State Guides

Texas Real Estate License Requirements: The Complete 2026 Guide

To get a Texas real estate license, you complete 180 hours of pre-license education, apply to the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), pass a fingerprint background check, and pass the state and national exams with at least 70% on each. Once licensed, you have 90 hours of post-license education (SAE) due before your first renewal, then 18 hours of continuing education every two years. Here’s every requirement, step by step, straight from TREC.

Updated October 2026. Sources: TREC’s sales agent licensing and renewal pages and TREC rules.

Texas real estate license requirements at a glance

  • Age and eligibility: 18 or older, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and able to meet TREC’s standards for honesty, trustworthiness and integrity.
  • Pre-license education: 180 hours, made up of six 30-hour courses.
  • Background check: fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
  • Exam: state and national portions with Pearson VUE; 70% needed on each.
  • Sponsorship: a licensed Texas broker must sponsor you before your license becomes active.
  • Time limit: one year from filing your application to meet every requirement.

Step 1: Complete 180 hours of pre-license education

Texas requires six 30-hour courses from a TREC-approved provider:

  1. Principles of Real Estate I
  2. Principles of Real Estate II
  3. Law of Agency
  4. Law of Contracts
  5. Promulgated Contract Forms
  6. Real Estate Finance

College courses count only if they’re the specific courses on TREC’s list, taken for academic credit at an accredited college or university. Compare Texas pre-license courses.

Step 2: Apply to TREC and get fingerprinted

TREC recommends waiting to submit your application until all 180 hours are complete and uploaded, because the application expires one year after you file it. You’ll also need fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety. If you have a criminal record, you can request a Fitness Determination from TREC before you apply to learn whether it could affect your eligibility.

Step 3: Pass the state and national exams

After TREC reviews your education, it emails you instructions to schedule both portions with Pearson VUE. Each portion is scored separately, and you need at least 70% on each. A passed portion stays valid for one year. If you fail either portion three times, you must complete additional education before testing again. See Texas exam prep courses.

Step 4: Get sponsored by a broker

Once you meet every requirement, TREC issues your license on inactive status. To practice, a licensed Texas broker has to sponsor you so you can move to active status.

Step 5: Complete SAE before your first renewal

Texas sales agents complete Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE) instead of regular CE for their first renewal:

  • The 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course (required since October 1, 2023).
  • Two more 30-hour courses from TREC’s list, such as Real Estate Finance, Appraisal, Law, Marketing, Math, Investments, Residential Inspection, or Residential Property Management.
  • Plus 8 hours of TREC Legal Update I and II, for 98 hours in total.

SAE can’t be deferred. If it isn’t complete in time, your license expires. Find Texas SAE courses.

Step 6: Renew every two years with 18 hours of CE

From your second renewal on, Texas requires 18 hours of continuing education every two-year license period: Legal Update I (4 hours), Legal Update II (4 hours), 3 hours of contract-related coursework and 7 elective hours. Delegated supervisors take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course as part of their 18 hours. TREC recommends finishing at least 10 days before your license expires. Compare Texas CE courses.

If you renew active without your CE done, TREC charges a $200 CE deferral fee that gives you 60 more days to finish. For how Texas compares with other states, see our real estate CE requirements by state.

Texas real estate license: common questions

What are the requirements to get a real estate license in Texas?

You must be 18 or older, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and meet TREC's honesty, trustworthiness and integrity standards. You complete 180 hours of pre-license education, file an application with TREC, get fingerprinted for a background check, and pass the state and national exams with at least 70% on each portion.

How many hours of education do you need for a Texas real estate license?

180 hours before you apply: six 30-hour courses. Before your first renewal you need another 90 hours of Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE) plus 8 hours of Legal Update, and after that 18 hours of CE every two years.

What score do you need to pass the Texas real estate exam?

At least 70% on each portion, state and national. The portions are scored separately, and a passed portion stays valid for one year.

Do I need a sponsoring broker to get licensed in Texas?

You need one to practice. TREC issues an inactive license once you meet the requirements; a licensed broker must sponsor you before your license becomes active.

How long do I have to finish after applying?

One year. Your TREC application expires one year after you file it, so TREC advises finishing all 180 hours before you apply.

What is SAE in Texas?

Sales Agent Apprentice Education is Texas's post-license requirement: 90 hours, including the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course, due before your first renewal. It can't be deferred; if it isn't done in time, your license expires.

Ready to start? See every step and approved course on our Texas real estate license and education page.