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How do I get a real estate license in 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
150 hours of broker pre-license educationThis is the course for the broker license. The Agency lists a different course for a principal broker license.
Verified. Oregon Real Estate Agency · Broker Licensing (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$300 nonrefundable application fee, paid in eLicenseThis is the fee the Agency charges to apply. Ask the school for the course price and PSI for the exam price.
Same source and date as above
Minimum age
At least 18 (broker license)The Agency also asks for a high school diploma or GED. It accepts an international equivalent.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
First period most likely less than 24 months, but no less than 13. Later periods 24 monthsYour first license period is most likely shorter than the later ones.
Same source and date as above
Principal broker license
Three years of active real estate license experience (principal broker license)A current Oregon broker needs this for a principal broker license. An out-of-state licensee or a former Oregon broker needs it too, and follows other steps.
Verified. Oregon Real Estate Agency · Principal Broker Licensing (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check your age. For a broker license, the Agency lists being 18 years old. It also asks for a high school diploma or GED.

  2. Step 2. Register for an account in eLicense, the Agency's online system for licenses. Then apply for the broker license there and pay the $300 fee. It is nonrefundable. When the Agency processes your form, you get an Applicant ID number by email.

  3. Step 3. Pick a school from the Agency's Approved Pre-License Real Estate Schools page. It lists schools authorized to teach the classes for a broker or property manager license.

  4. Step 4. If you took classes before, check when you finished them. The Agency says only courses completed on or after January 1, 2013, meet licensing requirements.

  5. Step 5. Take 150 hours of required broker pre-license classes. Give the school your Applicant ID number and full name.

  6. Step 6. Your school makes you eligible for the exam. Schedule it and pay with PSI, the Agency's testing services provider. Pass both sections.

  7. Step 7. Pay and get fingerprinted for the background check while at a PSI test center. The Agency issues the license when three things are done. Your background check clears. Your new managing principal broker adds your pending license into the business. The Agency finishes a final review.

Before you pay

The Agency's school page lists schools authorized to teach the classes for a broker or property manager license. The Agency says it does not guarantee a course is open, so ask the school before you pay.

We haven't confirmed whether any listed school teaches online, a course price, an exam price, or which schools are on the list.

The Agency may change its list. Check it yourself on the day you sign up.

The military route in the other-state question has its own list. You must hold an active license in good standing in the same category in another U.S. state. It must have been active during the two years immediately preceding the move. You also apply and pay the $300 fee, send a copy of the military orders and send certification of your active license. That list doesn't name a course or an exam. Contact the Agency for details.

Questions

Do I need experience for an Oregon broker license?

The Agency lists two qualifications for a broker license: being 18, and having a high school diploma or GED. It accepts an international equivalent. Work history isn't on that list. A principal broker license is different. A current Oregon broker who applies for it needs three years of active real estate license experience. An out-of-state licensee or a former Oregon broker needs three years too.

What is the difference between a broker and a principal broker in Oregon?

A broker license is the entry-level license. A broker works while associated with and supervised by a managing principal broker. A principal broker license has its own steps. For a current Oregon broker, they include three years of active license experience and a Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision (BASS) course. An out-of-state licensee, or someone who held an Oregon broker license before, also needs the three years and follows other steps. Read them on the Agency's principal broker page.

I'm licensed in another state. Do I skip the Oregon course or exam?

Not by itself. You must still meet all of Oregon's licensing requirements, with no waivers of education or license exams. An active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Oregon, or their spouse or domestic partner, may obtain an authorization to conduct professional real estate activity there. Its requirements are in Before you pay. Reciprocal agreements cover Alabama, Alberta, Georgia, Nebraska and South Dakota. Their requirements are specific; contact the Agency.

How long do my exam score and background check last?

The Agency says exam scores and background check clearances are each good for one year. Plan your steps so both are still good when the Agency reviews your file.

How long is a new Oregon license good for?

The month of your birthday sets when your license ends. The Agency says your first license period will most likely be less than 24 months, but no less than 13 months. Later periods are 24 months.

What do I take before my first renewal?

The Agency's roster page says that to renew a new license for the first time you must take the appropriate Advanced Practices course. You also take the Law and Rule Required Course (LARRC) and the State and Federal Fair Housing Course.

What to do next

Start with the Agency's broker license page. Then pick a school from its list of schools.

www.oregon.gov

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