Real Estate School and Licensing: How to Become a Louisiana Real Estate Agent

To earn a Louisiana real estate license, you finish pre-licensing coursework through a state-approved real estate school, pass a two-part licensing exam, and affiliate with a sponsoring broker. The Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) oversees the process and requires you to submit your license application before sitting for the exam, a sequence that differs from many other states.

Eligibility requirements to become a real estate agent in Louisiana

Applicants for a Louisiana salesperson license must be 18 or older and hold a high school diploma or equivalency certificate, according to the LREC salesperson licensing page^[1]. Beyond these basics, you must finish the required education, pass the exam, and arrange broker supervision with errors and omissions (E&O) insurance before the license is issued. The LREC Become Licensed page^[2] states that licenses may be issued in either active or inactive status; an active license permits real estate practice under broker supervision, while an inactive license keeps the license on record without allowing practice. Non-licensed individuals may not accept compensation for real estate activity in Louisiana.

Complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education

The salesperson pre-licensing requirement is 90 hours of coursework from an LREC-approved school, per the LREC pre-licensing education page^[3]. The curriculum covers real estate principles and practices, Louisiana license law, law of agency, and civil law pertaining to real estate. The LREC may consider partial credit for real estate courses completed in another state. Courses end with a final exam that you must pass to receive credit.

The LREC maintains a public directory of approved pre-license schools^[4] listing 15 providers with locations across the state, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport, and Lafayette. Distance learning is permitted when the course is internet-based and delivered by a Louisiana state-certified school meeting ARELLO delivery standards, per the LREC course outline page^[5].

Submit your salesperson license application to LREC

Louisiana requires you to submit your license application to LREC before taking the licensing exam, a sequence that differs from many states. Louisiana RS 37:1443^[6] sets the initial salesperson license fee at $45. You may submit the application by mail or in person at the LREC office at 9071 Interline Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809.

LREC reviews criminal history as part of the application. According to the LREC Become Licensed page^[2], individuals with felony convictions must submit a Felony Review Hearing Request form for commission review. A felony conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant but triggers an individualized evaluation.

Once LREC approves your application, the commission sends exam authorization via email from the testing vendor.

Schedule and pass the Louisiana licensing exam

The Louisiana real estate licensing exam is a computer-based, multiple-choice test administered by Pearson VUE^[7] on behalf of LREC. Louisiana previously used PSI as its testing vendor. The exam covers national real estate topics and Louisiana-specific law and practice, and you must pass both portions to qualify for a license. You can take the two portions together in a single sitting or separately; if you pass one but fail the other, you retake only the failed section.

Activate your license with a sponsoring broker

A Louisiana salesperson license requires broker supervision and proof of E&O insurance before it can be issued in active status, per the LREC salesperson licensing page^[1]. After passing the exam, you submit a supervision form with your sponsoring broker's signature to activate the license. If you are not ready to affiliate with a broker, you can request inactive status, which keeps the license on record without allowing you to practice.

Post-licensing education and ongoing requirements

New Louisiana salesperson licensees must complete 45 hours of post-licensing education within 180 days of the initial license date, according to the LREC continuing education requirements page^[8]. Post-licensing hours can satisfy a portion of the annual CE requirement but cannot replace mandatory CE topic hours. Failure to complete CE by December 31 each year is a violation subject to a fine citation.

Louisiana real estate licenses must be renewed annually. Under Louisiana RS 37:1443^[6], the renewal deadline is September 30, with delinquent fees applying from October 1 through December 31. Licenses that are not renewed by December 31 expire. The active salesperson renewal fee is $35 under the same statute.

Reciprocity and out-of-state applicants

Louisiana has reciprocal licensing agreements with nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, according to the LREC reciprocal licensing page^[9]. Reciprocal applications are processed on a license-for-license basis, meaning you can only obtain the same license type you currently hold in your resident state. You must be a current legal resident of a reciprocal state and hold an active license there.

Applicants licensed in non-reciprocal states may still qualify for partial pre-licensing education credit. The LREC may accept examination results from another state as a substitution for the national portion of the Louisiana exam if an equivalent exam was passed within the last five years and the applicant's license has not expired, per the LREC out-of-state licensing page^[10].

REALTOR® membership in Louisiana

REALTOR® membership is a voluntary professional designation separate from state licensure. A REALTOR® belongs to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and agrees to follow NAR's Code of Ethics. All REALTORS® hold a real estate license, but not all licensees join NAR. To become a member, a licensed agent applies through a local association and pays dues for national, state, and local association membership, according to NAR's membership page^[11].

Start your real estate career in Louisiana

After receiving your active salesperson license, focus on building your client base, establishing referral networks, and completing the post-licensing education requirement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics^[12] reports a 2024 median annual wage of $56,320 for real estate sales agents nationally, with about 46,300 job openings projected each year through 2034.

Career advancement options include pursuing a broker license, which requires four years of active licensure and 150 hours of additional LREC-approved education, or joining the National Association of REALTORS® for professional resources and ethics training. Your immediate next step is to enroll in a pre-licensing course from an LREC-approved real estate school and submit your application to LREC.