam deadline
Apply for and pass the exam within 2 years of finishing the educationThis is the salesperson rule. The bulletin says to leave ample time within the 2 years to reserve your exam.
Verified. Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons · PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Decide which route you want. This page covers a salesperson license by exam, and for it you must be at least 18. A broker license has more rules, and one is holding a salesperson license first. The attorney-broker and out-of-state routes have their own pages.

  2. Step 2. Pick a school from the Board's list of authorized real estate schools. For the latest on a school, use the Board's Check-A-License feature.

  3. Step 3. Finish the classes at one of those schools. The school gives you a certificate of completion, and the Board asks for it when you apply.

  4. Step 4. Get 3 endorsements on the state's form. They can't come from people related to you or from classmates in your real estate course.

  5. Step 5. Apply online in the state's eLIPSE system. You send your documents there, including a CORI form, and you pay there too. If the file is incomplete, the state holds it open for 180 days from the day it gets it. After that, it counts as abandoned, and you send a new application and pay again.

  6. Step 6. Schedule your exam with PSI. The state points to the Examination Candidate Information Bulletin for how. You need at least 70% correct to pass.

  7. Step 7. After you pass and pay the license fee, your license shows up in the eLIPSE portal. It is digital.

Before you pay

The Board's list names licensed schools. Ask the school for its course price.

The list's file has a column called Education Online. Before you pay, ask the school which format you are buying.

Watch the clock before you pay. The state's exam bulletin says a salesperson must apply for and pass the exam within 2 years of finishing the required classes.

Check your record too. The bulletin says that at this time the Board does not license applicants who are currently on probation or parole.

We haven't confirmed a course price, the license fee, what Education Online means to the state, or from the state law who must hold a license. This page covers how the state says to get one.

The state can change its list. Check it yourself on the day you sign up.

Questions

What does the state ask of a salesperson beyond classes and endorsements?

Be ready to pay for the license on the day of your exam, once you pass. The state also asks you to have filed all state tax returns and paid all state taxes required by law, as far as you know and believe. And you must give a valid Social Security number and/or a valid Tax Identification number. The bulletin marks that number as mandatory.

Does old experience count toward a broker license?

It has to be recent. The state's exam bulletin says the experience requirement must be no more than 2 years old when the exam is taken. It also says prior salesperson experience can count as long as it is not over 2 years old and/or there has not been a 2-year gap between the current and past salesperson experience.

Can someone who doesn't live in Massachusetts endorse me?

Yes. The state says endorsements can come from people who are not Massachusetts residents. The person still has to meet the endorsement rule.

I'm licensed in another state. Do I take the Massachusetts exam?

It depends on your state. If the Board has no reciprocity with your state, the exam bulletin says you can apply to the exam with a letter of good standing, for review and a waiver of the Massachusetts education. Your other license must be current, or no waiver is issued. If the Board does have reciprocity with your state, the state has a separate page for that case on its real estate licensing page. Read it there.

Can a yes answer on the discipline questions stop me from getting licensed?

It may. The state's exam bulletin says a yes answer to any of the discipline questions on the application may affect your ability to become licensed. It also points to the Board's Good Moral Character policy. You find it under the Board's Statutes and Regulations link, then its Board Policies and Guidelines link.

Who can help me with the process?

The state says you can call its Welcome Center and staff will guide you through the process. Find the number on the state's exam page.

What to do next

Start with the state's exam page. Then pick a school from its list.

www.mass.gov

Sources we read