Are there free real estate continuing education courses?

Some local REALTOR® associations in Arizona offer free continuing education courses to members. The Arizona Association of REALTORS® provides free online courses covering the three mandatory CE topics introduced January 1, 2025: Firewise, Deed Fraud, and Arizona Water, totaling 3 hours of CE credit. Local associations such as the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS® offer free CE classes for members on topics including Contract Law, Disclosure, and Fair Housing, with non-members paying a nominal fee per class. These free options help satisfy Arizona's 24-hour CE renewal requirement for salespersons, which consists of 21 mandatory hours and 3 elective hours.

Sources: ADRE — Education Division.

The DRE requires 45 hours of approved continuing education for each four-year license renewal cycle. Some professional membership associations in California offer a free 45-hour online license renewal package as a member benefit, which can cover the full CE requirement. These free offerings are typically available only to association members who pay annual dues, and the DRE does not itself provide free CE courses.

Sources: CA DRE — Salesperson Requirements.

Yes, the Delaware Association of REALTORS® offers up to 9 hours of free continuing education credit at its annual conference each fall. Most other CE in Delaware is offered by approved providers for a fee, and licensees must complete 21 hours of approved CE during each two-year renewal period ending April 30 of even-numbered years. The free conference credits can offset part of the requirement but may not cover the full 21 hours needed for renewal.

Sources: Delaware Realtors — Education; DE DPR — Real Estate CE & Audit.

Idaho licensees can earn up to 4 hours of CE credit per renewal period by attending a regularly scheduled Real Estate Commission meeting, at no cost. All other continuing education courses must be obtained through an Idaho certified provider, and the Commission does not list any free course offerings beyond the Commission meeting attendance provision. Online CE courses must additionally be ARELLO certified.

Sources: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — Real Estate Commission, Education Licensees page.

Members of the Indiana Association of REALTORS® automatically receive 12 hours of continuing education each year through the Real Estate Continuing Education Program at no additional cost. The package is deposited in the member's account and covers both broker and managing broker CE requirements. Non-members can purchase comparable CE packages from the same program or from other state-approved providers.

Sources: Indiana PLA — Real Estate Licensing Information.

The Iowa Real Estate Commission does not offer free continuing education courses, and most approved providers charge fees for CE courses. However, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) provides free Code of Ethics training to its members, and any course sponsored by NAR counts toward Iowa's 24-hour elective CE requirement. The mandatory 8-hour Law Update and 4-hour Ethics courses must still be completed through Iowa-approved providers, and at least 12 of the 36 required CE hours must be taken via live instruction.

Sources: Iowa DIAL — IREC Continuing Education Requirements.

Some REALTOR® associations in Massachusetts offer free continuing education courses to their members. For non-members, approved CE courses from licensed real estate schools charge fees. Massachusetts requires 12 hours of continuing education per 2-year license term, organized across subject-matter categories such as Fair Housing, Agency Law, Environmental Issues, and Real Estate Board Regulations.

Sources: Mass.gov — Renew RE License; MA DPL — Real Estate License Fees.

Some trade associations in Minnesota offer free on-demand continuing education classes that licensees can take at their own pace with no camera requirement. Most CE courses from approved providers carry a fee, and licensees must ensure any course they take is approved by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and reported through the PULSE Portal. Minnesota requires 30 hours of CE per two-year license period, with at least 15 hours completed each year, including 1 hour of agency law and 1 hour of fair housing training.

Sources: MN Commerce — RE License Guide PDF; MN Commerce — Licensing Education.

Yes, free continuing education courses are available in New Jersey. The state's REALTOR® association offers four free online CE courses through its education platform. All CE courses must be approved by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission to count toward the 12-credit-hour biennial requirement, and additional online CE courses are available from various providers at a modest per-course cost.

Sources: NJ DOBI — Real Estate Licensing and Education Hub.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency offers free online continuing education courses for real estate agents, including a Homeownership Programs course that provides 1 hour of elective CE credit. The agency also offers a "Removing Barriers to Homeownership" course that provides 3 hours of Civil Rights CE credit, though it may periodically close for content updates.

Sources: Ohio Admin. Code — RE Rule 1301:5-7-02 (Continuing Education Requirements); Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1301:5-7-02 & Ohio Department of Commerce CE Compliance Form.

The Oregon Real Estate Agency offers a free continuing education class on property management for licensees who manage rental real estate. The National Association of REALTORS® provides free Code of Ethics training to its members, though this satisfies a NAR membership requirement rather than the 30 hours of CE needed for Oregon license renewal. Some certified CE providers include required courses such as LARRC or Fair Housing at no additional cost when purchased as part of a broader CE package.

Sources: Oregon REA — Continuing Education Guide (2024).

One free option exists through National Association of REALTORS® membership: the NAR Code of Ethics training is free for new REALTOR® members and earns 3 CE credit hours toward South Dakota license renewal, as approved by the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. Existing REALTOR® members can take the same course for $29.95. Membership requires joining a local board of REALTORS®, which automatically extends to the state association and NAR.

Sources: SD Realtors — Online Courses.

Some Utah-approved continuing education providers offer courses at no cost. The Utah Division of Real Estate maintains an online education course search tool that lets licensees filter approved CE courses by category, provider, and credit hours, which can help identify free options among the state's approved providers. CE in Utah generally costs around $10 to $20 per credit hour, so free offerings can meaningfully reduce renewal expenses.

Sources: Utah Commerce — RE Fee Schedule.

Some Vermont real estate associations offer free courses to their members. The Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS® provides its New Agent Orientation plus the NAR Code of Ethics course at no cost to NVRA members, and these fulfill the 8 hours of post-licensure education required within 90 days of initial salesperson licensure. The Vermont Energy Goals slideshow, which all licensees must view during the online renewal process, also carries no separate fee, though it is not a CE course and provides no CE credit. Standard continuing education courses for license renewal are offered through the state's approved-education providers and typically carry a fee.

Sources: Vermont OPR — Salesperson & Broker FAQs; Vermont OPR — RE Broker & Salesperson Administrative Rules (PDF).

Some Virginia REALTOR® associations offer complimentary continuing education courses to their members as a benefit of membership. The Virginia DPOR does not provide free CE courses directly. Free CE availability depends on local association membership, and offerings vary by association.

Sources: VA DPOR — Real Estate Board; VA DPOR — Real Estate Process PDF.

Some Washington continuing education providers offer the required 3-hour Current Issues Core course at no cost, but the remaining CE hours needed for renewal typically require paid courses. Active licensees must complete 30 hours of approved CE per two-year renewal cycle, including the 3-hour Core course and at least 27 hours of other approved CE. The full 30-hour requirement cannot be met with the free Core course alone.

Sources: WA DOL — Managing Broker Renewal; WA DOL — Managing Broker License.

Free continuing education is available to members of some local Board of REALTORS® associations in Wyoming as a dues benefit. The Cheyenne Board of REALTORS®, for example, offers its required CE courses at no additional charge to CBR members, describing them as "dues-based" education. These free courses cover only the mandatory CE topics, not electives. Licensees who are not members of a local Board of REALTORS® must pay for CE through approved providers.

Sources: Wyoming REC — Obtain a License; Wyoming REC — Education Providers: Pre-Licensing.