How do you get a property manager license?

DC does not require pre-license education for a Property Manager license, though a 45-hour Property Manager course is available from at least one DCREC-approved provider on a voluntary basis. The Property Manager license fee is $170.00, and applicants must also pay a $65.00 application fee and a $60.00 Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund fee. Property Manager licenses expire on February 28 in odd-numbered years on a two-year renewal cycle, with a renewal fee of $170.00.

Sources: DC DLCP — Real Estate Commission.

Georgia offers a Community Association Manager (CAM) license, which is the state's licensing path for those who manage community associations. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and complete a 25-hour pre-license course before passing the state CAM examination. A criminal history report from the GCIC is required no more than 60 days before application, and the license fee is $170, covering the first four years of licensure. A CAM licensee who passes the exam must apply within 3 months to avoid a doubled fee and must activate within 12 months or retake the examination.

Sources: Atlanta REALTORS School of Real Estate — Sales Pre-License; GA Admin Code — GREC Rules 520-1 (Licensure and Brokerage); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 520-1-.04 (via Cornell Legal Information Institute).

Hawaii does not issue a separate property manager license. Property management is covered as a topic within the real estate salesperson prelicense curriculum, which includes a Property Management Basics handout published by the Hawaii Real Estate Branch. Individuals pursuing property management in Hawaii follow the standard real estate licensing path: complete Commission-approved prelicensing education, pass the PSI exam with 70% or higher on both sections, and obtain a salesperson license associated with a Hawaii-licensed broker.

Sources: Hawaii REB — Examination & Licensing; Hawaii REB — Application & Registration Fees.

Illinois does not issue a specific property manager license, but the state offers a residential leasing agent license for those who handle residential leasing activities. The residential leasing agent license requires completing a 15-hour pre-license course through an IDFPR-approved provider and passing an examination, with an application fee of $100 and an exam fee of $37 per attempt. A person may engage in residential leasing activities for up to 120 consecutive days without a license while enrolled in the pre-license course, provided they work under the supervision of a sponsoring broker.

Sources: IDFPR – Real Estate Broker 75-Hour Pre-License Curriculum (Official Document); Cornell LII — IL Admin Code tit. 68 §1450.130; PSI — IL Candidate Bulletin.

Maine does not require a real estate license for property management, rental activity, or leasing. The Maine Real Estate Commission states that these activities are not real estate brokerage services that require a license. No separate property manager license exists in Maine.

Sources: Maine RE Commission — Individual Licenses (Reciprocal Licensing Section); Pearson VUE — Maine Real Estate Candidate Handbook (December 2025).

Property managers in Montana are licensed under a separate program from real estate salespersons and brokers, administered by the Montana Board of Realty Regulation. The application fee is $50.00 plus a $5.00 Contingent Litigation Fee, and the renewal period runs from September 1 through October 31 each year with the same fee structure. Property managers must complete 12 hours of continuing education annually, and new property manager licensees must complete 4 hours of property management trust account continuing education by their first renewal date.

Sources: MT DLI BSD — Property Manager License; Montana DLI — RE Broker Licensing; Pearson VUE — Montana Board of Realty Regulation Candidate Handbook (January 2026).

New Mexico does not issue a separate property management license. Property management requires a broker license with a property management endorsement, which can be added to either an associate broker or qualifying broker license. The New Mexico Real Estate Commission publishes a Property Management Endorsement Application Guide for this process. Property managers have additional continuing education requirements, including a 6-hour Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act course plus 6 additional property management hours for associate brokers or 12 additional hours for qualifying brokers per 3-year cycle. All property managers must also attend at least one commission meeting, rule hearing, or disciplinary hearing during each 3-year licensing cycle.

Sources: NM RLD — RE Commission CE & Instructors; NM RLD — RE Commission Licensing (Apply for License).

North Carolina does not issue a separate property manager license. The state is a "broker-only" jurisdiction, meaning the real estate broker license is the sole license type for real estate practice, and the license types are Broker, Firm, and Limited Nonresident Commercial. Property management is covered as a topic within the 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course curriculum, so brokers who handle property management do so under their standard broker license.

Sources: NCREC — General Brochure (Real Estate Licensing in North Carolina, March 2024).

To obtain an Oregon property manager license, applicants must complete required pre-license education from an Agency-approved school, pass the state exam, and clear a fingerprint background check. The property manager exam has 130 items with a 195-minute time limit, and a passing score of 75% is required. The license is issued once the background check clears, a principal broker adds the license to the registered business or a new registered business name application is approved, and the Agency completes a final review.

Sources: PSI — Oregon Real Estate Exam Candidate Information Bulletin.

To obtain a South Carolina property manager license, applicants must complete a Commission-approved Property Management Course. A Property Manager-in-Charge (PMIC) designation requires an additional 7-hour PMIC Course, and the initial licensing fee for a PMIC is $250. Property managers and PMICs are not required to complete continuing education for license renewal.

Sources: SC LLR — Real Estate FAQ; SC LLR — Real Estate Commission Pubs (Applications & Requirements).

The Property Manager license requires completing a 40-hour Fundamentals of Property Management course, passing the licensing exam with a score of 75%, and obtaining application approval from the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. The property manager exam is administered by appointment at the commission's offices in Pierre and Sioux Falls at no fee. Applications must be filed within 2 years of completing the course and within 60 days of receiving notice of a passing exam score.

Sources: SD DLR — RE License Types & Requirements; SD DLR — RE Exam Information.