How to Get a Pennsylvania Real Estate Salesperson License: 75 Hours, the Exam, and the Application

Short answer: To get a Pennsylvania real estate salesperson license you must be at least 18, be a high school graduate or the equivalent, complete 75 hours of Commission-approved real estate instruction, pass both the National and Pennsylvania State parts of the salesperson exam, and then file a license application with the State Real Estate Commission within three years of passing. The application includes a sworn statement from the broker who will supervise and train you. These steps come from the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA), 49 Pa. Code Chapter 35 and the October 2026 Pearson handbook.

Step 1: Meet the basic qualifications

• Age: at least 18 years old (RELRA section 521(1)).
• Education level: a high school graduate or proof of an equivalent education (section 521(3)).
• Good reputation: licenses are granted only to persons who bear a good reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, integrity and competence (section 501(a)).

Step 2: Complete 75 hours of prelicense education

Section 521(2)(i) of RELRA requires 75 hours of real estate instruction in areas the Commission prescribes, including fair housing and professional ethics. The Pearson handbook (October 2026) states the same rule as "5 credits or 75 hours" of basic real estate courses from a Commission-approved Pennsylvania provider, an approved out-of-state provider or an accredited college.

Watch out for 60 hours. The regulation at 49 Pa. Code section 35.272 still prints "four credits, or 60 hours." The statute was amended in 2018 to 75 hours, and it keeps 60 hours only as a transitional rule for an applicant who had completed a portion of the hours before the effective date of that transitional subparagraph (section 521(2)(ii)). For a new candidate today, the answer is 75 hours.

Some degrees satisfy the education requirement: a bachelor's degree with a major in real estate (or equivalent coursework) from an accredited college, or a juris doctor degree. Course certificates are valid for 5 years from completion, unless you rely on a law or bachelor's degree; the handbook allows 10 years for education started before August 28, 2018.

Step 3: Get authorized and pass the exam

Create an account in Clarus, choose the State and National exam applications, and upload your proof of education. Pearson reviews salesperson eligibility and emails you an authorization with scheduling instructions. You must pass each part with a scaled 75%; see how the Pennsylvania exam works. Your authorization lasts 5 years from the first education course, and a passing result is good for 3 years.

If you have been actively licensed as a broker or salesperson by another state within the last 5 years, you take only the Pennsylvania portion (49 Pa. Code section 35.223(a)(1)). The handbook says the National waiver still requires the education above plus a Certification of Licensure from the other jurisdiction, dated within 90 days of registering.

Step 4: Apply for the license

After passing, you complete the license application with the Commission (the handbook points to PALS). Under RELRA section 522 and 49 Pa. Code section 35.223, the application must:

• be received by the Commission within three years of the date you passed the examination;
• include a sworn statement from the broker with whom you will be affiliated, attesting to your good reputation and certifying that the broker will actively supervise and train you;
• include official transcripts for your education (section 35.223(a)(2)(ii)) and, per the Pearson handbook, your passing score reports.

Under section 35.221, every applicant also submits the license fee, complete details of any conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony or misdemeanor and the sentence imposed, and written consent to service of process. If you miss the three-year window, you must retake the exam before a license will be issued.

Already licensed in another state? Endorsement and provisional licenses

Commission rules effective August 22, 2026 (49 Pa. Code sections 35.230-35.231) implement licensure by endorsement under 63 Pa.C.S. section 3111. Under 49 Pa. Code section 35.230, an applicant needs a current license in good standing in a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards, at least 2 of the 5 years immediately before applying in active practice, no grounds for discipline under RELRA section 604, and no discipline by the licensing jurisdiction (the Commission may, in its discretion, decide those are not an impediment). The Commission may require a personal interview.

Under section 35.231, the Commission may issue a provisional endorsement license while you finish the remaining requirements. It lets you practice for up to 1 year (an extension of no longer than 1 year is possible for good cause), and it ends when the Commission grants or denies the license, if you break its terms, or when it expires. A second provisional endorsement license will not be issued. Reciprocal licenses under section 35.223(b) still exist as a separate path.

After you are licensed: continuing education

Standard licensees complete 14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education in each two-year license period, by the May 31 renewal deadline. In the first biennial period that CE is required, a new licensee takes the Commission-developed 14-hour course for new licensees. A license left inactive for five years requires passing the exam again (RELRA section 501(b)). Study these rules in Pennsylvania licensure or browse all Pennsylvania lessons.

Independent exam-prep guide. Not affiliated with the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission, the Department of State or Pearson VUE. Always confirm current requirements with the Commission.