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

New Rhode Island salesperson applicants must take 45 hours of sales education including three hours of a New Agency Law course. The course must be a live course, even when taken remotely, and with an approved real estate pre-licensing vendor. Your course completion certificate is valid for two years.

Rhode Island requires all real estate salespersons to have three hours of education in a Lead Paint/Lead Hazard Mitigation course. It’s advised to take this course with or soon after your pre-licensing education.

Rhode Island’s Department of Business Regulation (DBR) uses PearsonVUE to administer the salesperson exam. Go to www.pearsonvue.com to schedule an exam online. You can also schedule by calling (800) 274-8922.

The exam fee is $70 paid to PearsonVUE by credit card, debit card, voucher, or check. Your payment is non-refundable.

Bring to the exam center two forms of valid signature identification. Primary identification must have your photo and signature, like a state driver’s license, military ID, or US passport. A secondary ID card must have your printed name and signature. You’ll also need the pre-licensing course completion certificate.

Refer to the Rhode Island Real Estate Candidate Handbook for information on examination schedules, site locations, exam security, reporting, and preparation.

The Rhode Island state salesperson exam is divided into a national and state section.

The Salesperson Pre-licensure Exam includes:

General section of 80 questions. The time allowed is 2.5 hours.

State section of 50 questions. The time allowed is 1.5 hours.

Content outlines and the number of questions for each topic are available in the Candidate Information Bulletin.

Rhode Island DBR uses a scaled score to account for variances in exam difficulty. A passing score on both sections is a minimum of 70.

You’ll be given an official score report before leaving the exam center. Passing candidates also get instructions for applying for their license. Failed scores receive diagnostic information and retake information.

You have one year from passing both sections to submit your application to the State of Rhode Island.

All Rhode Island residents need a Criminal History Record (CHR) from the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General. These background checks are conducted in person at the Attorney General’s office at 4 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920. For further questions about this process, you may contact the DAG at (401) 274-4400.

All Rhode Island real estate professionals are required to carry Errors and Omissions insurance. You must carry this insurance independently. The coverage must meet the minimum limits set by the Department of Business Regulation.

Following your passing score on the state licensing exam, you have up to one year to apply for your salesperson real estate license. The Department of Business Regulation, Real Estate Section highly recommends that you apply online for your license. You can print and mail in a paper application, although it will take 7 to 10 business days for processing.

Your license application must include documentation of:

The original test score report from PearsonVUE

Certificate of completion for the 45 hours of pre-licensing education

A criminal history record from the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General

A Lead Poisoning/Lead Hazard Mitigation course completion certificate for three hours

A certificate of Errors and Omissions insurance

The salesperson application asks for three recommendations from Rhode Island residents who have known you for at least three years and are not related to you. Another section needs to be completed by your hiring Principal Broker.

Your license application will include two separate checks or money orders. The first check must be for $140.00 payable to the "RI General Treasurer." The second check must be $25 payable to the "Real Estate Recovery Account."

Total processing takes at least three weeks. Once the Rhode Island DBR approves your application, congratulations! You are a licensed real estate salesperson.