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State Cert Guide

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How do I get a real estate license in 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
You need an employing broker with a valid PA broker license before you applyThe broker must certify that they will supervise and train you. Your license is mailed to the broker's main office.
Verified. www.pa.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Course hours
75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate coursesThe courses come from an accredited college or an approved provider in the Commonwealth. They must be finished within five years before you pass the exam.
Same source and date as above
Rule
Pass both portions of the Salesperson ExaminationYou register with Pearson Vue before you apply for the license.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Complete 75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate courses. Take them at an accredited college or with an approved real estate education provider in this Commonwealth. Finish them within five years before you pass the exam.

  2. Step 2. Contact Pearson Vue to register for the exam before you apply for the license. Check that you meet the education rules first.

  3. Step 3. Pass both portions of the Salesperson Examination.

  4. Step 4. Get a recent criminal history records check from the state police or another state agency, for every state where you have lived, worked or studied for the past five years. Each report must be dated within 180 days of the day you apply.

  5. Step 5. Find an employing broker who holds a valid Pennsylvania broker license. You may not apply for a salesperson license until you have one.

Before you pay

This page rests on one source, the Commission's licensing guide for the salesperson license. We haven't confirmed the exam fee, the license fee, what a school charges, or whether a school offers its course online.

Before you pay a school, ask whether its course counts toward the 75 hours. Ask how long your access lasts.

Questions

Can a degree replace the 75 hours?

It can. You may also qualify with a bachelor's degree with a major in Real Estate from an accredited college, or a juris doctor degree from an accredited law school. So can 75 hours of pre-licensure coursework that another state or jurisdiction approved for its own license.

I held a salesperson license in another state. What do I take in Pennsylvania?

By the standard method, if you held an active salesperson license in another state within the last five years, you do not need to complete the General/National portion of the exam. You still register with Pearson Vue and pass the state portion before you apply. You must first meet Pennsylvania's education requirements.

Can the Commission tell me whether I qualify?

No. The Commission cannot pre-review application materials or qualifications.

What does a broker license ask for?

To sit for the broker exams, you complete 240 hours (16 credits) of professional real estate education. You also document at least 3 years of experience as a licensed salesperson that the Commission considers adequate for practice as a broker. Other experience, education or both that the Commission considers equal to 3 years also counts.

What to do next

Start with the Commission's licensing guide. It lists every route on this page.

www.pa.gov

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