New Hampshire real estate school and pre-licensing course requirements

New Hampshire requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education from a state-approved real estate school before a candidate can register for the salesperson licensing exam. The New Hampshire Real Estate Commission, operating under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), sets curriculum standards, accredits schools and instructors, and enforces completion deadlines tied to exam eligibility. The pre-licensing course covers national real estate principles alongside New Hampshire-specific licensing law, and state rules require live instruction, delivered either in a classroom or through real-time video webinars.

New Hampshire pre-licensing course requirements

The OPLC salesperson license checklist^[1] identifies the state-required pre-licensing course as a prerequisite for the salesperson license. Applicants must agree to abide by NH RSA 331-A and Administrative Rules Rea 100-700^[1], the statutes and rules that govern course content, school accreditation, and instructor qualifications.

Under RSA 331-A:20^[2], individuals who teach real estate pre-licensing courses must hold a Commission accreditation as a pre-licensing instructor. The Commission offers three instructor accreditation types: pre-licensing instructor, core continuing education instructor, and elective continuing education instructor. Accreditation is valid for two years from the date of issuance.

How New Hampshire pre-licensing courses are delivered

New Hampshire mandates live instruction for all pre-licensing education. Under N.H. Admin. Code § Rea 301.03^[3], the Commission requires a minimum number of hours through classroom attendance or live video instruction, with the remaining hours permitted through other forms of distance education. Pre-recorded or on-demand coursework does not qualify, which means candidates cannot complete the course through self-paced online modules, recorded video lessons, or text-based independent study.

Most approved schools divide the course into roughly 10 live sessions, each about four hours long, offered on rotating schedules that include morning, evening, and weekend options. Students can generally start at any time and complete the sessions in any order, finishing in as little as several days or spreading the real estate classes over several weeks. Some schools archive session recordings for review, but watching a recording does not substitute for attending the live class.

New Hampshire pre-licensing course syllabus and topics

The New Hampshire pre-licensing curriculum covers both national real estate principles and state-specific licensing law, preparing candidates for the two-part licensing exam administered by PSI. According to PSI's real estate exam guide^[4], the national exam content areas include property law, real estate finance, contracts, agency relationships, and ethics. The state portion covers New Hampshire licensing law, Commission regulations, and principles of real estate practice specific to the state.

The table below outlines the major topic areas covered in a typical New Hampshire pre-licensing course:

The national topics align with the exam's national portion, while the New Hampshire licensing law topics align with the state portion. Schools typically structure the curriculum so that national principles are taught first, followed by state-specific law and a review session focused on exam preparation.

State-approved real estate schools in New Hampshire

New Hampshire has just over a dozen approved education providers, including independent real estate schools and programs affiliated with brokerages. Because the state requires live instruction, major national online schools that offer only self-paced courses do not provide New Hampshire pre-licensing education. Candidates can find approved providers on the OPLC education and training page^[5].

Providers set their own tuition, and the Commission does not regulate course pricing. Costs vary by school, delivery format, and included materials such as textbooks or practice question banks.

Course completion and the path to the licensing exam

After completing all required hours, the school issues a certificate of completion that the candidate needs to register for the state licensing exam. Candidates register for the exam directly with PSI^[6], the Commission's testing vendor. The OPLC no longer accepts exam registration forms or payments; all scheduling and fees go through PSI. PSI administers the exam at testing centers in Concord, Nashua, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as listed on the OPLC testing provider page^[7]. The Manchester testing site closed effective February 16, 2024.

The Commission sets deadlines for completing the course and taking the exam after the course start date. Candidates who miss these deadlines may need to retake the course, repay for the exam, or both. After passing the exam, candidates submit a license application online through the OPLC application portal^[8] and pay the $99 salesperson application fee listed on the OPLC fee schedule^[9]. To get started, find a Commission-approved school on the OPLC education page, verify the course through CE Broker, and enroll in a session that fits your schedule.

Broker pre-licensing course requirements

The OPLC^[10] accredits four schools to teach broker education: Ann Flanagan NH Real Estate School (BP105), Aldrich & Associates (BP110), Barry School of Real Estate (BP108), and Kathy Roosa School of Real Estate (BP107). All listed broker courses are 60 hours.

The broker course covers advanced topics in agency supervision, fair housing compliance, money handling, and training of licensees. It is a separate program from the salesperson pre-licensing course, designed for licensees who have met the experience requirements to upgrade to a broker license.