Broker and real estate agent licensing in Utah

To obtain a Utah real estate sales agent license, you must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, have a valid Social Security number, and complete 120 hours of approved pre-licensing education at a certified school. After completing the education, you must pass the Pearson VUE sales agent exam with a scaled score of 70 on both the general and state portions, then submit the license application within 90 days of passing. The Utah Division of Real Estate processes new sales agent applications in approximately 30 days and emails fingerprint instructions within 1 to 2 business days of application submission. The license must be activated under a licensed broker before you can begin working with clients.

To become a licensed Real Estate Sales Agent in Utah, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and provide a valid Social Security number. The applicant must complete 120 hours of approved pre-license education at a certified school, pass the Real Estate Sales Agent Exam within one year of completing the coursework, and submit the license application within 90 days of passing the exam. Applicants must also complete fingerprinting and a background check, and must meet statutory qualifications of honesty, integrity, truthfulness, reputation, and competency under Utah Code 61-2f-203(1)(c).

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.

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.

The Utah real estate licensing exam, administered by Pearson VUE, consists of two parts: a general (national) portion and a state law portion. For salesperson candidates, the general portion contains 80 scored items plus 5 pretest items, and the state portion contains 50 scored items plus 5 to 10 pretest items; candidates have 4 hours to complete the combined exam. The passing scaled score is 70 for the salesperson exam and 75 for the broker exam on both portions. The exam fee is $69 per attempt, paid at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher.

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.

In Utah, a real estate license must be activated under a licensed principal broker before you can begin working with clients. Brokerage options include traditional franchise firms, virtual or cloud-based brokerages, boutique independents, and team-based operations, each offering different commission structures, training programs, and fee arrangements. When evaluating brokerages, consider training quality, commission splits, monthly desk or administrative fees, lead generation support, mentorship availability, and company culture. The Utah Division of Real Estate's online licensing system includes a "Change Affiliation - Agents" function for managing broker affiliation changes.

Active sales agents must complete 18 hours of continuing education every 2-year renewal cycle. At least 9 of those hours must be core topic courses, including a 3-hour Division-approved mandatory course. First-time renewals require a 12-hour New Agent Course, a 3-hour mandatory course, and 3 additional hours of core or elective courses, totaling 18 hours. All CE must be completed by the 15th day of the renewal month for on-time renewal.

Yes, you can complete real estate continuing education courses online in Utah. The Utah Division of Real Estate provides an online education course search tool for locating approved CE courses by category, provider, and credit hours. Approved providers offer courses in an online, self-paced format, and licensees may complete all 18 required CE hours through online courses.

A real estate agent is licensed to help clients buy, sell, or rent properties but must work under the supervision of a licensed broker, while a broker has additional education and experience requirements and can work independently, hire agents, and oversee transactions. In Utah, both agents and brokers must complete 120 hours of pre-license education, but broker applicants also need three years of full-time licensed experience, at least 60 documented experience points, and must pass the broker exam with a scaled score of 75 rather than the 70 required for sales agents. A REALTOR® is a separate designation for agents or brokers who join the National Association of REALTORS® and agree to follow its Code of Ethics.

To become a licensed broker in Utah, an applicant 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 complete 120 hours of approved broker education consisting of 30 hours of Utah Law, 45 hours of Broker Principles, and 45 hours of Broker Practices. The applicant must pass the broker exam with a scaled score of 75 on both the general and state portions, submit a $160 application fee, and complete fingerprinting and background check requirements. Broker application processing time is typically 30 to 60 days.

To become a REALTOR®, a licensed real estate agent must join their local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues. NAR national dues were $156 per year as of 2024, plus a $45 special assessment for the consumer advertising campaign. Members must agree to abide by NAR's Code of Ethics and complete ethics training and Fair Housing training every three years. Only NAR members may use the REALTOR® trademark.