Complete your Washington Real Estate continuing education for Just $169 — 100% online at your own pace

Washington requires 90 hours of continuing education for the first active license renewal, including a 30-hour Advanced Practices course, a 30-hour Real Estate Law course, a 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate course, and at least 27 hours of other approved continuing education. If the licensee has not yet taken the initial 6-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course, that must be completed first; afterward, a 3-hour Fair Housing course is required at each renewal. All continuing education hours must be started after the date of first licensure.

After receiving a Washington real estate license, the first step is to affiliate with a licensed real estate firm. A firm must invite the licensee to join, and the licensee must log into SecureAccess Washington (SAW) to accept the invitation, which activates the license. The license remains inactive until this step is completed, and there is no fee to transfer or activate a license. A newly licensed broker must work under the supervision of a managing broker and cannot practice independently.

Both Washington broker and managing broker licenses are valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. Licensees can renew up to 120 days before the expiration date, and renewal dates are determined by the initial license issuance date. Fingerprint background check results must be renewed separately, every 6 years from the date the DOL receives them.

Brokers and managing brokers must renew every 2 years and can renew up to 120 days before the license expires. Active renewal requires continuing education: 30 hours for managing brokers and subsequent broker renewals, or 90 hours for a broker's first active renewal. Renewal can be completed online through SecureAccess Washington (SAW), and the on-time renewal fee is $233 for brokers and $330 for managing brokers. Fingerprint-based background check results must also be renewed every 6 years.

A broker's first active license renewal requires 90 hours of continuing education, including a 30-hour Advanced Practices course, a 30-hour Real Estate Law course, a 3-hour Current Issues course, and at least 27 hours of other approved CE. Subsequent broker renewals and all managing broker renewals require 30 hours, including a 3-hour Current Issues course and at least 27 hours of other approved CE. Inactive licenses do not require CE to renew.

Can I renew my real estate license after it expires in Washington? If your real estate broker license has expired, you can bring it back into active status if you act before your license has expired one year past its renewal date. You will need to meet all continuing education requirements and pay a fee of $172.75, which includes a penalty fee. You must renew your license prior to the one-year anniversary of your renewal date or your license will be canceled. At that point, you will need to meet the requirements for a new license.

What can you do with an inactive license and how do you keep it active in Washington? Having an inactive license in Washington means that you cannot engage in any brokerage deals and real estate sales. This also includes the collection of referral fees. If your license has been inactive for over three years, you’ll need to submit proof of successfully having completed a 30-hour course in real estate within one year before submitting your application for activating your license.

You can complete your courses at your own pace with 6 months of access included after enrollment. If you need additional time you can obtain an extension for a small additional fee.