Utah real estate school pre-licensing course requirements
Utah requires 120 hours of approved pre-licensing education at a certified real estate school before you can sit for the Sales Agent licensing exam. The curriculum covers two components: Principles and Practices, which addresses national real estate fundamentals, and Utah License Law, which addresses state-specific regulations. You must complete the exam and full licensing process within one year of finishing the coursework.
Utah pre-licensing course requirements at a glance
The requirements for Utah's pre-licensing course span 120 hours of coursework, two curriculum components, completion deadlines, and basic eligibility criteria.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total course hours | 120 |
| Curriculum components | Principles and Practices; Utah License Law |
| Course certificate validity | 1 year from completion date |
| Exam deadline | Within 1 year of course completion |
| License application deadline | Within 90 days of passing exam |
| Minimum age | 18 at time of application |
| Education prerequisite | High school diploma or equivalent |
Applicants must also provide a valid Social Security number, as listed on the Utah DRE sales agent licensing page[1].
The 120-hour sales agent curriculum structure
Utah's pre-licensing curriculum divides into two components. Principles and Practices addresses national real estate topics. Utah License Law addresses state-specific regulations. The Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook[2] education certifying document lists both categories on its Section A Agent form.
Utah requires 120 hours of approved pre-license education at a certified Real Estate Pre-License School. The sales agent curriculum covers real estate principles, practices, and Utah license law. Broker candidates complete a separate 120-hour curriculum divided into 30 hours of Utah Law, 45 hours of Broker Principles, and 45 hours of Broker Practices. All pre-license education must be completed within one year before applying for licensure, and candidates must pass the licensing exam within that same one-year window.
National portion: Principles and Practices subjects
The Principles and Practices component covers the national real estate fundamentals that appear on the general portion of the licensing exam. The Pearson VUE national salesperson content outline, effective April 1, 2025, defines eight content areas that the curriculum must address:
| Content area | Exam items |
|---|---|
| Real property characteristics | 11 |
| Forms of ownership | 9 |
| Property value and appraisal | 11 |
| Real estate contracts and agency | 16 |
| Real estate practice (including fair housing) | 10 |
| Property disclosures and environmental issues | 9 |
| Financing and settlement | 7 |
| Math calculations | 7 |
Real estate contracts and agency carries the heaviest weight at 16 items. Approved curricula also cover professional topics such as federal taxation, new construction, and federal laws that are not separately tested on the exam but provide foundational knowledge for new agents.
Utah License Law: state-specific subjects
The Utah License Law component covers state-specific regulations tested on the state portion of the licensing exam. The Pearson VUE Utah state salesperson content outline, effective July 15, 2016, defines nine content areas:
| Content area | Exam items |
|---|---|
| Definitions | 3 |
| Licensing | 8 |
| Real estate office procedures | 4-5 |
| Property management | 3 |
| Licensee practice | 15-17 |
| Enforcement | 4-5 |
| Real estate education, research, and recovery fund | 1-2 |
| Additional state topics | 1-3 |
| Closing statements | 6-8 |
Licensee practice carries the heaviest weight at 15 to 17 items. The recovery fund topic covers the Utah Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund, which compensates consumers harmed by licensees.
How the course prepares you for the licensing exam
The pre-licensing curriculum maps directly to the two-part licensing exam administered by Pearson VUE. The general portion tests national Principles and Practices topics, and the state portion tests Utah License Law topics, so the coursework you complete in each curriculum component corresponds to one exam portion.
Pearson VUE publishes detailed content outlines for both the general and state portions of the Utah real estate exam in its Candidate Handbook, available as a free download. The salesperson exam consists of 80 scored national items and 50 scored state items, with a 4-hour time limit and a passing scaled score of 70 on both portions. Pearson VUE also offers practice tests for $19.95 covering the general (national) portion only; state-specific practice tests are not available.
Pearson VUE, the official exam vendor for Utah real estate licensing, offers practice tests for $19.95 covering general (national) real estate topics only; state-specific practice tests are not available. Pearson VUE also publishes detailed content outlines for both the general and state portions of the exam in its Candidate Handbook, which candidates can download at no cost. Once purchased, a practice test must be started within 30 days.
State-approved pre-licensing schools in Utah
The Utah DRE pre-license schools page[3] identifies 14 approved providers. The division also provides an online course search tool[4] for locating approved courses by category, provider name, and credit hours.
The 14 approved providers are:
- AceableAgent
- Agent Professor
- ARTI Academics
- Bridgerland Technical College
- Colibri Real Estate LLC
- Global Real Estate School
- Harman Real Estate Academy
- Institute of Real Estate Education
- Kaplan Real Estate Education
- OWATC Real Estate School
- Relink Institute Inc.
- Stringham Schools
- The Real Estate School LLC
- Utah Real Estate School TSG
The Utah Division of Real Estate maintains a list of approved pre-license schools on its website, with 14 providers currently approved for live pre-license education. Courses are available in online, live webinar, and in-person formats, and some providers are approved for both sales agent and principal broker education. Candidates should confirm course availability, scheduling, and pricing directly with each approved school.
Course delivery formats
Pre-licensing courses in Utah are available in three primary formats: self-paced online, live online via video conference, and in-person classroom. All 14 approved providers offer live education, and many also provide self-paced online options for students who need flexible scheduling.
Yes, online pre-licensing courses are available in Utah. The Utah Division of Real Estate maintains a list of approved pre-license schools, and providers offer courses in a self-paced, fully online format. The state requires 120 hours of approved pre-licensing education, and students may complete the coursework on their own schedule.
Self-paced online courses give students flexibility to complete the requirement on their own time. Live online courses combine scheduled virtual sessions with independent study. In-person classroom courses follow a fixed schedule at a physical location, such as the evening program at Bridgerland Technical College in Logan.
Pre-licensing course tuition
Course tuition is not regulated by the state, so prices vary by provider and package.
The Utah Division of Real Estate requires 120 hours of approved pre-license education but does not set tuition, so costs vary by provider. Some schools offer the course at no cost, while others charge several hundred dollars or more depending on package tier, format, and promotional discounts. The exam fee of $69 and the new application fee of $154 are separate from course tuition.
Yes, some providers on the state's approved pre-license school list offer 120-hour pre-licensing courses at no cost. Course pricing varies by provider and package, ranging from free to several hundred dollars. The Utah Division of Real Estate approves schools but does not set course pricing.
In-person programs at technical colleges typically charge set tuition rates, while online providers may offer different pricing tiers with varying features.
Pacing and completion timeframes
Most students spread the coursework over several weeks to a few months, though the exact pace depends on the provider's format and the student's availability. Full-time students can progress more quickly, while those studying part-time should plan for a longer timeline.
Course access periods vary by provider, with some offering a few months of access and others allowing up to a year. Individual schools set their own access windows, which may be shorter than the state's allowance for completing the coursework.
School final exam requirements
Each approved pre-licensing school sets its own final exam passing threshold. The Utah Division of Real Estate does not mandate a specific minimum score for school final exams, so each provider determines its own standard.
The school final exam is separate from the state licensing exam administered by Pearson VUE. Passing the school final exam confirms course completion but does not substitute for the state exam.
Certificate validity after course completion
Your pre-licensing education certificate is valid for one year from the completion date. The Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook[2] states:
"Prelicensing education is good for one (1) year. You must complete the examination and the licensing process within one (1) year of the education completion date on this certificate."
After passing both portions of the licensing exam, you must submit your license application within 90 days. The Utah DRE[1] reports a processing turnaround of approximately 30 days for new sales agent applications.
Broker pre-licensing curriculum: how it differs
The broker pre-licensing curriculum follows a different structure from the sales agent curriculum, with dedicated broker-level coursework replacing the general Principles and Practices focus. According to the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook[2] education certifying document, the broker curriculum uses a three-category structure on its Section B Broker form.
Utah broker applicants must complete 120 hours of approved broker pre-licensing education at a certified school, consisting of 30 hours of Utah Law (including 3 hours of testing), 45 hours of Broker Principles (including 4 hours of testing), and 45 hours of Broker Practices (including 4 hours of testing). In addition to education, broker applicants must have three years of full-time licensed active real estate experience within the past five years (or two years full-time plus one year of professional real estate experience), accumulate at least 60 documented experience points, and pass the broker exam with a scaled score of 75 on both the general and state portions.
Next steps after completing your pre-licensing course
After finishing your pre-licensing course and passing your school's final exam, your next step is to register for the Utah real estate licensing exam through Pearson VUE[5]. Download the Candidate Handbook to review the full content outlines for both the general and state portions, then schedule your exam once you feel prepared in each area.
Sources
- Utah DRE — Sales Agent LicensingGovernmentAugust 2026
- Pearson VUE — Candidate Bulletin PDF (Utah Real Estate Candidate Handbook, July 2024)GovernmentAugust 2026
- Utah DRE — Pre-License SchoolsGovernmentAugust 2026
- Utah DRE — Education Course SearchGovernmentMay 2026
- Pearson VUE — UT Real Estate ExamsGovernmentAugust 2026