Real Estate License Requirements by State (2026)

Every U.S. state licenses real estate agents through its own commission, and the requirements — how many pre-license course hours you need, which company runs the exam, and what it costs — vary widely from state to state. This page compares the salesperson (agent) license requirements for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, with each state linked to its official real estate commission so you can confirm the current rules at the source.

Hours shown are the pre-license education required for the entry-level salesperson/agent license (labeled “broker” or “sales agent” in some states, as noted). Fees and CE are approximate and exclude third-party course tuition.

How to become a real estate agent: the 5 general steps

The exact rules differ by state, but the path to a real estate license follows the same five steps almost everywhere:

1. 1
   Meet the basic eligibility rules

   Most states require you to be at least 18 (19 in a few), and many ask for a high-school diploma or GED. Some require U.S. citizenship or lawful residency and a criminal-background or fingerprint check.

2. 2
   Complete the pre-license education

   Take your state's required pre-license course from an approved school. Hours range from about 40 (e.g. Massachusetts, Michigan) to 180 (Texas). This is the single biggest requirement that varies by state.

3. 3
   Pass the licensing exam

   Register with your state's exam provider — usually PSI or Pearson VUE (a few states, like California and New York, run their own exam). The test has a national portion and a state-law portion; you must pass both.

4. 4
   Apply for your license

   Submit your application, fees, background check, and (in many states) proof of errors-and-omissions insurance to the commission. In most states you must be sponsored by a licensed broker to activate the license.

5. 5
   Complete post-license & continuing education

   Many states require extra post-license coursework in your first year or two, then ongoing continuing education (CE) every renewal cycle to keep the license active.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & methodology

Every figure in the table was researched against the issuing state’s official real estate commission website, its governing statute or administrative code, or the official exam vendor’s (PSI / Pearson VUE) state page. Each state’s row links to its official commission so you can confirm the current requirements at the source. Where a specific figure could not be confirmed against an official source at this update, the cell reads “Verify” and links to the commission rather than showing an unverified number — we do not publish figures we could not source. Requirements and fees change frequently; this comparison is a starting point, not legal or licensing advice.

Preparing for the exam? Try a free PrepPass real estate practice test — free practice questions and a timed mock exam, with a state-specific bank for all 50 states.