Pennsylvania real estate continuing education and license renewal requirements

Pennsylvania real estate licensees renew every two years by completing 14 hours of state-approved continuing education (CE) and paying a renewal fee through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS). The deadline falls on May 31 of each even-numbered year, with no grace period. Specific course topics required within those 14 hours rotate each cycle based on Commission votes under 49 PA Code §35.384(b).

When does a Pennsylvania real estate license expire?

Every Pennsylvania real estate license carries a fixed expiration date of May 31 in even-numbered years, and the Commission enforces no grace period after that date.

A licensee who misses the deadline must stop practicing immediately. The 2024-2026 cycle covers June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2026, and the next cycle runs June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028.

The Pennsylvania real estate license renewal process

The renewal process involves self-certifying CE completion and paying the appropriate fee through the PALS portal^[1], which the Commission requires for all license types.

Licensees do not upload CE certificates during a standard on-time renewal. Instead, they attest to completing the required hours and retain their certificates in case of a Commission audit. The Department of State conducts random audits^[2], and incomplete records can result in fines and delayed renewal.

A salesperson or Associate Broker cannot renew until their broker has renewed first. If the broker's license is inactive or expired, licensees under that broker must wait.

Renewal fees vary by license type:

These figures come from the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission renewal page^[3].

Pennsylvania continuing education requirements

Section 404.1(a) of the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA) requires every licensee to complete Commission-approved coursework during each biennial licensing period to renew or reactivate a license.

Broker licensees face the same hour obligation as salespersons, according to the Commission's broker licensure page^[4]. CE is not required for an initial license; it applies only to renewal and reactivation.

All coursework must come from a provider the Commission has approved before the licensee takes the course, as stated on the Commission's education information page^[5].

Mandatory CE topics by renewal cycle

The Commission designates specific mandatory topics within each renewal cycle, and the remaining hours are electives the licensee chooses from any approved course.

For the 2024-2026 cycle, standard licensees (those licensed before December 1, 2023) must complete at least 5 mandatory hours: 2 hours in Fair Housing and 3 hours in Agency Relationships, per the Raystown Area Association of REALTORS®^[6]. The remaining 9 hours are electives.

For the 2026-2028 cycle, the Commission voted on May 5, 2026 under 49 PA Code §35.384(b) to require a minimum of 2 hours in the topic "Protecting Consumer's Real Property, Personal Property and Information," as announced on the Commission's announcements page^[7]. Mandatory topic courses for this cycle will be available starting in 2027, according to the REALTORS® Association of Pittsburgh^[8].

First-time renewal requirements for new Pennsylvania salespersons

New licensees face a distinct course structure at their initial renewal: a General Module and a practice-specific module (Residential or Commercial), both developed by the Commission.

These mandatory modules replace the cycle-specific topic requirement that applies to experienced licensees. A new salesperson at the 2024-2026 renewal, for example, takes the modules instead of the Fair Housing and Agency Relationships courses.

Anyone who received an initial license within 6 months of the deadline (on or after December 1, 2025 for the 2024-2026 cycle) skips CE for that first renewal but still submits the application and fee, as the Greater Philadelphia Association of REALTORS®^[2] notes.

Who is exempt from Pennsylvania CE

Several categories of licensees are exempt from all or part of the CE requirement, though all must still submit a renewal application and pay the fee.

Attorneys licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania are exempt from the CE requirement for real estate renewal, but must still renew and pay the fee. Reciprocal licensees who hold their principal place of business in another state through which reciprocity was granted are exempt from Pennsylvania CE but must still renew. The PA Department of State confirms that Pennsylvania has reciprocity agreements with Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

Taking Pennsylvania real estate CE courses online

Pennsylvania permits licensees to satisfy the full CE requirement through approved distance education.

Licensees should verify that a provider holds current Commission approval before enrolling, since schools are not required to report course completions to the state. CE package prices vary widely by provider and format.

Finding approved CE providers and courses

The Commission maintains a directory of approved education providers, and licensees can locate real estate CE courses through the PALS system or the Commission's website.

Course formats include self-paced online, livestream, and in-person sessions, giving licensees flexibility to fit CE classes for real estate into their schedules.

Reactivating an expired Pennsylvania real estate license

A licensee whose license has lapsed must complete a formal reactivation process before resuming any real estate activity.

Continuing education submitted for reactivation does not satisfy the requirement for the next regular renewal cycle, so the licensee owes a separate round of coursework before the subsequent deadline, per the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission renewal page^[3].

Late renewal carries a penalty of $5 for each month or part of a month beyond the renewal date, in addition to the prescribed renewal fee, per 49 Pa. Code §35.203^[9]. Broker Corporations, LLCs, and Partnerships that have expired or been placed out of business are not eligible for reactivation and must submit new initial applications for both the broker company and the broker of record, as the Commission states on its renewal page^[3].

Broker price opinion (BPO) education requirement

Pennsylvania established a 3-hour BPO continuing education course under Act 75 of 2018, as noted on the Commission's education page^[5]. The course counts toward the licensee's CE hours for the renewal cycle in which it is completed.

Next steps for your renewal

Complete your CE courses at least several weeks before the May 31 deadline, keep all completion certificates available in case of audit, and log into PALS to submit your renewal application and fee. If you are a salesperson or Associate Broker, confirm that your broker has renewed before attempting your own renewal. If your license has lapsed, begin the reactivation process immediately to minimize the time you cannot practice.