North Carolina Real Estate School: How to Get a Broker License

To get a North Carolina real estate license, you must complete the 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course from a Commission-certified education provider, obtain a criminal record report from the Commission's approved vendor, and submit a complete application with the $105 application fee. After the Commission accepts the application, you receive a Notice of Exam Eligibility and must contact Pearson VUE to schedule and pay for the two-part exam. Once you pass both sections and clear the character review, the Commission issues an inactive Provisional Broker license, which you activate by filing a License Activation/Affiliation form with a Broker-in-Charge.

The entire application, examination, and licensing process may be completed in as little as 10 business days if the applicant files a complete application, schedules promptly, passes on the first attempt, and has no character issues. The 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course must be completed first, and most people finish the coursework within a few weeks to a few months depending on format and pace. After the Commission receives a complete application, the Notice of Exam Eligibility is emailed within 5-7 business days, and in most cases the applicant can schedule an exam within 7 calendar days of contacting Pearson VUE. If no character issues arise, the license is issued within 7-10 business days after the exam date.

In North Carolina, every real estate licensee holds a broker license; the state does not issue a separate salesperson or agent license. The entry-level status is Provisional Broker, which requires supervision by a Broker-in-Charge and does not allow independent practice. After completing 90 hours of postlicensing education within 18 months of initial licensure, the broker removes provisional status and can work independently. A Broker-in-Charge is the highest licensure level, requiring two years of full-time brokerage experience within the previous five years and completion of a 12-hour course. The term real estate agent is commonly used to refer to NC brokers, but broker is the official license title.

North Carolina requires completion of the 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course from a Commission-certified Education Provider, including a mandatory end-of-course examination. The course must be completed within 3 years prior to license application. It is offered in three formats: in-person, synchronous distance learning (live online), and self-paced online.

Yes. The Broker Prelicensing Course is offered in three formats: in-person, via synchronous distance learning (live online instruction using technologies such as Zoom), and as self-paced online distance courses. The NCREC maintains separate searchable lists for in-person and live-online course schedules and for self-paced online distance education providers. Commission rules require the course, including the proctored end-of-course exam, to be completed within 180 days of purchase.

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission does not recommend specific education providers. The Commission publishes a License Exam Performance Report on its website showing the percentage of first-time test takers from each provider who pass the full exam within 30 days of completing a Prelicensing course, split into public and private provider groups. Reports can be generated quarterly or by the previous license year (July 1 to June 30).

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission requires a 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course but does not set course fees; fees are established by each education provider. Costs vary depending on the format chosen: in-person, live online, or self-paced online courses. Community college programs generally cost less than private school options, and self-paced online courses tend to be the most affordable format.

The NC real estate licensing exam is a two-part, entry-level examination administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. It includes 140 scored items (80 in the National section and 60 in the State section) plus 10 unscored pretest items (5 per section). The National section allows 2.5 hours and the State section allows 2.0 hours, for a total of 4.5 hours. The passing score is 75 for each section, computed separately, and both sections must be passed within the same 180-day eligibility period.

There is no limit to the number of times a qualified candidate can retake the North Carolina license exam during the 180-day examination eligibility period. Applicants must wait at least 10 calendar days after a failed attempt before retaking, and each application submission and fee payment is valid for only one exam attempt. Both the National and State sections must be passed within the same 180-day period; if the period expires, the applicant must refile with a new application, fee, and criminal record report, and retake both sections.

In North Carolina, new licensees receive an inactive Provisional Broker license and must affiliate with a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) to activate it. The Provisional Broker and the BIC must file a License Activation/Affiliation form (REC 2.08) with the Commission to place the license on active status. A Provisional Broker can search the NCREC's online licensee database to verify a broker's active status before affiliating. The Provisional Broker must remain under a BIC's supervision until completing 90 hours of Postlicensing education to remove provisional status.

To become a REALTOR®, a licensed real estate professional must join a local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues, which also provides membership in the state and national associations. In North Carolina, NC REALTORS® serves as the state-level association, and applicants are directed to contact their local board for specific dues amounts. For 2027, National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) national dues are $156 per member, plus a $45 special assessment for the Consumer Advertising Campaign, totaling $201 at the national level. The principals of a real estate firm must join a REALTOR® association before any non-principal agents at that firm can join.