Get your Hawaii Real Estate license — 100% online at your own pace

Hawaii requires you to have pre-licensing education. This can be in the form of:

A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Majoring in Real Estate or Business from an accredited college or university in the United States.

A United States Law School Graduate

Hold an active license within (1) year of application date from a state with similar or superior pre-licensing education requirements

A Hawaii Pre-licensing Course from an Approved Vendor

If you decide to fulfill your pre-licensing education outside an accredited college or university, you must take the courses from Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs- Real Estate Branch approved education providers. Taking a course from a pre-approved provider is more affordable and faster than receiving a real estate degree.

The pre-license course is 60 hours of instruction covering real estate topics such as:

An introduction to Hawaiian History

Laws and Land Use Controls

Hawai’i Licensing Law

Agency

Real Estate Contracts

Valuation and Market Analysis

Property Management and Leasing

See the full course curriculum and content outline, updated January 2021.

You can take the courses online or through in-person classes. Once you pass the final exam, you will receive a course completion certificate that is good for two years.

According to Hawaii Statutes, an applicant for a salesperson’s license must successfully complete the pre-licensing education and be at least 18 years of age before taking the exam. You will need to present the original prelicensing education equivalency certificate or course completion certificate at the exam site.

PSI administers the exam on behalf of the Hawaii DCCA-Real Estate Branch. Find a testing center near you by searching the PSI website or referring to the back of the candidate handbook given to all candidates who finish the pre-licensing course.

The Hawaii state exam is divided into two sections: a general section and a state section. You must take and pass both parts of the exam.

About the salesperson real estate exam sections:

The general section allows 150 minutes to answer 80 questions.

The State section allows 90 minutes to answer 50 questions.

There may be 5-10 experiential questions that will not count towards your score.

You will need to pass both sections with a minimum 70% score. Immediately upon exam completion, your score will display on screen, and a report will be emailed to you. You must pass both exam sections to pass the overall exam and receive your license application.

There is not a limit to the number of retakes for the Hawaii Real Estate Salesperson Exam. If you fail one section, you can retake just the failed portion as long as it is within two years of passing your course completion certificate date. You must wait 24 hours before rescheduling. You will pay the $61 fee each time you retest.

Hawaii requires real estate salespersons to apply for your salesperson license within two years of passing your exam. Applications are handed out to candidates at the testing center upon successfully passing the exam.

You may need the following to complete the application:

Social Security Number

An official Certification of Licensure less than 90 days old from each state outside Hawaii where you may have been licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson.

Original "School Completion Certificate," or original "Prelicensing Education Equivalency Certificate for Real Estate License Exam."

Any background documentation explaining any criminal convictions, charges, or deferred judgments, such as a written explanation of the incident, charging documents, and a sentencing order.

Your specific licensing fee will be printed on your score report. Hawaii renews licenses on a two-year period (biennial), so your fee could vary depending on when you pass the exam. Charges may include:

Application fee: $25

License fee $42

Original license fee: $74 in first year of biennial/ $42 in second year of biennial

Education fund: $68

Recovery fund: $84

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs-Real Estate Commission reviews applications at its meetings. Once approved, you are able to practice as a real estate salesperson in Hawaii. Congratulations!