Real Estate License Requirements by State
Real estate license requirements vary significantly by state — from 40 pre-licensing hours (Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire) to 180 hours (Texas). The licensing exam, passing score, and application process are also state-specific.
This page lists the key requirements for every state so you can understand what your licensing path involves before you start.
What varies, and what does not
The structure is consistent nationwide: approved education, an exam, an application, and affiliation with a broker. Nowhere requires a degree, and nowhere requires prior industry experience for a salesperson licence.
What varies is every number attached to that structure — education hours, exam vendor, fee schedule, renewal cycle and continuing education. Those differences are large enough that planning from another state's figures will mislead you.
The five figures to establish for your own state
Pre-licensing hours, and how long that education stays valid.
The exam vendor, question count and passing standard per portion.
Total cost to licence, including application and fingerprinting.
The renewal cycle and the continuing education attached to it.
Retake rules: waiting period, fee, and whether one portion or both must be re-sat.
On reciprocity
If you already hold a licence elsewhere, do not assume portability. Reciprocity rarely transfers a licence intact — it usually waives part of the requirement while the state portion and a fresh application still stand, and agreements are bilateral and change by rule.