How To Renew Your Real Estate License
How do you renew your real estate license? In most states, you’ll need to complete your required continuing education (CE), submit a renewal application, and pay your state’s renewal fee before your license expiration date. The exact steps depend on your state’s real estate commission, but the process generally includes checking your renewal deadlines, completing state-approved coursework, and submitting proof of completion when you renew. Below, we break down each step, provide an example, and offer a state-by-state guide to CE requirements.
Steps for Renewing a Real Estate License
The process for renewing a real estate license varies by state, but below, we’ll outline the general steps that you’ll need to take in all states.
- Check Your State’s Renewal Requirements: Your first step should always be to review the renewal requirements for your state. This information can usually be found on your state's real estate commission website, and it changes periodically, so it’s always a good idea to make sure you have the current information.
- Complete All CE Requirements: All states require real estate agents to complete a certain number of continuing education hours before renewing their licenses. Typically, states require a combination of mandatory and elective real estate topics, such as fair housing laws, contract law, and legal updates. You can complete these CE requirements online at your own pace through an approved provider like 360training, which makes the renewal process faster and more convenient.
- Pay Renewal Fees: You will need to pay a renewal fee to your state real estate commission. The amount will vary depending on your state and any additional fees or assessments that may apply to you.
- Submit Required Documentation: Often, you need to submit a renewal application and additional documentation alongside your fee. Typically, states now have online real estate license renewal options, but many also have offline options like mailing a paper application.
Different states may require you to do things in a certain order and may have additional requirements not listed above. Most states place restrictions on continuing education for real estate agents, such as what topics are mandatory, when they need to be taken, what training providers are approved, and how CE completion is confirmed.
You should review your state’s guidelines very carefully to avoid any mistakes or mishaps.
How Much Does It Cost To Renew Your Real Estate License?
The cost of renewing your real estate license varies by state and may depend on factors such as the type of license you hold and whether you are renewing early or late.
Most regular renewal fees fall between $50 and $300. You can find your renewal fee schedule on your state real estate board or commission’s website.
What Happens if My License Expires?
If your real estate license expires, you will no longer be able to practice as a real estate agent. You may need to reapply for a new license and meet all the requirements for new licensees. Some states provide a grace period, while others do not.
Example: Renewing a Real Estate License in Texas
To get a better understanding of the renewal process, let’s use Texas as an example.
Continuing Education Requirements
In Texas, real estate agents must complete 18 hours of continuing education courses every two years, including:
- 4 hours of TREC Legal Update I in the first year
- 4 hours of TREC Legal Update II in the second year
- 3 hours of contract-related coursework
- 6 hours of Broker Responsibility, only if you have been made a supervisor
- 1 to 7 hours of acceptable electives, depending on requirements for the Broker Responsibility course
These requirements apply to second and subsequent renewals of the “salesperson” license. During the first renewal, Texas real estate agents must complete the TREC Legal Updates and 270 hours of Sales Apprentice Education (SAE), instead.
Broker-level licenses have a separate set of requirements.
All courses must be approved by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) to be counted toward your license renewal. TREC offers an approved course search tool, but we’re a TREC-approved training provider with both Texas CE and SAE packages!
Renewal Fees
The renewal fee for a Texas real estate license varies depending on the type of license, whether you need to defer your continuing education, and how timely or late you are for renewal.
On-time salesperson renewals start at $66 as of this article’s writing, but you can find the current fee schedule on the TREC website.
Submit Renewal Requirements Online or By Mail
TREC’s website offers detailed instructions on how to renew a real estate license online or by mail.
Either way, you’ll need to submit the following:
- Completed renewal application
- Proof of continuing education completion
- Payment of renewal fees
Here are a few additional considerations you may encounter in the Texas renewal process, depending on your circumstances:
- Late Renewal: If you fail to renew your license on time, you may be subject to late fees or penalties. In some cases, your license may be suspended or revoked.
- Inactive Renewal: You may renew your license on an inactive status without completing CE, but you won’t be able to engage in brokerage activity until your license is renewed to an active status.
- License Expiration: If you miss the late deadlines for license renewal, your license will expire, and you’ll need to reapply as a new licensee.
Continuing Education for Real Estate Agents: Requirements by State
The number of real estate agent continuing education hours required varies by state.
Below, you’ll find each state’s CE requirements for the initial level of real estate licensure. In most states, this level of licensure is called “agent,” “salesperson, or “sales associate.” While most states reserve “broker” for a more advanced level of license, some states use it for the initial licensure; we’ll indicate these in the table.
Advanced levels of licensure often have separate CE requirements from those listed below.
| State | Real Estate Agent CE Requirements |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 hours every 2 years, including 3 hours of Risk Management. Additional details on the AREC website. |
| Alaska | 20 hours every 2 years, including 8 hours of required curriculum. Learn more at the AREC website. |
| Arizona | 24 hours every 2 years, including 18 hours of required curriculum. |
| Arkansas | 7 hours every year after post-license requirements are met, including 4 hours of required curriculum. Get more information at the AREC website. |
| California | 45 hours every 4 years, with one set of requirements for first renewals and another for subsequent renewals. See the CA DRE website for more information. |
| Colorado (as “Broker”) | 24 hours every 3 years, including 3 annual update courses. Details can be found at the CO DRE website. |
| Connecticut | 12 hours every 2 years, including 3 hours of required curriculum. See the CT DCP website for more info. |
| Delaware | Up to 21 hours for the first renewal and a full 21 hours every 2 years for subsequent renewals, including 18 hours of required curriculum. Additional details on the DE DPR website. |
| Florida | 45 hours of post-license courses for the first renewal; 14 hours of CE every 2 years for subsequent renewals, including 6 hours of required curriculum. See the FL DBPR website for details. |
| Georgia | 36 hours every 4 years, including 3 hours of required curriculum. Details can be found at the GREC website. |
| Hawaii | 20 hours every 2 years, including 6 hours of required curriculum. Get more info at the HI DCCA website. |
| Idaho | Two mandatory core courses + 12 hours of other courses every 2 years, which must include post-license courses for your first renewal and electives for subsequent renewals. To learn more, visit the IREC website. |
| Illinois (as “Broker”) | 45 hours of post-license courses for initial renewal; 12 hours every 2 years for subsequent renewals, including 6 hours of required curriculum. Learn more at the IDFPR website. |
| Indiana (as “Broker”) | 12 hours every year after post-licensure requirements are met. Additional details on the IPLA website. |
| Iowa | 26 hours every 3 years, including 12 hours of required curriculum. At least 12 hours of the total must be live instruction. See the IREC website for more information. |
| Kansas | 12 hours every 2 years, including 3 hours of required curriculum. Additional details on the KREC website. |
| Kentucky | 48 hours of post-license courses for the first renewal; 12 hours every 2 years for every subsequent renewal, which must include 6 hours in real estate law. Kentucky Core must be completed every 4 years. Get more information at the KREC website. |
| Louisiana | 12 hours every year after post-license requirements are met, including one mandatory course. Learn more at the LREC website. |
| Maine | 21 hours every 2 years, including 3 hours of required curriculum. Details can be found on the MREC website. |
| Maryland | 15 hours every 3 years. Curriculum requirements vary based on first vs subsequent renewals and commercial vs residential practice. See the MREC website for details. |
| Massachusetts | 12 hours every 2 years. Additional details on the MREC website. |
| Michigan | 18 hours every 3 years, including 2 hours of annual updates and 1 hour of compliance topics per year. Learn more on the MI LARA website. |
| Minnesota | 30 hours every 2 years (15 per license year), including at least 2 hours of required curriculum. Clarification can be found on the MN Commerce site. |
| Mississippi | 16 hours every 2 years after post-license requirements are met, including 3 hours of required curriculum. |
| Missouri | 12 hours every 2 years, including 3 hours of required curriculum. Learn more on the MI DPR site. |
| Montana | 12 hours annually. Details on the MT DLI website. |
| Nebraska | 18 hours every 2 years, including 6 hours of required curriculum. Get more info on the NREC site. |
| Nevada | 36 hours every 2 years after post-licensing requirements are met, including 18 hours of required curriculum and 18 hours of electives. 18 of these total hours must be live instruction. Get additional information on the NRED website. |
| New Hampshire | 15 hours every 2 years after post-licensing requirements are met, including a 3-hour core course. Learn more on the NH REC website. |
| New Jersey | 12 hours every 2 years, including 9 hours of required curriculum. Details can be found on the NJ REC website. |
| New Mexico (as “Broker”) | 36 hours every 3 years, including three 4-hour annual updates and 4 hours of mandatory ethics. Get more detailed information on the NM REC website. |
| New York | 22.5 hours every 2 years, including 11.5 hours of required curriculum. Get details on the NY DOS site. |
| North Carolina | 8 hours annually, including 4 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the NC REC website. |
| North Dakota | 12 hours annually. Mandatory topics vary by license cycle. Additional details available at the ND REC website. |
| Ohio | 30 hours every 3 years, including 9 hours of required curriculum. |
| Oklahoma | 30 hours every 3 years after post-license requirements, including 13 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the OREC website. |
| Oregon (as “Broker”) | 30 hours every 2 years, including amounts of required coursework that vary based on several factors. Additional details available at the OREA website. |
| Pennsylvania | 14 hours every 2 years, including 5 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the PREC website. |
| Rhode Island | 24 hours every 2 years, including 9 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the RI DBR website. |
| South Carolina | 10 hours every 2 years, including at least 4 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the SC REC website. |
| South Dakota | 24 hours every 2 years after post-license requirements are met, including 12 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the SD REC website. |
| Tennessee | 16 hours every 2 years, including a core course. Additional details available at the TREC website. |
| Texas | 18 hours every 2 years after Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) requirements are met, including at least 11 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the TREC website. |
| Utah | 18 hours every 2 years, including 12 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the UDRE website. |
| Vermont | 16 hours every 2 years, including 4 hours of required curriculum. Additional details available at the VREC website. |
| Virginia | 16 hours for every 2 years after post-license requirements are met. Required curriculum varies. See the VA DPOR website. |
| Washington (as “Broker”) | 30 hours every 2 years after first renewal requirements are met, including 3 hours of required curriculum. Get more information at the WA DOL website. |
| West Virginia (as “Broker”) | 7 hours annually. See the WV REC website for more info. |
| Wisconsin | 18 hours every 2 years, including 12 hours of required curriculum. Learn more at the WI DSPS website. |
| Wyoming | 45 hours every 3 years, including 24 hours of required curriculum. Details can be found at the Wyoming REC website. |
Please note that renewal and continuing education requirements can change at any time, and we strongly recommend you always refer to the requirements on the official real estate board or commission website for the most up-to-date information.
Get Online Real Estate CE Renewal Courses Today!
One way to make your real estate license renewal run more smoothly is to take your required real estate CE credits online and at your own pace.
As an approved provider in dozens of states, we’ve helped thousands of real estate professionals meet their CE requirements on their own schedule and from anywhere with internet.
To get started, check out our catalog of continuing education courses in your state and enroll today!
