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How do I get a real estate license in 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
75 hoursThis is the Broker Prelicensing Course. You finish it first, before you apply.
Verified. North Carolina Real Estate Commission · Apply for a License (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Who needs it
Anyone who acts as an agent for another person in a real estate dealNCREC says you need the license first, and so does a business that does this. That covers time share deals too.
Same source and date as above
Online accepted
Yes. You can take it in person, live online or self-paced onlineLive online is a class taught over video. NCREC keeps a separate list of providers that offer self-paced courses.
Verified. North Carolina Real Estate Commission · Prelicensing FAQ (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Licensing exam
Two parts, National and State. You need a 75 on eachNCREC scores each part on its own.
Same source and date as above
Cost
Course, application and exam fees, plus a criminal record checkAsk the provider for the course price before you sign up.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that you need the license. NCREC says anyone who acts as an agent for someone else in a real estate deal must get one first. Its apply page lists the steps.

  2. Step 2. Pick a provider from NCREC's list of providers. You sign up with the provider yourself. NCREC doesn't recommend one. It does post a License Exam Performance Report by Education Provider, so you can see exam results for each one.

  3. Step 3. Take the course in person, live online or self-paced online. Apply within 3 years of finishing it. For the self-paced kind, NCREC keeps a list of self-paced providers.

  4. Step 4. Apply to NCREC. Send the $105 application fee and a criminal record report.

  5. Step 5. Wait for NCREC's Notice of Exam Eligibility. Then schedule the exam with the testing service and pay its fee. You have 180 days from the notice to take it.

  6. Step 6. If you fail or miss the exam, wait at least 10 calendar days before you retake it. Each try needs a new application fee and exam fee.

  7. Step 7. Get your license. After you pass the exam, NCREC reviews your character. Then it issues the license to a qualified applicant.

Courses

We earn a commission when you buy through the links marked (paid link).

Before you pay

NCREC lists these costs: the course, the exam, a criminal record check and a fee to apply. The fee to apply is $105. We haven't confirmed a course price from a source.

Ask the provider which format you are buying: in person, live online or self-paced online.

NCREC doesn't recommend a provider. Read its exam results for each provider before you pay.

Questions

How long is the license exam?

Candidates get up to 4 1/2 hours. The exam has 150 questions: 80 National and 60 State. The other 10 are unscored pretest items.

If I pass one part of the exam but not the other, do I start over?

It depends on the time. If you pass only one part and retest inside the same 180 days, you take only the part you did not pass. If you go past the 180 days, you must send a new license application to NCREC, with a new criminal record report, and take the whole exam, both sections, again. There is no limit on tries inside the 180 days, beyond the wait after a failed or missed exam.

I'm licensed as a broker in another state. Can I skip the course?

Maybe. NCREC says you may skip the 75-hour course and the National part of the exam if your license is current, was active within the previous 3 years and is equivalent to NC's provisional or full broker license. A license from a U.S. territory or a Canadian jurisdiction counts too. You then pass the State part, or skip it and get a provisional license with postlicensing education.

How much does the criminal record report cost?

If you have only lived in NC during the past 7 years, it will likely cost less than $30. You need a report for every state or country you lived in during those 7 years, and fees are charged for each one and for all names and aliases.

I ran a criminal record report last year. Do I need a new one?

Yes. NCREC accepts only a report prepared by Criminal Record Check within the previous six months. Reports from other agencies are not accepted.

Can I get a license if I have a criminal record?

Maybe. NCREC considers every application individually. You can ask NCREC ahead of time whether your criminal history will disqualify you, at any point before or during the process. You order a criminal record report and pay a $45 fee to ask. If a charge is still pending, NCREC can't give an answer.

What to do next

Start with NCREC's apply page. Then pick a provider from its list.

www.ncrec.gov

Sources we read