What pre-licensing courses are required to get a real estate license?

Pre-licensing requirements are set by each state and range from 40 hours in states like Michigan, Massachusetts, and Vermont to 180 classroom hours in Texas. The coursework typically covers real estate principles, practices, and state license law. California requires three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective. Texas requires six 30-hour courses in principles, agency, contracts, contract forms, and finance.

Alabama requires salesperson applicants to complete a 60-hour prelicense course approved by the Alabama Real Estate Commission before taking the state licensing exam. Reciprocal applicants who hold a current license in another state instead complete a 6-hour reciprocal prelicense course covering Alabama License Law. Both types of applicants must pass the licensing exam within 6 months of course completion, and the 6-hour reciprocal course hours do not qualify for continuing education credit.

Alaska requires salesperson license applicants to complete 40 classroom hours of approved pre-licensing education. Education certificates are valid for 18 months from the date of completion, and applicants must apply for licensure within 6 months of passing the state exam. Applicants must also be at least 19 years old, work for a licensed broker, and obtain errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.

Arizona requires a 90-hour Salesperson Pre-licensing Course and a 6-hour Contract Writing Course from an ADRE-approved school, college, or university. The 90-hour course certificate must have been completed within 10 years of the application date, and the 6-hour Contract Writing Course certificate must have been completed within 2 years of the application date.

Salesperson applicants must complete 60 classroom hours of real estate education, of which 30 hours must be in the basic principles of real estate, from an accredited postsecondary school or a school licensed by AREC. The 60-hour certificate has no expiration for salesperson applicants. Broker applicants must complete 60 hours of real estate education, of which 45 hours must be the Commission-developed Broker Pre-License Education course, within 36 months immediately preceding the application date. Courses identified as "Exam Prep" generally do not fulfill the pre-license requirement.

California requires three college-level courses to qualify for the salesperson examination: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective from a list of 12 options. The elective choices include Real Estate Appraisal, Property Management, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Economics, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Real Estate Office Administration, General Accounting, Business Law, Escrows, Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending, Computer Applications in Real Estate, and Common Interest Developments. Each DRE-approved course is a minimum of 45 hours, totaling 135 hours. Effective January 1, 2024, the Real Estate Practice course must include components on implicit bias and fair housing, including an interactive role-play component. Members of the California State Bar are exempt from these course requirements.

Colorado requires 168 hours of qualifying education from a nationally accredited community college, university, or a school approved by the Colorado Department of Private and Occupational Schools (DPOS). The 168 hours consist of six mandatory courses: Real Estate Law and Practice (48 hours), Colorado Contracts and Regulations (48 hours), Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping (8 hours), Current Legal Issues (8 hours), Real Estate Closings (24 hours), and Practical Applications (32 hours). A degree with a major course of study in real estate from an accredited college or university can substitute for the full 168-hour requirement. The Employing Broker level requires an additional 24-hour Brokerage Administration course.

Connecticut requires salesperson candidates to complete a 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course from a state-approved provider. The curriculum covers real property law, agency, brokerage, listing agreements and buyer representation, financing, appraisal, fair housing and ethics, Connecticut licensing law, real estate taxes and liens, contracts, land use controls, and environmental issues. Broker candidates must complete the same 60-hour course plus a 15-hour Brokerage Principles and Practices course, a 15-hour Legal Compliance course, and electives (two 15-hour courses, one 30-hour course, or 20 real estate transactions in the previous 5 years).

Delaware requires completion of a 99-hour salesperson pre-licensing course from a state-approved provider before you can sit for the licensing exam. The course covers real estate principles, law, and mathematics. For reciprocity applicants who hold an active license in another jurisdiction, a 33-hour Delaware law course is available in place of the full 99-hour requirement.

DC requires 60 hours of pre-licensing education from a DC Real Estate Commission-approved provider for a salesperson license. For a broker license, DC requires 135 hours of pre-licensing education. Both courses are available in classroom and distance education formats from providers on the commission's approved-education list.

Florida requires sales associate applicants to complete a 63-hour pre-licensing course based on the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) I syllabus (effective January 1, 2023) and pass the end-of-course exam with a score of at least 70%. Broker applicants must complete a 72-hour pre-licensing course based on the FREC II syllabus (effective January 1, 2020). Both courses may be taken in classroom or distance education formats, and a 4-year degree or higher in real estate exempts the holder from the pre-licensing education requirement.

Georgia requires a 75-hour Salesperson Prelicense Course from a school approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission, including a proctored final exam with a minimum passing score of 72%. An alternative is 10 quarter hours or 6 semester hours of qualifying real estate coursework from an accredited college, university, or law school in the United States or Canada. The course completion must be submitted as evidence when applying for a license within 12 months of passing the state exam.

Hawaii requires candidates for the salesperson or broker examination to complete a prelicense course accredited by the Hawaii Real Estate Commission, unless granted a prelicense education equivalency. The Commission provides separate prelicense curricula for salesperson and broker candidates, and courses are available in both classroom and internet-delivered formats. A MyPVL account is necessary to sign up for a prelicense course, and the course completion certificate is required to sit for the licensing examination.

Idaho requires 90 hours of pre-license education for a salesperson license, divided into two 45-hour modules: Salesperson Prelicense Module 1 (fundamental real estate concepts) and Salesperson Prelicense Module 2 (listing, selling, buying, and closing transactions). Both modules must be completed within 3 years preceding the application date, with 100% attendance and a passing score of 70% or higher on each module's final exam. Courses may be taken live in a classroom, through remote delivery via Zoom, or as self-paced online study through an Idaho certified provider.

Illinois requires 75 hours of pre-license education for broker licensure, consisting of two courses. The first is a 60-hour Real Estate Topics course covering introduction to real estate (30 hours, Part 1) and state laws and transactions (30 hours, Part 2). The second is a 15-hour Applied Real Estate Principles course that must be delivered in a classroom, live interactive webinar, or online distance education format and involves role play, case studies, and situational examples.

Indiana requires completion of a single 90-hour broker pre-licensing course from a provider approved by the Indiana Real Estate Commission. The course covers real estate principles, contracts, financing, property valuation, Indiana license law, agency relationships, fair housing, property management, disclosures, math, and investment and taxation. Upon completion, you must pass the course final exam with a minimum score of 75% to receive a certificate of completion, which you then upload with your license application.

Iowa requires 96 hours of pre-licensing education for a salesperson license: a 60-hour pre-license course in real estate principles and practices, available as live instruction or online self-paced learning, plus three 12-hour courses that must be taken as live instruction. The three live-only courses are Buying Practices, Listing Practices, and Developing Professionalism and Ethical Practices. All courses must be completed within the 12 months before the commission receives your application, and the 60-hour course must be completed before you can sit for the licensing exam.

Kansas requires 60 hours of pre-license education for applicants not licensed in another state. Salesperson applicants complete a 30-hour Principles of Real Estate course (valid 12 months from the course date) and a 30-hour Kansas Practice Course (certificate must be received by the Commission within 6 months of the course date). Broker applicants not licensed in another state complete a 30-hour Broker Fundamentals Course (valid 12 months) and a 30-hour Broker Management Course (certificate must be received within 6 months), while applicants licensed in another state complete only 30 hours (salesperson) or 34 hours (broker: 30-hour Broker Management Course plus a 4-hour Kansas Law Course).

Kentucky requires sales associate applicants to complete 96 classroom hours of Commission-approved pre-license instruction or 6 academic credit hours in real estate courses from an accredited college or university. No more than 48 of the 96 classroom hours may be in appraisal courses. Attorneys are not exempt from pre-license requirements, though law school courses in Contracts I, Property I, and Property II may count toward the 6 academic credit hour option.

Salesperson applicants must complete 90 hours of LREC-approved pre-licensing education, including a mandatory 30-hour portion covering Louisiana Real Estate License Law, Commission Rules and Regulations, Law of Agency, and Civil Law. Broker applicants must complete 150 hours, including a 30-hour Louisiana-specific course (Real Estate 202) and a 30-hour broker responsibility course. Both require a final examination for credit, and distance learning is permitted through ARELLO-certified Louisiana state schools.

The entry-level Sales Agent Course is a 55-hour Commission-approved course that you must complete with a minimum grade of 75% before taking the licensing exam. For the Associate Broker license, a 60-hour Associate Broker Course (plus a Documented Field Experience Form) is required with a minimum grade of 75%. For the Broker/Designated Broker license, the Designated Broker Course is required with a minimum grade of 75%. All courses must be taken through providers approved by the Maine Real Estate Commission.

Maryland requires a 60-hour pre-licensing course from an MREC-approved education provider before a candidate may schedule the state licensing exam through PSI. The course must include a 3-hour course in real estate ethics approved by the Commission. Approved delivery methods include classroom instruction, online or internet-based learning, home study, and other delivery systems the Commission authorizes. A proctored final exam is required by Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) for course completion.

Massachusetts requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education at a Board-approved real estate school to qualify for the salesperson license exam, covering subjects such as property ownership, contracts, agency, financing, and fair housing. More than half of the 40 hours must involve live instructor interaction, with the remaining hours permitted as self-paced or on-demand content. The education certificate remains valid for 2 years from the completion date, and the exam must be passed within that period.

Michigan requires 40 hours of approved prelicensure education for a salesperson license, including at least 4 hours on civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing. For a broker license, the requirement is 90 hours of approved prelicensure education, including at least 9 hours on civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing. Prelicensure education must be completed within 36 months before the application date, unless the applicant held an active salesperson license during that period.

Minnesota requires three 30-hour pre-licensing courses, known as Course I, Course II, and Course III, totaling 90 hours of instruction. Course I must be completed before taking the salesperson's examination, and Course II and Course III must be completed before applying for the license. Approved course providers can be found on the Pulse Portal at pulseportal.com.

Salesperson applicants must complete 60 classroom hours of real estate courses from a college, community college, or MREC-approved pre-license education provider. Broker applicants must complete 120 total hours of real estate courses, which includes the 60-hour salesperson pre-license course plus 60 additional hours of broker-specific coursework. Broker applicants who have not held an active salesperson license for at least 36 months must complete 150 classroom hours from a degree-granting program at a college or university approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Pre-license courses must meet ARELLO standards, and no more than 8 hours may be earned in a single day. Course content must cover license law and rules, listing property, property valuation, real estate arithmetic, agency relationships, real estate sale contracts, leasing and property management, transfer of title, settlement procedures, financing, professional ethics, fair housing, and federal laws affecting real estate.

Missouri requires 72 hours of pre-licensing education for a salesperson license: a 48-hour Salesperson Pre-Examination Course and a 24-hour Missouri Real Estate Practice (MREP) Course. The 48-hour course must be completed before the 24-hour MREP course, and both must be finished before submitting the license application. The MREP course may be taken before or after the licensing exam, and both classroom and online formats are approved by the Missouri Real Estate Commission (MREC).

A salesperson applicant must complete 70 hours of Board-approved pre-licensing education within the 24 months preceding the application date (MCA 37-51-302, ARM 24.210.611(8)). A broker applicant must complete 60 hours of Board-approved pre-licensing education within the 18 months preceding the application date (ARM 24.210.611(9)). Courses must be taken from providers approved by the Montana Board of Realty Regulation.

Nebraska requires 96 hours of pre-license education for a salesperson license: 90 clock hours across 3 approved courses (30-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices, 30-hour Nebraska Real Estate License Law, and a 30-hour approved elective course) plus 6 clock hours in Professional Practice and Standards (Course #0003). The third 30-hour course is an elective chosen from the Nebraska Real Estate Commission's approved pre-license course list.

Nevada requires 120 hours of pre-licensing education for a salesperson license, effective October 1, 2021. The breakdown is 45 hours of Real Estate Principles, 45 hours of Real Estate Law (including 18 hours of Nevada law), 15 hours of contracts in real estate transactions, and 15 hours of agency (including 3 hours on broker-agent relationship foundations and 3 hours of risk reduction). Licensed out-of-state applicants are not required to take the 15-hour contracts or 15-hour agency courses.

New Hampshire requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education for a salesperson license and 60 hours for a broker license, from a Commission-approved school. At least 32 of the 40 salesperson hours must be classroom attendance or real-time internet live-class (live-streaming webinars), with up to 8 hours of non-live distance education permitted. On-demand or self-paced online courses are not allowed; online instruction must be live with real-time video and audio of all participants.

A New Jersey salesperson license requires completion of a 75-hour prelicensure course at a school licensed by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission. A broker license requires 150 hours of prelicensure education: a 90-hour general real estate course, a 30-hour course on Agency/Ethics, and a 30-hour course on Office Management and related topics.

New Mexico requires 90 hours of prelicensing education, consisting of three 30-hour commission-approved courses: real estate principles and practice, real estate law, and broker basics. You must complete these courses within the three years prior to applying to take the broker's examination.

New York requires 77 hours of approved qualifying education for a salesperson license, covering 19 subject areas defined in the state syllabus. The largest allocations are Law of Agency at 11 hours, Legal Issues at 10 hours, and Commercial and Investment Properties at 10 hours. A school-administered proctored final exam is also required in addition to the state licensing exam.

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.

Resident salesperson applicants must complete a 90-hour NDREC-certified salesperson pre-licensure education course. Resident broker applicants must complete a 60-hour NDREC-certified broker pre-licensure course. Course fees are determined by and paid to the school, and applicants must apply for licensure within 2 years of completing the pre-licensure education.

Ohio requires 100 hours of pre-licensing education to obtain a real estate salesperson license: Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law including civil rights and housing discrimination (40 hours), Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours), and Real Estate Finance (10 hours). The courses must be completed at a postsecondary institution that awards at least a two-year associate degree. If the applicant has not held a real estate license within the four years before applying, the education must have been completed within the 10 years preceding the application.

Oklahoma requires a 90-hour pre-license salesperson course from an OREC-approved provider as the first step toward a Provisional Sales Associate license. Course completion is valid for three years from the date of completion. The Oklahoma Real Estate Commission maintains an approved-education registry listing providers authorized to offer this course.

Oregon requires 150 hours of pre-license education from an Agency-approved school, with subjects that include real estate law, Oregon real estate practice, finance, contracts, agency, brokerage, and property management. Only courses completed on or after January 1, 2013 satisfy this requirement. The school submits eligibility electronically to PSI upon completion, allowing the applicant to schedule the license exam.

Pennsylvania requires 75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate courses from an accredited college or an approved education provider, consisting of two Commission-developed courses: Real Estate Fundamentals (30 hours, 2 credits) and Real Estate Practice (45 hours, 3 credits). Courses must be completed within 5 years prior to the date of successful completion of the licensing examination. A bachelor's degree with a major in real estate, a Juris Doctor degree, or 75 hours of pre-licensure coursework completed in another state that was approved for licensure in that state may also satisfy the education requirement.

Rhode Island requires 45 hours of pre-licensing education, including a minimum of 3 hours in Agency Law, plus a separate 3-hour Lead Poisoning/Lead Hazard Mitigation course. Pre-licensing courses must be delivered in person or via live-virtual classroom with real-time interactive instruction; on-demand, pre-recorded, and self-paced online courses are not accepted. Coursework must be completed from a school on the DBR's approved-education list, and classroom hours must be no more than 2 years old at the time of application.

South Carolina requires 90 hours of pre-licensing education for an associate license: Unit I (60-hour Principles and Practices) and Unit II (30-hour Advanced Real Estate Principles). Unit I must be completed before taking the licensing exam, and Unit II must be completed before a license is issued. For a broker license, Unit IIIA and Unit IIIB (60 hours total) are required, and for a property manager license, a Property Management Course is required. Applicants with a juris doctor degree, bachelor of law degree, baccalaureate degree, or master's degree with a major in real estate from an accredited institution are exempt from pre-licensing education.

South Dakota requires 116 hours of prelicensing education from a commission-approved provider to qualify for the broker associate licensing exam. The course covers principles and practices of real estate in South Dakota. You must file your license application within 2 years of completing the prelicensing course.

Tennessee affiliate broker candidates must complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education: a 60-hour course in real estate principles and fundamentals, which must be completed before taking the licensing exam, and a 30-hour "Course for New Affiliates," which must be completed before the license is issued. The education provider forwards proof of completion to PSI, and candidates cannot register for the exam until PSI receives this information. The school also provides a certificate of course completion that must be submitted to TREC with the license application.

Texas sales agent applicants must complete 180 classroom hours across six 30-hour qualifying courses: Principles of Real Estate I, Principles of Real Estate II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, and Real Estate Finance. Each course includes a final examination that must be passed to receive credit. The courses must be taken from a TREC-approved qualifying education provider and are available in classroom, online, or correspondence format.

Utah requires 120 hours of approved pre-license education at a certified Real Estate Pre-License School. The sales agent curriculum covers real estate principles, practices, and Utah license law. Broker candidates complete a separate 120-hour curriculum divided into 30 hours of Utah Law, 45 hours of Broker Principles, and 45 hours of Broker Practices. All pre-license education must be completed within one year before applying for licensure, and candidates must pass the licensing exam within that same one-year window.

Vermont requires a 40-hour prelicensing course approved by the Vermont Real Estate Commission for both salesperson and broker licensure. The course completion certificate must be uploaded with the license application through OPR's Online Services System. Approved courses can be found through OPR's online course search on the Secretary of State website.

Virginia requires salesperson applicants to complete a 60-hour Board-approved course called "Principles of Real Estate" and pass both the State and National portions of the salesperson examination. Broker applicants must complete 180 hours of Board-approved broker pre-licensing courses, including a mandatory 45-hour Real Estate Brokerage course plus additional broker-specific and broker-related courses. Courses taken to meet continuing education requirements are not acceptable for pre-license credit, and any Principles of Real Estate course taken for salesperson licensure is not acceptable as a broker pre-licensing course.

Washington requires 90 hours of approved pre-licensing education: a 60-hour course in Real Estate Fundamentals and a 30-hour course in Real Estate Practices. The Fundamentals course covers real property ownership, contract law, agency law, listing agreements, financing, valuation, and license law. The Practices course covers business skills, agency relationships, marketing, negotiation, purchase and sale agreements, residential financing, and real estate math. Both courses must be completed within 2 years before applying for the exam.

West Virginia salesperson applicants must complete 90 clock hours of pre-licensing education in a Commission-approved course. The 90 hours consist of 30 hours of Real Estate Principles and Practice, 20 hours of Real Estate Law, 20 hours of Real Estate Finance, and 20 hours of Real Estate Appraisal. The applicant must score 70% or higher in each subject area to be eligible to sit for the licensing exam. The course must be completed within the 3-year period preceding the application date, or within 5 years if taken before June 9, 2023.

Wisconsin requires salesperson applicants to complete a Board-approved 72-hour pre-license program for Salespersons within four years before submitting the application for licensure. As an alternative, applicants may complete 10 academic semester hour credits in real estate or real estate related law at an accredited institution of higher education. The pre-license program covers topics including property ownership and transfer, agency, contract law and approved forms, disclosures, fair housing, and Wisconsin-specific real estate laws and practices.

First-time salesperson applicants in Wyoming must complete and pass three courses: Salesperson I Course, Salesperson II Course, and Wyoming Law Course. After completing all three courses, applicants must pass the National Exam for Salespersons and the State Exam for Salespersons. Applicants must also submit two fingerprint cards for a background check and submit a completed application. The Wyoming Real Estate Commission lists approved pre-licensing education providers on its website.