Real Estate State Licensing Requirements

California

Pre-License Education Requirements

A Real Estate Salesperson License is required of individuals who are to be employed as salespersons under the supervision of a licensed broker. A license may also be obtained by a person who does not immediately intend to be employed by a broker. However, a salesperson without an employing broker may not perform acts requiring a real estate license. The license authorizes real estate activity only if the salesperson is in the employ of a licensed broker.

Minimum Requirements to Apply for the Salesperson Exam and License

To obtain a real estate salesperson license, you must first qualify for and pass a written examination. Those who pass the examination are provided a license application which must be submitted to and approved by the DRE.

Age

You must be 18 years of age or older to be licensed.

Residence

Proof of legal presence in the United States is required. If you are not a California resident, contact the California Department of Real Estate for further information.

Honesty

Applicants must be honest and truthful. Conviction of a crime may result in the denial of a license. Failure to disclose any criminal violation or disciplinary action in an applicant's entire history may also result in the denial of a license.

Experience

None required.

Education

Successful completion of the following college-level courses is required to become a real estate salesperson:

  1. Real Estate Principles (must be completed or in progress to apply for examination and must be completed prior to applying for a license).
  2. Real Estate Practice (must be completed prior to applying for a license or within 18 months of license issuance).
  3. One course from the following list (must be completed prior to applying for a license or within 18 months of license issuance):
    • Real Estate Appraisal
    • Property Management
    • Real Estate Finance
    • Real Estate Economics
    • Legal Aspects of Real Estate
    • Real Estate Office Administration
    • General Accounting
    • Business Law
    • Escrows
    • Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
    • Computer Applications in Real Estate
    • Common Interest Developments

For more information regarding obtaining a real estate license contact the California Department of Real Estate

OnlineEd's California Real Estate Salesperson Pre-License Training Package fulfills the required statutory course requirement that must be completed prior to taking the real estate salesperson examination and prior to applying for a license.

Continuing Education Requirements

Salespersons Renewing for the First Time

Real estate salespersons renewing an original license for the first time must complete five separate three-hour DRE-approved continuing education courses in Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing and Risk Management.

OnlineEd's Ed-Pak 15 contains the five required courses and additional courses to fulfill the consumer protection requirement and is approved by the California Department of Real Estate.

Brokers Renewing for the First Time

Real estate brokers renewing an original license for the first time must complete 45 clock hours of DRE-approved continuing education consisting of:

  • Five separate three-hour courses in the following subjects: Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing and Risk Management
  • A minimum of 18 clock hours of consumer protection courses
  • The remaining 12 clock hours related to either consumer service or consumer protection.

OnlineEd's Ed-Pak 45-15 contains the five required courses and additional courses to fulfill the consumer protection requirement and is approved by the California Department of Real Estate.

Salesperson and Brokers Renewing After the First Time

For subsequent renewals, all real estate brokers and salespersons must complete 45 clock hours of DRE-approved continuing education consisting of:

  • One six-hour survey course that covers the four mandatory subjects (Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, and Fair Housing)
  • One Risk Management Course that is a minimum of three hours
  • At least 18 clock hours of consumer protection courses
  • The remaining 18 clock hours in either consumer service or consumer protection courses.

OnlineEd's Ed-Pak 45-9 contains the five required courses and additional courses to fulfill the consumer protection requirement and is approved by the California Department of Real Estate.

Note: Salespersons and Brokers renewing after the first time may also take OnlineEd Ed-Pak 45-15 to satisfy the continuing education requirements for second and subsequent license renewals.

Oregon

Pre-License Education Requirements

Broker Applicants

Broker applicants must complete a 150-hour course of study that consists of the following modules

  • Oregon Real Estate Practice (30 hours)
  • Real Estate Law (30 hours)
  • Real Estate Finance (30 hours)
  • Contracts (15 hours)
  • Agency (15 hours)
  • Property Management (10 hours)
  • Real Estate Brokerage (20 hours)

The OnlineEd Oregon Brokers Pre-License course fulfills the Oregon Real Estate Agency Pre-license requirement. The OnlineEd Oregon Broker Pre-License Course has been approved by ARELLO, The Oregon Real Estate Agency and the Oregon Department of Education to meet this education requirement.

Verification of Course Work: Applicants are responsible for assuring that original course completion certificates or transcripts are submitted to the Agency. Schools do not automatically provide verification to the Agency. Verification of course work may be submitted when the course is completed at any time during the application process, but must be submitted before a license may be issued.

Examinations

License Examinations

Real Estate Broker License applicants must pass a license examination. The Agency contracts with an exam services provider, PSI Examination Services (PSI), to conduct the computer-based examinations.

Applicants must register for an exam through the Real Estate Agency, and schedule and take the exam through PSI.

Fees

Broker (one or two sections) License examinations are $75.

Application

To register for an exam, you must submit a License Examination Application and the exam fee to the Real Estate Agency. Although the Background Check Application and the required education certificates do not have to be submitted prior to registering for an exam, we recommend you submit the documentation as soon as possible. The Background Check can take two to three months or longer to complete.

To obtain a Real Estate Broker Application Packet, please contact OnlineEd.

Continuing Education

First Time License Renewal

New Oregon brokers must take the 30 hour Advanced Real Estate Practices (AP) course.

Subsequent License Renewal

Subsequent renewals require completion of a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education in required topics. The minimum of 15 hours may be in one topic from the following list of categories or a few hours in each category. The required topic categories are:

  • Trust Accounts
  • Misrepresentation
  • Anti-Trust
  • Rule and Law Update
  • Property Management
  • Commercial Brokerage and Leasing
  • Real Estate Taxation
  • Agency
  • Fair Housing
  • Contracts
  • Evaluation of Property
  • Brokerage Management
  • Land
  • Business Ethics

The balance of the required 30 hours of continuing education may be met by taking courses in real estate oriented topics. All continuing education credit hours must be approved by the licensee's principal broker if the licensee is not a principal broker or sole practitioner broker.

The subsequent license renewal requirement can also be met by taking the Advanced Real Estate Practices (AP) course or the Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision Course (BASS).

To Become a Sole Practitioner Broker or Principal Broker

Sole Practitioner Broker Applicants

Sole Practitioner Broker applicants must have completed the requirements listed for Broker applicants and have three years active licensed experience (out-of-state experience is acceptable with certified license history). No additional education or course work is required.

Principal Broker Applicants

Principal Broker applicants must have completed the education requirements listed for Broker applicants, completed a 40-hour Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision (BASS) course approved by the Agency, and have three years active licensed experience (out-of-state experience is acceptable with certified license history). The Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision Course may also be used to meet continuing education requirements.

Nevada

Continuing Education Requirements

Original real estate licenses are valid for a one year period ending the last day of the month during which you obtained your license. Each renewal thereafter is for a 2 year period. There is no grace period for renewal. First license renewals, unless you had a current license in another state at the time you applied for a Nevada license, require 30 hours of live lecture post license education given in a classroom setting. If you had a license in another state when you applied for your Nevada license, you may take 30 hours of post license live lecture courses or 30 hours of our online continuing education. For more detailed license renewal information visit the Nevada Real Estate Division.

First Renewal

To renew your license in Nevada for the first time, you require:

  1. 30 Hours Post-Licensing. A combination of continuing education and post-licensing courses are not accepted.
  2. Renewal Fee ($180.00 for sales license, or $220.00 for broker and broker-sales licenses)
  3. Completed Renewal Form

645.4442 - Post-licensing Education*

The requirement for post-licensing education does not apply to a first-year licensee who: (a) Holds a real estate license issued by another state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, on the date on which the first-year licensee obtains a real estate license issued by the State of Nevada; (b) Held a license as a real estate broker, real estate broker-salesman or real estate salesman issued by the State of Nevada within the 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the first-year licensee obtained a license as a real estate salesman; or (c) Is licensed as a real estate broker-salesman and obtained the qualifications for licensure as a real estate broker-salesman pursuant to the provisions of subsection 4 of NRS 645.343.

* Those who qualify for 645.4442 are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education as follows:

Real Estate Salespersons

30 hours consisting of 12 hours of required courses that include 3 hours each of: Agency, Contracts, Ethics, and Law & Legislation and 18 hours of General courses with an optional maximum of 3 hours in personal development.

Real Estate Broker or Broker Salespersons

30 hours consisting of 15 hours of required courses that include 3 hours each of: Agency, Contracts, Ethics, Law & Legislation, and Broker Management and 15 hours of General courses with an optional maximum of 3 hours in personal development.

Second and Subsequent Renewal

If you have already renewed your license at least once and need to renew it again, you will require 24 Hours of Commission approved real estate Continuing Education as follows:

Real Estate Salespersons
  • 12 hours of required courses include 3 hours each of : Agency, Contracts, Ethics, and Law & Legislation; and
  • 12 hours of elective credits in designated (Agency, Contracts, Ethics and Law & Legislation) and/or General courses, with an optional 3 hours (maximum) in personal development.
Real Estate Broker or Broker Salespersons
  • 15 hours of required courses include 3 hours each of: Agency, Contracts, Ethics, Law & Legislation, and Broker Management; and
  • 9 hours of elective credits in designated (Agency, Contracts, Ethics and Law & Legislation) and/or General courses, with an optional 3 hours (maximum) in personal development.

Note: Required Broker Management course not currently available.

Washington

Pre-License Requirements

To obtain a Washington real estate salesperson license you must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older.
  • Complete a 60 clock hour course in real estate fundamentals. The clock hours must be completed within 5 years prior to application for examination.
  • Obtain a Candidate Handbook, which contains the examination application, form the pre-license course provider. The course provider will stamp and complete the required information on the Examination Application. To schedule an real estate exam, contact the examination provider, Promissor, at the toll free number provided in the handbook.
  • Pass the real estate salesperson examination. If the exam is passed, information will be forwarded by the Washington Department of Licensing on how to apply for a license.

For more information on obtaining a Washington real estate license go to the Washington Department of Licensing.

OnlineEd's 60 hour Real Estate Fundamental course meets the pre-license education requirement.

The OnlineEd logo and "O" logo are trademarks of OnlineEd, Inc. All content owned by OnlineEd, Inc. unless otherwise noted. Other logos are trademarks of their respective organizations. OnlineEd is an accredited real estate and insurance school in the states in which it operates and meets state guidelines for pre-license and continuing education courses where offered.