Get your Texas Real Estate license for Just $149 — 100% online at your own pace

To obtain a Texas real estate sales agent license, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and meet TREC's qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity. The applicant must complete 180 classroom hours of qualifying education across six 30-hour courses (Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, and Real Estate Finance), pass a fingerprint background check, and pass both the national and state portions of the licensing exam administered by Pearson VUE. After meeting all requirements, TREC issues an inactive license, and the applicant must find a sponsoring broker to activate it.

TREC gives applicants one year from the date the application is filed to meet all license requirements, including completing 180 hours of qualifying education, passing the two-part exam, and clearing the background check. Most candidates complete the process within a few months depending on study pace, with full-time students moving faster than those balancing other commitments. After passing the exam, TREC issues an inactive license, and the agent must secure a sponsoring broker through the REALM Portal to activate it.

The TREC fee schedule effective December 15, 2025 lists three fixed regulatory costs: the Sales Agent Original Application at $206, the sales examination fee at $43 paid to the exam provider, and the fingerprint fee at $37 paid to IDEMIA. Pre-licensing education costs vary by provider and delivery format, and TREC maintains a searchable database of approved qualifying education providers where applicants can compare options. The total cost depends primarily on the education provider chosen, since the regulatory fees are fixed.

Can a convicted felon get a real estate license in Texas? Yes, you can still obtain a Texas real estate salespersons license if you have a prior conviction. The Texas Real Estate Commission recommends that you submit a Fitness Determination form prior to applying for a real estate license. This will allow TREC to review the circumstances surrounding your case and determine if you meet TREC’s qualifications of honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity. Once TREC reviews your Fitness Determination form, they will let you know if they will ultimately accept your license application. There is a non-refundable fee of $50 that must be submitted with the Fitness Determination form. You are also required to submit a Background History form if you answered “Yes” to any of sections 9-14 of the Fitness Determination form. A Background History form is used in conjunction with a Fitness Determination form, or any other application where you answer “Yes” to a question regarding a prior criminal offense, unpaid judgments, prior or pending lawsuits, performed any duties of a licensee without holding a proper license, or if you currently hold (or once held) a professional license. The Background History form is used to provide more in-depth information regarding a past offense that should be disclosed to the Texas Real Estate Commission. The Background History form asks for the following information: • Employment history for the last five years. • If you hold an out-of-state real estate license. • Must include a license history signed by the appropriate state licensing agency. • If you hold any other professional or occupational license. • Must include a license history signed by the appropriate state licensing agency. • If you have any outstanding judgments. • Must include copies of all petitions, responses and judgments. • Any criminal history you may have. • Must submit copies of all indictments, information, charges, judgments, orders, motions to revoke and parole/probation/community supervision release. • Any unlicensed activity.

Do you need high school diploma for real estate license in Texas? No, you do not need to have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for a Texas real estate license. The Texas Real Estate Commission only requires that you are at least 18 years old when it comes time to apply for your license.

The Texas real estate sales agent exam has a first-time pass rate of 56.12% based on TREC data from December 2023 through November 2025, with 16,824 of 29,980 first-attempt test takers passing both portions. The exam consists of 85 national items (80 scored) and 50 state items (40 scored), with 4 hours total to complete both sections. To pass, candidates must answer 56 of 80 national questions correctly and 28 of 40 state questions correctly. Candidates who fail three times must complete 30 additional hours of education for one failed portion or 60 hours for both portions before retesting.

A sponsoring broker is a licensed broker who supervises a sales agent and is responsible for the agent's authorized acts under Texas law. A sales agent must be sponsored by a broker to move from inactive to active status and to engage in brokerage activity. After passing the exam, TREC issues an inactive license; the agent or the sponsoring broker can complete a sponsorship request through the REALM Portal. The sponsoring broker must accept the request before TREC issues an active license. All commissions must be paid through the sponsoring broker, and the broker remains responsible for the agent's actions.

Can you get a real estate license in Texas if you dont live in the state? Yes, you are not required to be a Texas resident to obtain a Texas real estate license. If you do not have an active real estate license in another state, you will have to complete the licensing process just like any other applicant. This includes completing the 180-hour pre-license course, submit a license application, get fingerprinted, and take and pass the state exam. If you do hold an active real estate license in another state, you will have to complete the same licensing process; however, you may not have to take the national portion of the state exam. You will only be required to take the state law portion. Please note that you must take the Texas state exam at one of the Pearson VUE testing centers located within the state of Texas. You can find a list of testing centers on the last page of the Texas Candidate Handbook. You can still obtain a Texas real estate license if you are a lawfully admitted alien. You are considered a lawfully admitted alien if you hold one of the following: • Green card • Permanent Resident card A social security number is also required when completing your license application. If you hold any kind of visa, you should contact your immigration authorities and verify that you are lawfully in the U.S.