Licensing Requirements
Area II is three scored items covering six printed subtopics: which activities need a license, the types of license, eligibility, renewal, continuing education, and changes in license.
Activities requiring a license, and who is exempt
24 Del. C. Section 2901(a) bars unlicensed practice or holding oneself out as qualified. Section 2901(e) is the exemption list: owners and lessors dealing with their own property (but not those engaged in wholesaling as a business), attorneys in fact under a power of attorney, attorneys-at-law, receivers, bankruptcy trustees, administrators, executors, anyone selling under court order, trustees, auctioneers as defined in 30 Del. C. Section 2301(a)(3), and providers of property management services. Rule 1.4.1.1 limits the auctioneer exemption to the day of the auction. Rule 9.0 draws the property management line: an unlicensed person may do maintenance, clerical work, collect rent, show units, and hand out and receive applications, but may not negotiate or draft leases, vary the owner's terms, approve applications, or hold out as having managerial authority.
Types of license, and eligibility
Delaware licenses individuals as salespersons, associate brokers and brokers. Section 2901(c) is distinctive: no brokerage organization, corporation, partnership or other business entity is licensed; the firm operates through a licensed broker who is responsible for its real estate services. Section 2907 sets the conditions — no disqualifying administrative penalties elsewhere, no substantially related criminal conviction absent a waiver, prelicensing education, and the uniform national and state examination. Salespersons must be 18; associate brokers must be 23, have the experience and financial prerequisites in the rules, and complete the broker prelicensing course. A broker adds responsibility for day-to-day management and supervision of a brokerage organization. Section 2909 provides for reciprocal licensure of licensees in good standing elsewhere.
Renewal, continuing education and changes
Rule 12.1 makes licenses biennial, expiring 30 April of each even-numbered year, with a 30-day late renewal window that does not extend the CE deadline. Rule 14.1.2 requires 21 hours in seven three-hour modules: agency and fair housing, professional standards, real estate documents, office management, legislative issues, practices of real estate, and electives. Hours prorate by length of licensure under Rule 14.2. New licensees owe an extra 12 hours in four named subjects within 90 days of issuance under Rule 14.13. Licensees attest to completion; the Commission audits at random, and unjustified non-compliance carries a minimum $250 penalty for a first finding and $1,000 for a second. Section 2921 governs termination and transfer between brokers, and Rule 1.5 requires an address change to be reported to the Division within thirty days.
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State-specific details
State exam facts
- Exam vendor
- Pearson VUE
- Passing score
- Scaled score of 70
- Scored questions
- 130
Who regulates real estate brokers in Delaware?
The Delaware Real Estate Commission, within the Division of Professional Regulation, licenses brokers and salespersons under 24 Del. C. Chapter 29. The Commission's exams are delivered by Pearson VUE (candidate handbook #090800).
What experience do I need before the Delaware broker exam?
A broker applicant must meet the associate broker requirements — actively licensed for five continuous years and a list of at least 30 completed sale or lease transactions from those five years — and, under Commission Rule 4.1.1, must also have been actively engaged in real estate services as a licensed salesperson or associate broker for the three years immediately preceding application. A broker applicant also applies for a real estate office permit.
How is the Delaware broker exam structured?
The Delaware broker exam has 130 scored questions (80 national/general + 50 Delaware state law) plus 10 unscored pretest items, is delivered by Pearson VUE in a four-hour appointment, and requires a scaled score of 70 to pass. The 50 state items are split 4 / 3 / 17 / 16 / 10 across the handbook's five state areas.
Sources: https://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/realestate/, https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/090800.pdf
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