How Long Does It Take to Get a Real Estate License in US?

In this article, I will share how long does it take to get a real estate license? On average, it takes about 3-6 months to get a real estate license after you passed the pre-licensing exam that most US states require to issue a professional real estate license for you to deal in properties.

But some other factors can either speed up or slow down your licensing process, which depends on the state’s law you currently live in. 

As you know, these licenses are issued by the State Government, not by the Central Government. If you want to deal in a different state, you have to take another real estate license from that state with the same process that you have gone through in your state.

For example, you have a license in Florida, but you want to deal in properties that are in Texas. In that case, you need a 2nd license from the Texas state government. You can not buy or sell properties in every state with one real estate license. 

Obviously, you can contact your friend and hand over the deal if you do not have that license in that state. So, many things determine how long it takes to get a real estate license. Here are the most important ones.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Real Estate License in Detail

Getting a professional real estate license does not happen overnight. It also does not take as long as some other professional licenses. You do not need a bachelor’s degree (in most states) to become a licensed real estate professional. 

If you have a high school diploma or equivalent, you can pursue your dream, but most states in the US do require a pre-licensing exam that you need to pass with over 60 marks.

Required Real Estate Pre-License Courses

Every state has different rules and regulations for real estate, and they have built a specific course for that to help you understand how the industry works in that state. 

Take that pre-licensing course which is over 150 hours in total (in most cases), before taking a real estate exam. These courses will give you credit hours like college courses. You will have to pass a real estate course successfully in order to receive those credit hours.

Read also: Difference between Agent, Broker, and Realtor

How Much Time Does It Take for The Pre Licensing Exam Course? 

How Much Time Does It Take for The Pre Licensing Exam Course

The California, Florida, and Texas real estate industries are good examples of how the educational requirement can affect the time it takes to get a license. 

Every state requires different training periods to get qualified for the exam. For example, Florida requires 63 training hours, California takes 135 hours, and Texas takes about 180 hours. Here are the states and their time for courses.

US StatesCourse Hours
Alabama60
Alaska40
Arizona90
Arkansas60
California135
Colorado168
Connecticut60
Delaware99
Columbia60
Florida63
Georgia75
Hawaii60
Idaho90
Illinois15
Indiana90
Iowa60
Kansas30
Kentucky96
Louisiana90
Maine55
Maryland60
Massachusetts40
Michigan90
Minnesota90
Mississippi60
Missouri48
Montana70
Nebraska60
Nevada64
New Hampshire40
New Jersey75
New Mexico90
New York75
North Carolina75
North Dakota45
Ohio120
Oklahoma90
Oregon150
Pennsylvania75
Rhode Island45
South Carolina60
South Dakota116
Tennessee60
Texas180
Utah120
Vermont40
Virginia60
Washington90
West Virginia90
Wisconsin72
Wyoming54

As soon as you complete the required courses, you will get your Exam Application submitted. It typically takes about 6-8 weeks to process applications. Your exam will be a week after the application is approved.

  • Anything that is 60% or higher is considered a passing score.

If there are any errors in their application, they will notify you within 30 days. It will take about 90 days to approve or deny the application. After that, be fully ready for the exam. 

There will be a company that will take the exam either online or in person. After that, it can take about 10-12 weeks to get your license after the final approval, or it could be even quicker than that.

What are the Requirements for Real Estate License?

These are the basic requirement most states ask from an applicant, and they are as follows.

  • High school or college-level education or diploma in real estate.
  • Good knowledge of property titles, deeds, contracts, and property ownership.
  • Have a permanent residency in the state.
  • Minimum age of 18 years.
  • No criminal background records.

Obviously, there are many other documents that you need to submit, but these are the most important ones. Make sure you have all these in the proper place, or they will reject your application.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License

So how much does it cost to get a real estate license in your state? It may vary depending on where you take your required education course. It costs about $300 to $1,000. 

Plus your real estate license application, fingerprint check, background check, and state licensing exam fees will also include with it. It will cost you around $100 to $200. So we can say it will take about $500 to $1,200 to get a real estate license.

Last Words

So in short, how long does it take to get a real estate license? It takes about six months with a pre-licensing course and exam with about $500 fees that can vary in every state. Apply online or offline as you want and start your real estate journey. Good luck.

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