Texas Legal Update I (2026-2027)

General Information

• Approved Credit Hours: 4.0 hours
• State: Texas
• Course Availability: 365 days from enrollment

Course Description

TREC Legal Update I (2026–2027) is a required continuing education course that ensures every Texas real estate license holder stays informed, compliant, and prepared for changes that impact daily business. Through four comprehensive chapters, you’ll explore the rulemaking process, key contract form updates, and the important boundary between standard practices and the unauthorized practice of law. You'll also dive into the basics of Texas water rights—often a source of confusion for agents—and learn how to navigate these issues confidently. The course concludes with a focused look at fair housing, connecting historical context with modern enforcement and best practices. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned broker, Legal Update I helps you stay aligned with evolving expectations in Texas real estate.

Course PDF Material

This is a correspondence course with learning material in PDF format.

Course Topics

This course covers the following topics:

• Course Introduction - 5 minutes

• Chapter 1: Rules, Updates, and Legislative Changes - 

  36 minutes

• Chapter 2: Contract Form Basics - 72

   minutes

• Chapter 3: Water Rights - 

  29 minutes

• Chapter 4: Fair Housing - 

  58 minutes

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Comprehend the TREC rulemaking process, the role of advisory committees, and the impact of recent rule changes and legislation (including those from the 89th Texas Legislature) on real estate practice.
• Understand the composition, underlying purpose, and specific form-review processes of the Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee.
• Differentiate between mandatory and voluntary TREC contract forms, apply them accurately across various transaction types, and maintain compliance to avoid the unauthorized practice of law (TREC Rule 537.11).
• Distinguish between groundwater and surface water classifications under state law, summarize basic water regulations, and recognize the license holder's responsibilities in water-related transactions.
• Apply federal, state, and local fair housing laws—including the Fair Housing Act and specific TREC rules—to understand the historical and modern impacts of discrimination and implement practical strategies to avoid violations like steering.

Instructor & Customer Support

For questions about the course content, please contact the Instructor.

Course Instructor: Scott Hilton
Contact Information: scott@scotthilton.com
Instructor Availability: Monday-Friday, business hours, excluding holidays
Instructor Policy Response Time: within 1 business day
 
If you have questions about your account or course navigation, please contact the course provider:

OnlineEd
Phone: 1-(503)-670-9278
Email: mail@onlineed.com
Chat and additional options: https://www.onlineed.com/system/pages/contact.php

Completion & Attendance Requirements

Completion Requirements. Continuing education credit is awarded upon successful completion of all required course components and satisfaction of regulatory minimum study time requirements.

Correspondence-Style Course. This is a PDF correspondence course. Course material will be provided as a PDF download. Supplementary text, review videos, quizzes, activities, and the final exam will be delivered inside the learning management system.

Assessments

Each chapter will end in a multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge. Quizzes require a score of at least 70% to proceed to the next unit. You can take quizzes as many times as needed. Each quiz will require an emailed PIN # to fulfill TREC's identity verification requirements.

This course will end with a final exam that requires a score of at least 70% to receive credit. The final exam must be completed within 30 minutes, and the student will have two attempts to pass. If the student does not pass in two attempts, they must repeat the course. There are no additional fees to retake a course. Exams are graded instantly. Per TREC regulations, the student must spend at least 3 hours and 20 minutes in the course material before the final exam becomes available.

Course Completion Survey

Students are encouraged to submit a survey upon completion of the course. This short survey helps us improve the course material and student experience. It is required by most regulatory agencies. Your thoughtful feedback is appreciated.

Certificates & Credit Reporting

Upon successful completion of all course requirements, a certificate of completion will be issued.  You are responsible for maintaining a copy of your certificates of completion and renewing your license with the state regulator. 

OnlineEd will automatically report course completion credits to TREC within 1 business day on the student's behalf. OnlineEd does not report partial credit.

Technology Requirements

Courses may be accessed from a computer, tablet, or mobile device with a stable internet connection.  We recommend the most recent browser versions.  This includes all modern browsers and operating systems including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera, iPhone / iOS, and Android-based mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets. The course is entirely web-based and does not require any software to be downloaded or installed.  For accurate time tracking and progress recording, access courses in one browser window at a time. 

Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

All tuition and fees paid for the course are refundable when: (a) the course of instruction is discontinued by OnlineEd and such discontinuation has prevented a student from completing the course; or (b) the enrollment of the student was procured as a result of any misrepresentation in promotion materials of the school, or representation made by an owner or employee of the school. All refunds will be completed within 30 days after the effective date of enrollment termination. Refunds will not be given to any student after the student has successfully registered in a course or courses, as once registered, student has access to the registered courses. In hardship cases, OnlineEd may issue a refund at its sole discretion. OnlineEd does not issue retroactive partial refunds for courses that are subsequently discounted or put on sale after a student makes a purchase.

Academic Integrity and Identity Verification

Students must complete all coursework independently. OnlineEd prohibits misrepresentation of identity or allowing another individual to complete coursework on your behalf. Failure to comply with academic integrity policies may result in denial of credit.

Student Conduct Policy

Students are expected to show respect, courtesy, and consideration when interacting with school staff and students. Students are expected to conducting themselves in a professional, legal, and cooperative manner that is not disruptive, harassing, intimidating, or dangerous. Deviation from these standards may result in disciplinary action.

Non-Discrimination Policy

OnlineEd does not discriminate for admission on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, age or disability. Any person who feels they have been unlawfully discriminated against may file a complaint with the School Director, either by email (schooldirector@onlineed.com) or by postal mail (ATTN: School Director, 14355 SW Allen Blvd. Suite 240, Portland, OR 97005). If OnlineEd determines that any employee of OnlineEd has engaged in discriminatory activity, such employee shall be disciplined.

Grievance Policy

If a student has a grievance against OnlineEd, its staff or students, the aggrieved student shall contact the School Director by email or mail, stating the nature of the grievance. The School Director shall evaluate the grievance and respond to the student based upon their findings.

Policies on Cheating and Misrepresentation

Cheating on courses that supply completion certificates, designations, or official credit is not tolerated. OnlineEd is not obligated to continue to furnish credit or continued support for students caught cheating on any part of the coursework or testing.
 
Misrepresentation of personal identity is strictly forbidden for all OnlineEd courses. Falsifying personal information, forgery, and misrepresentation may result in immediate suspension. Additional actions by state and federal agencies may include loss or suspension of a license, failure to grant a license, fees, or criminal prosecution.

Publisher

This course is developed and delivered by OnlineEd, LLC.

OnlineEd, LLC
14255 SW Allen Blvd., Suite 240
Portland, OR 97005
(503) 670-9278
https://www.OnlineEd.com/
mail@OnlineEd.com

Mission Statement

To provide superior distance education that exceeds industry standards and expectations in course content and delivery methods to those who seek to enter a new profession and those engaged in a profession.