Real Estate State License Requirements for Pennsylvania

Licensure Requirements for a Salesperson

Minimum age of 18
Must complete 75 hours (or 5 college credit hours) in real estate pre-license education
You are exempt from the pre-license coursework if you have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Real Estate
Criminal records check
Pass the salesperson exam
Apply for license

Licensure Requirements for a Broker

Minimum age of 21
High school diploma or equivalent
Must have spent at least 3 years as a licensed salesperson OR have at least 3 years of equivalent experience or education
Must complete 240 hours (or 16 college credit hours) in real estate education no more than 10 years before passing the exam
Criminal records check
Pass the broker exam
Apply for license

Step by Step Guide (Salesperson)

Complete 75 hours (or 5 college credit hours) through an Approved School
Register for the exam by sending in the form found on page 19 of the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook (You will receive confirmation as soon as you are eligible to schedule it)
Pass the salesperson exam (See below for more information)
Order your Criminal Records Check (To be included in your license application)
Apply for license (Make sure to include all necessary documents as outlined on page 17 of the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook)

Step by Step Guide (Broker)

Complete 240 hours (or 16 college credit hours) in real estate education no more than 10 years before passing the exam
Register for the exam by sending in the form found on page 19 of the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook (You will receive confirmation as soon as you are eligible to schedule it)
Pass the broker exam (See below for more information)
Order your Criminal Records Check (To be included in your license application)
Apply for license (Make sure to include all necessary documents as outlined on page 17 of the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook)

Obtaining a reciprocal license if you are already licensed in another state:

Refer to either the “Salesperson Reciprocal Method” or “Broker Reciprocal Method” section on the Pennsylvania Department of State website

Exam Info

Salesperson: The exam costs $49 and is administered on a computer in multiple choice format. The national portion consists of 80 scored questions and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. The state law portion consists of 40 scored questions and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score.

There is no distinction made between scored questions and pre-test questions on the exam. They are all mixed in together, so it is important that you answer each question carefully.

You must achieve a score of at least 75% on each section to pass. You will have 2 hours to complete the national portion and 1 hour to complete the state law portion.

Broker: The exam costs $49 and is administered on a computer in multiple choice format. In addition to standard multiple choice, the broker exam contains scenario-based questions with more than 4 possible answers to choose from. For an example of what this type of question looks like, refer to page 17 of the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook.

The national portion consists of 75 scored questions and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. The state law portion consists of 40 scored questions and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score.