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How do I get a real estate license in 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
75-hour prelicensure course at a licensed school (salesperson license)This is the course for the salesperson license.
Verified. New Jersey Real Estate Commission · Requirements for Licensure (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$160 initial license fee for a salespersonThis is the state's fee for an initial salesperson license.
Verified. New Jersey Real Estate Commission · Real Estate License Fees (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$66.05 criminal history record check fee, paid directly to IDEMIAEvery new applicant gets fingerprinted. You pay this fee directly to IDEMIA.
Verified. New Jersey Real Estate Commission · License Candidate Fingerprinting (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Minimum age
Salesperson license: at least 18, with a high school education or equivalencyA high school equivalency can take the place of a high school education.
Same source and date as above
Exam and application deadline
One year from finishing the education to pass the exam and file the applicationThe state counts that year from the day you finish the course, not from the day you pass the exam.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the basics. For a salesperson license, the New Jersey Real Estate Commission lists being at least 18 and having a high school education or equivalency.

  2. Step 2. Pick a school from the state's list of licensed real estate schools. The course has to be at a licensed school.

  3. Step 3. Take the 75-hour prelicensure course. The state says it is offered in live remote and in-person formats.

  4. Step 4. Pass the license exam. PSI Services gives it, and you can take it remotely or in person at one of its testing centers.

  5. Step 5. Get fingerprinted as soon as possible after you pass the exam, because your one-year window is already running. You pay the $66.05 fee directly to IDEMIA.

  6. Step 6. Apply for the license through a sponsoring real estate broker. A Broker of Record can submit the application online for you, and needs your Applicant ID. It is on your exam score card.

  7. Step 7. Wait for the state to review it. The New Jersey Real Estate Commission reviews the application, then tells you whether it is approved or denied. Sending in the form does not make the license active, and you cannot do real estate business until the Commission approves it.

Before you pay

The state lists licensed real estate schools, and the course has to be at a licensed school. Check that a school is on the list before you pay.

The state says the 75-hour course is offered in live remote and in-person formats. Ask the school which format it offers, whether any class is self-paced, and its course price.

We haven't confirmed an exam price, a course price, which schools offer which format, whether any class is self-paced, whether New Jersey gives any credit for another state's course or exam, or whether anyone besides U.S. veterans with a disability who are New Jersey citizens gets a waiver.

The state may change its list and its fees. Check them yourself on the day you sign up.

Questions

How does a New Jersey broker license differ from a salesperson license?

A broker applicant needs 150 hours of prelicensure classes. The applicant must also have been continually licensed and employed full time as a New Jersey salesperson "for the three years immediately preceding application."

I'm licensed in another state. Can I skip New Jersey's steps?

The state says New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any state. Ask the state's real estate regulator before you count on any credit for another state's course or exam. The state's licensing rules page lists its contacts.

Can I get a waiver of the New Jersey course or experience rules?

The state says it may be possible to secure waivers of the education and experience requirements for licensure. The state names disabled U.S. veterans who are New Jersey citizens. Read its licensing rules page for who to contact.

Can a criminal record stop me from getting a New Jersey real estate license?

It can. The state says it may deny a license if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime or is currently on parole or probation. It must also be satisfied about the applicant's honesty and character.

What to do next

Start with the state's licensing rules page. Then pick a school from its list of licensed schools.

www.nj.gov

Sources we read