How to become a real estate broker in Louisiana
To become a real estate broker in Louisiana, you must hold an active real estate license for four years, complete 150 hours of LREC-approved broker education, pass the broker licensing exam, and obtain errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, according to the LREC broker licensing page[1]. The distinction between broker and real estate agent is part of understanding this path: a broker is a state-issued license type that allows independent real estate practice, while a REALTOR® is a trade-association membership designation available to any licensed agent or broker. The path begins with first obtaining a salesperson license, which requires 90 hours of pre-licensing education per the LREC salesperson licensing requirements[2] and a passing score on the salesperson exam.
Louisiana broker license requirements
Broker licensure in Louisiana requires an active licensee history, additional education, a broker exam, and insurance coverage. Specific eligibility criteria are established by the LREC broker licensing page[1].
To apply for a broker license, you must have been licensed as an active real estate licensee for four years, with two of those years occurring immediately before you submit your application. You must also hold a high school diploma or GED, complete 150 hours of LREC-approved pre-licensing education (including a mandatory 30-hour broker responsibility course), pass the broker licensing examination, and provide proof of errors and omissions insurance before the license is issued.
The experience requirement can be fulfilled in Louisiana or another jurisdiction. If you have been licensed in another state, you must provide a Certified License History document from the real estate licensing agency in each applicable jurisdiction showing your active and inactive status periods. If you have only been licensed in Louisiana, a Louisiana certified license history is not required.
Individuals with a felony conviction must complete and submit a Felony Review Hearing Request form[3] to the commission before applying. A felony conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant, but the commission reviews each case individually.
Before pursuing a broker license, you must first hold a salesperson license, which requires its own pre-licensing education, exam, and broker sponsorship.
Broker pre-licensing education requirements
Broker applicants must complete LREC-approved coursework beyond what was required for the salesperson license. The LREC broker pre-licensing education page[4] outlines the specific requirements.
Broker pre-licensing requires 150 hours of LREC-approved coursework, which must include a mandatory 30-hour course (Real Estate 202) covering Louisiana Real Estate License Law, Commission Rules and Regulations, Law of Agency, and Civil Law pertaining to real estate. No substitution is allowed for this 30-hour Louisiana-specific course. The 90 hours required for a salesperson license do not count toward the 150-hour broker requirement, so licensed salespersons must complete an additional 150 hours. Up to 120 hours completed in another jurisdiction may be credited, provided at least 30 hours are completed in the mandatory Louisiana-specific course, and a final examination is required for pre-licensing credit.
Broker pre-licensing courses may be completed through distance learning, provided the courses are Internet-based and offered through a Louisiana state-certified real estate school approved by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) for delivery standards and by the commission for course content. Students must pass a final examination on course content to receive a certificate of completion.
The Louisiana broker licensing exam
The Louisiana broker licensing exam is administered by Pearson VUE[5], which replaced PSI as the state's exam vendor effective April 2023. The exam is computer-based with multiple-choice questions, and candidates receive their scores immediately upon completion, according to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission candidate handbook[6].
After LREC processes your broker application, Pearson VUE sends an exam authorization by email. You then schedule your exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or through their online platform. The exam fee is paid directly to Pearson VUE at the time of scheduling.
The Louisiana broker licensing exam consists of 75 national questions and 55 state-specific questions, with 105 minutes allotted for the national portion and 75 minutes for the state portion, totaling 180 minutes. To pass, candidates must correctly answer at least 60 national questions and 40 state questions. Preparation involves completing the 150-hour broker pre-licensing education requirement, which includes a mandatory 30-hour broker responsibility course, reviewing the exam content outline in the candidate handbook from Pearson VUE, and taking practice exams covering both national and state-specific topics.
Broker license application and fees
The broker license application may be submitted by mail or in person at the LREC office at 9071 Interline Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The initial broker license fee is $120, with a $25 processing fee, as established by Louisiana RS 37:1443[7] (effective April 1, 2022). The following fee schedule applies to broker licenses:
| Fee type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial broker license (individual or company) | $120 |
| Processing fee | $25 |
| Active broker renewal | $70 |
| Inactive broker renewal | $35 |
| Delinquent fee (October 1 to November 15) | $50 |
| Delinquent fee, active (November 16 to December 31) | $200 |
| Delinquent fee, inactive (November 16 to December 31) | $50 |
Errors and omissions insurance is mandatory before LREC issues a broker license. The commission provides a group E&O policy through Rice Insurance Services, or licensees may obtain third-party coverage that meets LREC requirements, according to the Louisiana REALTORS® Association[8].
If you plan to conduct real estate activity through a company such as a corporation, partnership, or LLC, that company must also hold a Louisiana real estate license. An individual broker license alone covers independent activity; company activity requires a separate company license.
Broker, agent, and real estate agent in Louisiana
In Louisiana, a real estate broker is a licensee who has met additional education and experience requirements and can operate independently. The salesperson license is the entry-level license type. A broker who supervises salespersons assumes legal responsibility for their agents' actions, as noted by the National Association of REALTORS®[9].
A real estate agent (salesperson) is licensed to help clients buy, sell, or rent properties but must work under the supervision of a licensed broker. In Louisiana, a salesperson must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED, complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education, and pass the salesperson licensing exam. A broker has additional requirements: four years of active licensee experience with two years immediately preceding the application, 150 hours of LREC-approved education, and passage of the broker licensing exam. Brokers can work independently, hire agents, and are responsible for supervising the agents under them.
A REALTOR® is a trade-association designation, not a state license type. Any licensed agent or broker who joins the National Association of REALTORS® becomes a REALTOR®. The terms broker, agent, and REALTOR® refer to different things: a license level and a membership designation.
A real estate salesperson (agent) must work under the supervision of a licensed broker and cannot operate independently or accept compensation directly. A broker has met additional requirements: 4 years as an active licensee (with 2 of those years immediately preceding application), 150 hours of LREC-approved pre-licensing education including a mandatory 30-hour Louisiana-specific course, passage of the broker licensing examination, and proof of E&O insurance. A REALTOR® is a licensed agent or broker who has joined the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) through a local association and pays membership dues; REALTORS® must abide by NAR's Code of Ethics and complete ethics training every three years.
REALTOR® membership is separate from LREC licensure and is not required to practice real estate in Louisiana. Agents or brokers who wish to join must contact their local REALTOR® association.
To become a REALTOR®, a licensed real estate agent must join their local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues, which enrolls them at the national, state, and local levels of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Members must abide by NAR's Code of Ethics and complete periodic ethics training. NAR national dues are $156 per member for 2027, plus a $45 special assessment for the Consumer Advertising Campaign.
Post-licensing education and ongoing requirements
After receiving a broker license, new licensees face immediate education obligations and annual renewal requirements.
For 2026, Louisiana brokers renewing in active status must complete 12 hours of continuing education: 8 mandatory hours and 4 elective hours. The mandatory hours include the general course Transparency, Technology, and Trust (4 hours, required of all active licensees) and the broker-specific course Broker Leadership and Compliance (4 hours, required of brokers and associate brokers only). All continuing education must be completed by December 31.
New brokers must also complete 45 post-licensing hours within 180 days of their initial license date, as required by the LREC continuing education page[10]. This is a separate requirement from the annual CE obligation and applies to both new licensees and licensees who have upgraded from salesperson to broker. Post-licensing education hours may satisfy a portion of the annual CE requirement but do not satisfy the mandatory topic hours.
A Louisiana real estate license is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. The timely renewal period runs from August 1 to September 30, as established by Act 193 of the 2021 Regular Legislative Session, effective April 1, 2022. Licensees who renew between October 1 and December 31 pay delinquent fees ranging from $50 to $200. Any license not renewed by December 31 expires, and the licensee must reapply as an initial applicant.
How long it takes to become a broker in Louisiana
The timeline to broker licensure is driven primarily by the mandatory experience period, followed by education and exam administration.
The primary timeline factor is the experience requirement: broker applicants must have been licensed as an active real estate licensee for 4 years, with 2 of those years occurring immediately before submitting a broker application. Applicants must also complete 150 hours of LREC-approved pre-licensing education, which includes a mandatory 30-hour Louisiana-specific course covering license law, commission rules, law of agency, and civil law that cannot be substituted or transferred from another jurisdiction. Up to 120 hours completed in another jurisdiction may be credited toward the 150-hour requirement, and applicants must pass the broker licensing examination.
After meeting the experience threshold, completing the broker education coursework typically takes several months depending on study pace. The exam scheduling and application process adds additional weeks. After passing the broker exam, you must submit your license application with the required fees. Once approved, the license is issued, and the post-licensing education requirement begins.
If you are ready to pursue a broker license, your first step is to verify your active license history meets the experience requirement, then enroll in an LREC-approved broker pre-licensing course to begin the education requirement.
Sources
- LREC — Become a BrokerGovernmentMay 2026
- LREC — Salesperson LicensingGovernmentMay 2026
- LREC — Become Licensed (Hub)GovernmentMay 2026
- LREC — Broker Pre-Licensing EducationGovernmentMay 2026
- Pearson VUE — Louisiana Real Estate & Appraisers Licensure ExamsEducationAugust 2026
- PSI/LREC Official Exam Instructions (proctor2.psionline.com) corroborated by GetLicenseMap (verified April 2, 2026)EducationAugust 2026
- Louisiana Legislature — RS 37:1443 (Fee Schedule)StatuteMay 2026
- Louisiana Realtors — License Fees & DuesEducationAugust 2026
- NAR Magazine — How to Become a BrokerEducationMay 2026
- LREC — CE RequirementsGovernmentAugust 2026