Real Estate Post-License Requirements by State (2026)
About half of U.S. states require real estate post-license education for new agents, ranging from 8 hours in Vermont to 90 hours in Texas and North Carolina. Deadlines run from 90 days to two years after you’re licensed, and missing one can make your license go inactive or expire. The rest of the states have no separate post-license course, though many set special continuing education rules for your first renewal. The table below shows every state.
Updated October 2026. Every requirement comes from that state’s real estate commission; each state page lists its official sources.
Post-license requirements by state
| State | Post-license requirement | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30-hour post-license course (covers first-renewal CE) | 6 months (active); 1 year (inactive) |
| Alaska | 30 hours, in addition to CE | 1 year from licensure |
| Arizona | None (6-hr Contract Writing before licensing) | — |
| Arkansas | 18 hours | End of the 6th month after licensing |
| California | None; first renewal has its own 45-hr CE package | First renewal (4 years) |
| Colorado | None; no CE for first renewal | — |
| Connecticut | None | — |
| Delaware | 12 hours of new-licensee modules | 90 days |
| Florida | 45 hours | Before first renewal (18–24 months) |
| Georgia | 25 hours | First year of licensure |
| Hawaii | None | — |
| Idaho | 12 hours + 2 core courses | First active renewal |
| Illinois | 45 hours | Before first renewal |
| Indiana | 30 hours (covers two CE years) | 2 years |
| Iowa | None (36 hrs of practice courses now before licensing) | — |
| Kansas | None | — |
| Kentucky | 48 hours | 2 years |
| Louisiana | 45 hours, with an exam | 180 days |
| Maine | Move up to associate broker (60-hr course); sales agent license isn't renewable | Within the 2-year sales agent term |
| Maryland | None; specific 15-hr first-renewal CE | First renewal |
| Massachusetts | None | — |
| Michigan | None | — |
| Minnesota | None | — |
| Mississippi | 30 hours | 12 months (temporary license) |
| Missouri | None (24-hr MREP before applying) | — |
| Montana | None (folded into 70-hr pre-license) | — |
| Nebraska | Course 7000 (+3-hr team course if on a team) | 180 days |
| Nevada | 30 hours | First renewal (1 year) |
| New Hampshire | 12 hours of post-licensing CE + core course | First renewal |
| New Jersey | None | — |
| New Mexico | None | — |
| New York | None | — |
| North Carolina | 90 hours (Post 301, 302, 303) | 18 months |
| North Dakota | None | — |
| Ohio | 20 hours | 12 months |
| Oklahoma | 45 hours | Before the provisional license expires |
| Oregon | None; first renewal centers on Advanced Practices | First renewal |
| Pennsylvania | None; 14-hr new-licensee modules | First renewal |
| Rhode Island | None | — |
| South Carolina | None (30-hr Unit II now before licensing) | — |
| South Dakota | 60 hours in two 30-hour periods | Two license periods |
| Tennessee | None (30-hr Course for New Affiliates before licensing) | — |
| Texas | 90 hours of SAE + 8 hours Legal Update | First renewal (2 years) |
| Utah | 12-hour New Agent Course | First renewal |
| Vermont | 8 hours, in addition to CE | 90 days |
| Virginia | 30 hours (nine courses) | 1 year |
| Washington | None; 90-hr first-renewal CE | First renewal (2 years) |
| West Virginia | None | — |
| Wisconsin | None | — |
| Wyoming | None | — |
Requirements are for the entry-level salesperson license. Brokers often have their own post-license rules.
Three ways states handle new agents
- A separate post-license course with its own deadline. The most common approach, from Louisiana’s 45 hours in 180 days to North Carolina’s 90 hours in 18 months.
- A special first-renewal CE package. No post-license course, but your first renewal requires specific courses, as in California (45 hours including ethics, agency and fair housing), Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington and Utah’s 12-hour New Agent Course.
- Extra education before licensing instead. Some states moved what used to be post-license training into pre-licensing, including South Carolina’s Unit II, Tennessee’s Course for New Affiliates, Montana’s 70-hour course and Iowa’s three 12-hour practice courses.
Deadlines are strict
Post-license deadlines usually can’t be extended or deferred. Texas won’t defer SAE, and your license expires if it isn’t done by your first renewal. Georgia’s license lapses if the 25-hour course isn’t done in the first year. North Carolina and Virginia place your license on inactive status, Ohio suspends it automatically, and Kentucky cancels it. Start early, especially in states with short windows like Delaware (90 days), Vermont (90 days), Louisiana (180 days) and Nebraska (180 days).
Post-license vs. continuing education
Post-license education is a one-time requirement for new licensees; continuing education repeats every renewal. In some states the first counts toward the second, and in others they’re completely separate. For the basics, see what is post-license education.
Common questions about post-license education
Which states require post-license education for real estate agents?
About half. Among them: Texas (90 hours of SAE), North Carolina (90), South Dakota (60), Kentucky (48), Florida, Illinois, Louisiana and Oklahoma (45 each), Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Virginia (30 each), Georgia (25), Ohio (20), Arkansas (18) and Vermont (8).
Which states have the most post-license hours?
Texas and North Carolina, at 90 hours each. Texas also adds 8 hours of Legal Update, for 98 hours before the first renewal.
Which states have no post-license requirement?
Many, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado and Arizona. Several of them set special CE rules for the first renewal instead.
What happens if I miss my post-license deadline?
It depends on the state. Your license may go inactive (North Carolina, Virginia), lapse or expire (Georgia, Texas), or be suspended (Ohio) or canceled (Kentucky).
Does post-license education count as CE?
Sometimes. Alabama's and Indiana's post-license courses satisfy CE for the first renewal or first two CE years, and Louisiana's counts toward annual CE except the mandatory topic. In North Carolina, Virginia, Alaska and Vermont, post-license hours are separate from CE.
Can I take post-license courses online?
In many states, yes, from an approved provider. Some set limits, such as Mississippi requiring classroom increments of at least 15 hours. Check your state's page before enrolling.
Find your state’s courses: pick your state in the table above to see its post-license or first-renewal requirements and compare approved courses.