How to get an Alaska real estate salesperson license
To get an Alaska real estate salesperson license, you must be at least 19 years old, complete 40 hours of state-approved pre-licensing education, pass the Pearson VUE salesperson exam, and submit a license application with $370 in fees. You must also work under a licensed real estate broker and obtain errors and omissions (E&O) insurance before your license can be activated. Alaska's official license category is "salesperson," though the term "real estate agent" is commonly used for the same role. The Alaska Real Estate Commission[1] (AREC), a division of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, regulates all real estate licensing in the state.
Alaska real estate license eligibility
Alaska's salesperson license eligibility criteria cover age, education, exam passage, broker affiliation, and insurance — but do not include a high school diploma, GED, or fingerprinting. Applicants cannot be under indictment for disqualifying criminal offenses at the time they apply, under AS 08.88.171[2].
Alaska does not require a high school diploma or GED for a salesperson license. The official requirements, as enumerated in AS 08.88.171(c)[3] and on the Alaska REC salesperson licensing page[2], cover age, education, exam passage, broker affiliation, and criminal history disclosure. Alaska also does not require fingerprinting or a separate background check; applicants disclose criminal history on the application instead.
To get an Alaska real estate salesperson license, you must be at least 19 years of age, complete 40 hours of approved pre-licensing education, and pass the Alaska real estate salesperson exam with a scaled score of at least 75. You must then apply for licensure within 6 months of passing the exam, secure sponsorship from a licensed Alaska broker, and obtain errors and omissions insurance. The exam fee is $100, and additional licensing fees apply. After licensure, new licensees must complete 30 hours of post-licensing education within one year.
To obtain an Alaska real estate salesperson license, an applicant must be at least 19 years of age, work for a licensed broker, and complete 40 hours of approved pre-licensing education. The applicant must pass the Alaska real estate salesperson exam with a scaled score of at least 75, apply for licensure within six months after passing, and obtain errors and omissions insurance. Applicants must not be under indictment for felony, forgery, theft, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors, or fraud; if convicted of such offenses, seven years must have elapsed since completing the imposed sentence before a license will be considered. Alaska does not require a high school diploma, GED, fingerprinting, or a separate background check for licensure.
How to complete your pre-licensing education
Completing a real estate pre-licensing course from a state-certified provider is the first step toward your Alaska salesperson license. AREC-approved courses cover the fundamentals of real estate practice and Alaska license law.
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 E&O insurance.
Yes, Alaska allows pre-licensing education to be completed online or by correspondence. The Alaska Real Estate Commission certifies correspondence and online courses, and the 40-hour pre-licensing requirement for a salesperson license can be fulfilled through these distance-learning formats. Students may not receive credit for more than 10 hours of instruction per day in online courses.
Under 12 AAC 64.063(a)(2)[4], your coursework must be finished within the 18 months preceding your license application date. This timeframe is separate from the exam score validity window, which governs how long after testing you have to submit your application.
How to pass the Alaska real estate salesperson exam
The Alaska real estate salesperson exam requires a scaled score of 75 on both the national and state portions, and you must submit your license application before your exam scores expire.
The Alaska real estate licensing exam is a computer-based test administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Alaska Real Estate Commission. The salesperson exam consists of 80 national questions and 40 state-law questions (120 scored total), and candidates have 4 hours to complete it. A scaled score of at least 75 on each portion is required to pass. The exam fee is $100, with an additional $50 fee for testing at non-standard locations.
No, the Alaska real estate licensing exam must be taken in person at a Pearson VUE test center. The exam is administered electronically and is offered weekly in Anchorage, semi-monthly in Fairbanks, and quarterly in Juneau. The exam may also be provided at other locations on an individual request basis for an additional $50 fee beyond the standard $100 exam fee.
You can schedule your exam through the Pearson VUE Alaska real estate portal[5]. Appointments may be made up to one calendar day before your desired test date, subject to availability, as listed on the Alaska REC exam information page[6].
Pearson VUE, the official exam vendor contracted by the Alaska Real Estate Commission, offers Broker and Sales practice tests for $19.95 each, covering general real estate topics only; state-specific practice tests are not available. A Candidate Handbook and Content Outlines are also available as free PDF downloads from Pearson VUE's website. Once purchased, candidates have 30 days to start the practice test, and each test includes score reports showing the number of correct answers per section.
How to submit your salesperson license application
After passing the exam, you must submit a Salesperson License by Examination application (Form 08-4179) with a total of $370 in fees through the MyAlaska online portal within six months of your exam date.
The $370 total consists of a $200 application fee, a $120 license fee, and a $50 recovery fund fee, as itemized on the official Alaska REC application form (08-4179). The application fee is set by 12 AAC 02.360(a)(5), and the license fee is set by 12 AAC 02.360(a)(1).
You can file the application online through a MyAlaska account[7], which provides email notifications about your application status. If you have ever held a real estate license in another state, you must provide a license history from each state before Alaska will issue your license.
Securing a sponsoring broker and E&O insurance
Alaska requires every salesperson to work under a licensed broker and to maintain E&O insurance before the license can be activated. You cannot practice real estate independently as a salesperson.
Your sponsoring broker submits an Employing Broker Information form (Form 08-4972) as part of your license application. E&O insurance may be obtained through the master policy offered by RISC or through equivalent coverage. A broker who covers all associated licensees must maintain a minimum of $300,000 per wrongful act and $1,000,000 aggregate, according to the Alaska REC renewal form[8].
Criminal history and licensing eligibility
The Commission will not grant a license to anyone convicted of a felony, forgery, theft, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors, fraud, or other crimes that affect the individual's ability to practice competently and safely. If you have been convicted of one of these offenses, you must wait seven years after completing your sentence before the Commission will consider your application, per AS 08.88.171[2].
Applicants must disclose any pending indictments and prior convictions on the license application. The Commission reviews each disclosure to determine whether the offense disqualifies the applicant.
Real estate salesperson versus real estate broker
In Alaska, the distinction between a salesperson and a broker comes down to education, experience, and the authority to operate independently. The two license tiers share the same regulatory framework but differ in supervisory responsibilities and prerequisites.
A real estate salesperson (agent) is an entry-level licensee who must work under a licensed broker and cannot operate independently. In Alaska, a salesperson must be at least 19 years old, complete 40 hours of approved pre-licensing education, and pass the salesperson exam. A broker has additional requirements: 30 hours of approved broker training, 36 consecutive months of active experience as a licensee within the last 60 months with real estate as the principal occupation, and passing the broker exam. Brokers can own a real estate business or serve as the broker for a corporation or partnership, while an associate broker has met the same education and experience requirements but works under another broker rather than operating independently.
Brokers must also meet experience requirements tied to a 60-month lookback window. These requirements are set by the Alaska REC broker licensing requirements page[9].
To become a licensed broker in Alaska, an applicant must complete 30 classroom hours of approved broker training, document 36 consecutive months of active and continuous experience as a real estate licensee within the last 60 months with real estate as their principal occupation, and pass the broker exam. The applicant must apply for licensure within 6 months of passing the exam, obtain and maintain E&O insurance, and either own a real estate business or work as the broker for a corporation or partnership. Broker applicants must also register their office with the Commission.
All REALTORS® are licensed real estate professionals, but not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. A REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) who follows NAR's Code of Ethics and completes ethics training every three years. A real estate agent is any licensed professional who helps clients buy, sell, or rent properties and must work under a licensed broker. To become a REALTOR®, a licensed agent must join a local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues; NAR represents more than 1.5 million members.
Licensure by endorsement for out-of-state licensees
Alaska offers licensure by endorsement for real estate professionals who hold or have held a license in another state. Applicants must provide a license history from each state where they have been licensed, per the Alaska REC FAQ page[10]. The Salesperson by Endorsement application (Form 08-4169) is available as an online filing through the same portal used for examination applications.
After your license is issued: post-licensing education and renewal
New Alaska licensees must complete 30 hours of post-licensing education within one year of initial licensure, in addition to 20 hours of continuing education required for each biennial renewal cycle. All Alaska real estate licenses expire on January 31 of even-numbered years, regardless of when first issued. If you fail to complete the 30 hours within the one-year period, your license automatically lapses and reinstatement is required. The Alaska REC education page[11] details the post-licensing modules and submission requirements.
Next steps
Start by enrolling in a 40-hour Alaska-approved pre-licensing course, then schedule your Pearson VUE exam, and begin researching sponsoring brokers in your area. You can download the free Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook and Content Outlines from the Pearson VUE Alaska portal[5] to preview exam topics while you complete your coursework.
Sources
- Alaska Real Estate Commission — CBPL (Main Page)GovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska REC — Salesperson LicensingGovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska Real Estate Commission — AS 08.88.171(c) via official Statutes and Regulations (September 2024)EducationAugust 2026
- Alaska Administrative Code 12 AAC 64.063(a)(2) — Minimum education requirements for licensureEducationAugust 2026
- Pearson VUE — AK Real Estate ExamGovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska REC — Exam InformationGovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska Real Estate Commission — Licensees (Applicants Hub)GovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska REC — Commission PDF Doc (Salesperson License Renewal Form)GovernmentMay 2026
- Alaska REC — Broker Licensing RequirementsGovernmentAugust 2026
- AK Real Estate Commission — Applicant FAQGovernmentAugust 2026
- Alaska Real Estate Commission — EducationGovernmentAugust 2026