How do you renew a real estate broker license?

Broker licenses renew on a fixed cycle, typically every 2 to 4 years depending on the state, and most states require continuing education. For example, New York requires 22.5 hours per two-year term, Texas requires 18 hours per two years, and California requires 45 hours per four-year renewal. Complete the education before applying; Texas charges a $200 deferral fee to renew with CE outstanding, and late renewal adds penalties in most states.

Arkansas real estate licenses must be renewed annually, and all licenses expire on December 31. The deadline to renew without penalty is September 30; licenses not renewed by December 31 automatically expire on January 1. Brokers must complete 7 hours of continuing education annually, including a 1-hour safety course and required topic-specific courses, with remaining hours filled by electives. Renewal can be completed online through the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) portal or by submitting a renewal form.

California real estate broker licenses are issued for a four-year period and must be renewed before the expiration date. Brokers can renew online through the DRE's eLicensing system or by mail using the Broker Renewal Application (RE 208) with CE Course Verification (RE 251) and the applicable fee. On-time renewal can be submitted up to 90 days before the expiration date; if renewed on time, the broker may continue operating under the existing license until the renewal certificate is received. If the license expires, the broker may renew on a late basis for up to two years but cannot perform licensed activities during that time. Broker renewal fees are $450 on time and $675 late (effective July 1, 2024).

Colorado real estate broker licenses operate on a three-year cycle, and active brokers must complete 24 hours of continuing education per cycle: 12 hours from three different versions of the 4-hour Annual Commission Update Course and 12 hours of elective credit. Online renewal opens 45 days before the expiration date, and a 31-day grace period allows late renewal without penalty fees, but all continuing education must be completed on or before December 31 of the expiration year. Newly licensed brokers have no continuing education obligation during their initial licensure period, which ends December 31 of the year the license was issued.

Broker licenses expire on November 30 of every even-numbered year, and the renewal fee is $758 with a $75 late fee if not received by the expiration date. Brokers must complete 12 hours of continuing education per two-year cycle, including one 3-hour mandatory course and 9 hours of electives, with all CE completed by August 31, which is 3 months before the renewal deadline. Renewal is done through the Connecticut eLicensing system, and the full renewal fee is required the first renewal cycle after license issuance. Salespersons with an inactive license are not eligible to renew and must have a sponsoring broker before the renewal cycle.

Brokers must complete 60 hours of post-licensing education before their first renewal deadline, which falls within 18 to 24 months of initial licensure. If the 60-hour requirement is not met, the broker license reverts to a sales associate license. For second and subsequent renewals, brokers must complete 14 hours of continuing education per 2-year cycle: 3 hours Core Law, 3 hours Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours specialty education. The biennial renewal fee is $72, and both the fee and education requirements are due by midnight EST on either March 31 or September 30, depending on the license issue date.

Brokers must renew every 4 years by the last day of their birthday month, completing 36 hours of continuing education during the renewal period. As of July 1, 2025, brokers and associate brokers must complete at least 18 of the 36 hours in broker-specific CE topics, plus 3 hours on license law, with the remaining 15 hours as electives. The renewal fee is $125 by mail or $100 through the Commission's online system, and licensees may renew up to 120 days in advance. If education is not completed by the renewal deadline, licensees should renew to inactive status to avoid a $100 late fee, then re-activate at no charge once courses are posted.

Hawaii broker licenses expire on December 31 of each even-numbered year, and the renewal application deadline is November 30 of even-numbered years. To renew on active status, a broker must complete 20 hours of Commission-approved continuing education during the two-year renewal cycle: 6 core hours (Core A at 3 hours and Core B at 3 hours) plus 14 elective hours. Renewal is processed through the MyPVL portal or by paper form, with renewal fees of $298 for a sole proprietor broker and $343 for a broker corporation, partnership, LLC, or LLP. A broker who fails to complete the CE requirement by the expiration date is renewed on inactive status without notification, and a license not renewed by the deadline forfeits on January 1 of the following odd-numbered year.

Illinois broker licenses expire on April 30 of even-numbered years. The renewal window opens 90 days before the expiration date. To renew, brokers must complete 12 hours of continuing education (6 hours core including at least 2 hours of fair housing training, and 6 hours elective including 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention training) and pay a $200 renewal fee through IDFPR's Online Services Portal. New brokers completing their first renewal must instead complete 45 hours of post-license education, which satisfies the CE requirement for the initial license term. CE may not be taken more than 12 hours in a single calendar day.

Indiana brokers renew their license every 3 years by paying a $60 renewal fee. Brokers with an Active or Unassigned license status must complete 12 hours of continuing education each year from July 1 to June 30, totaling 36 hours per renewal cycle. No CE is required for Inactive or Referral status. CE certificates are not submitted during renewal; instead, the Commission conducts random audits after the renewal period, so brokers should retain certificates for at least 3 years. Renewal notices are sent approximately 90 days before the expiration date, and a $50 late fee applies if the renewal is submitted after the expiration date.

To renew a Maryland broker license, you must complete 15 hours of continuing education during your two-year license term and submit a renewal application. For residential brokers, designated branch office managers, and team leaders, the 15 hours consist of Legal and Legislative Update (3), Fair Housing (2, effective October 1, 2025), Ethics (3), Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosures (3), Supervision (1.5), and 2.5 hours of electives. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the license renewal date to avoid a reinstatement fee. Broker renewal applicants must also submit a full credit report, including the public record section, that is no older than six months. The broker renewal fee is $191, effective April 27, 2026.

To renew a Massachusetts broker license, you must complete 12 hours of Board-approved continuing education, submit a notarized CORI authorization form, and pay the $142 biennial renewal fee through the eLIPSE online platform. Renewals open 90 days before the license expiration date, and the license must be renewed on your birthday during the renewal year. If you do not complete the 12-hour CE requirement by the renewal date, the Board must renew your license as inactive, which prevents you from working as an agent. Brokers must also provide a copy of their recent surety bond and E&O insurance when renewing.

Broker license renewal is completed through the MiPLUS online portal at michigan.gov/miplus. The renewal fee is $108 per 3-year cycle. Before renewing, the licensee must complete 18 clock hours of continuing education, including at least 2 hours per year on laws, rules, and court cases, and at least 1 hour per year on fair housing compliance. A 60-day late renewal period follows the expiration date, during which a $20 late fee applies in addition to the standard renewal fee. There is no grace period during which a licensee may continue practicing real estate before renewing.

Minnesota real estate broker licenses are valid for two years and must be renewed by June 30 of the expiration year. Brokers must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each two-year period, with at least 15 hours completed before the previous June 30. Required CE includes a general module course, a broker module course if one is required that year, at least 1 hour of Agency Laws training, and at least 1 hour of Fair Housing training. For the 2026-2027 cycle, the general module is "Cybersecurity in Real Estate" (3.75 hours), which also satisfies the broker module requirement. The broker renewal fee is $130, consisting of a $100 base fee, a $20 recovery fund charge, and a $10 technology surcharge. Renewals are submitted through the PULSE portal at pulseportal.com.

Broker licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years, and renewals are processed through the MOPRO online portal. Each renewal cycle requires 12 hours of MREC-approved continuing education, including at least 3 hours of a core course; for the 2026-2028 renewal period, the core course must cover Fair Housing. A delinquent fee applies to late renewals, and a license that remains expired for more than two years becomes void, requiring the individual to requalify as a new applicant.

To renew a broker license, the licensee must complete 12 CE credit hours during the licensing term, including at least 6 hours in core topics (2 hours ethics, 1 hour Fair Housing and NJ Law Against Discrimination, 1 hour agency, and 2 hours in any core topic), with the remaining 6 hours in any combination of core or elective topics. All CE must be completed by April 30, 2027, and the license must be renewed by June 30, 2027. Each licensee must also complete and submit an individual online Qualifying Questionnaire as a condition of renewal, and no paper questionnaires are accepted. The broker renewal fee is $200.

Broker licenses must be renewed online through eAccessNY every two years. The Department of State sends an email and postcard reminder approximately three months before the expiration date. Before renewing, brokers must complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education, including mandatory topics in fair housing, implicit bias, cultural competency, ethical business practices, recent legal matters, and law of agency. The renewal fee is $185, and associate brokers must have a sponsoring broker to be eligible for renewal.

All North Carolina real estate licenses expire on June 30 each year, and renewal is available online from May 15 through June 30. The annual renewal fee is $50, payable by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or PayPal, and renewal must be completed online per Commission Rule 58A.0503; checks and phone payments are not accepted. Brokers must complete 8 hours of continuing education (a 4-hour Update course and a 4-hour elective) by June 10 to maintain active status. A broker can renew by June 30 even if CE is not yet completed, but the license will be placed on inactive status on July 1 until the CE deficiency is resolved.

Broker licenses renew every 3 years with a $243 fee and 30 hours of continuing education. The 30 hours must include 3 hours each of Canons of Ethics, Core Law, and Civil Rights, plus a 3-hour Broker Responsibilities course. Renewals are processed through the eLicense LPI system, and licensees may renew up to 60 days before the due date. Late renewal adds a penalty equal to 50% of the renewal fee, and a license suspended for non-renewal is revoked after 12 months if not corrected.

Pennsylvania real estate licenses expire on May 31 of every even-numbered year, with no grace period. All renewals must be completed online through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS). Brokers must complete 14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education during each two-year license period before submitting a renewal application. The renewal fee is $96 for Associate Brokers and $126 for Broker Sole Proprietors, Broker Corporations, LLCs, Partnerships, and Brokers of Record.

Licensees renew through the CORE system at core.tn.gov every 2 years by paying the $75 renewal fee and completing 16 hours of continuing education, including a 6-hour Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) Core Course. CE completions are tracked through CE Broker, the official tracking system for TREC, and the CORE system indicates at renewal whether education status is compliant.

Texas real estate brokers must renew their licenses every two years, with a renewal notice sent about 90 days before the expiration date. Active renewal requires 18 hours of CE: 4 hours of Legal Update I, 4 hours of Legal Update II, 3 hours of Contract-Related coursework, 6 hours of Broker Responsibility for brokers who sponsor sales agents, and 1 hour of elective CE. The on-time broker renewal fee is $218, and if CE is not complete at the time of renewal, a $200 CE deferral fee provides a 60-day extension to finish while remaining active. Brokers can renew up to six months after expiration with late fees of $254 within 90 days or $290 beyond 90 days, and between six months and two years past expiration through a reinstatement application costing $298.

Utah real estate broker licenses are valid for a 2-year period, with the renewal window opening 45 days before the expiration date. Active brokers must complete 18 hours of certified continuing education, including a minimum of 9 core hours (of which 3 must be a Division-approved mandatory course), and all CE must be finished by the 15th day of the renewal month. The on-time renewal fee is $108 total ($66 renewal + $32 fingerprint processing + $10 RAP Back), and all renewals are submitted online through the My License One system using a UtahID account. A broker whose license expires will have both their personal and company licenses converted to expired-inactive status, and their agents' licenses will convert to inactive.

Virginia broker licenses must be renewed every two years. Brokers must complete 24 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle, including 6 hours of Broker Management, 2 hours of Broker Supervision, plus mandatory topics in ethics, fair housing, legal updates, agency, and contracts; for licenses expiring on or after June 30, 2026, the mandatory hours within the 24 increase while elective hours decrease. Renewal can be completed online through DPOR's Online Services or Quick Pay, and a 30-day grace period after expiration allows renewal without a reinstatement fee, though the license is not valid during that period. The broker renewal fee is $120, plus a Technology Fee of $7.25 per year effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030.

Washington broker licenses must be renewed every 2 years, with renewal dates based on the original license issuance date. Licensees can renew up to 120 days before expiration. The first active renewal requires 90 hours of continuing education, including 30-hour Advanced Practices, 30-hour Real Estate Law, a 3-hour Current Issues Core course, and at least 27 hours of other approved CE. Subsequent active renewals require 30 hours, including the 3-hour Core course and at least 27 hours of other approved CE, with at least 15 hours completed within 24 months of the renewal date. A fingerprint-based background check must be renewed every 6 years. Inactive licenses do not require CE but must submit a renewal application every 2 years.