New York Real Estate License Requirements

Please be sure you understand the requirements before taking the pre-license education and licensing examination. If you have any questions, please contact the Commission office at (518) 474-4429 or visit the New York Real Estate Commission website.

An applicant must hold a high school diploma and fulfill the following:

REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON
To apply for a Real Estate Salesperson's license you must be at least 18 years of age at the time you apply and satisfy the following requirements:

• Have successfully completed a Department of State approved 75-hour qualifying course and pass a qualifying written examination administered by the Department. If you have completed the 45-hour salesperson qualifying course prior to July 1, 2008, you may complete the 30 hour remedial course in order to qualify for licensure.
• Be sponsored by a NYS licensed real estate broker
• Pass the NYS real estate salesperson examination

As proof of successful completion of schooling, you must have the Certification of Satisfactory Completion section of the application completed by the Department of State approved school coordinator or the signature of their authorized designee. When you have passed the written examination, the passed examination notification must be submitted with your application form and license fee. An applicant who holds a Real Estate Salesperson license in another jurisdiction having a reciprocal agreement with New York State may be qualified to obtain a Real Estate Salesperson license in New York if they meet certain criteria. For information on becoming a New York Real Estate Salesperson, visit the NY Real Estate Commisison requirements page.

REAL ESTATE BROKER
To apply for a Real Estate Broker's license you must be at least 20 years of age at the time you apply and meet one of the following experience requirements.

(To assure consistency and fairness in evaluating your qualifying experience, the Department of State will utilize a point system which takes into consideration the amount and type of qualifying activities performed and assigns a weighted value to each function. Determine which type of experience you will be claiming from the chart below and fill out the corresponding experience supplement (A, B or C). If you need the supplements, click here.

Reciprocity: New York State has a reciprocal agreement with several states. If you are currently licensed as a real estate broker in a state with which New York has an agreement, you may apply for a New York State real estate broker license based on reciprocity. For more information, click here.

Continuing Education
Your license is good for two years. You are required to take 22.5 hours of continuing education to renew your license every two years. The 22.5 hours must include at least three hours of instruction pertaining to fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property or an interest in real property.