Guides › Updated 2026-10-31
Real Estate Exam Fees and Pre-Licensing Hours by State (All 50 + DC)
TL;DR. The table below lists the pre-licensing hours and exam fee for every state and DC, compiled from candidate handbooks, bulletins and regulator pages we read on 2026-10-31. Hours run from 40 to 180 and fees from $15 to $190. A dagger marks figures we could not fully verify, so confirm with your regulator before you pay anyone.
GablePrep is an independent study tool. We are not affiliated with any real estate commission or testing provider, and we are not a pre-licensing course. We do not sell courses, and we do not set these numbers.
How to read the table
Each row shows what the sources list for the entry-level license in that state. A few notes keep you from misreading it:
- Exam fee is the fee for the exam as listed in the handbook or bulletin (accessed 2026-10-31). Some states charge per portion and others charge one price for both. Where a handbook was ambiguous, we mark it.
- Hours are the pre-licensing education a state requires, counted the way that state counts them (clock hours, class hours, or 50-minute classroom hours in Florida).
- Not included: license application fees, fingerprinting, background checks, tuition and post-licensing education. These are often separate. California lists a separate $350 original license fee, and New York lists a $65 initial license application fee.
- Missing data is written as “not found.” In this edition every state had a figure for both columns, but several are flagged.
The sources for each figure are listed at the bottom of this page. Fees change, so treat the table as a starting point and verify before you book.
The table
| State | Pre-licensing hours | Exam fee |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 60 | $73 |
| Alaska (AK) | 40 | $115 |
| Arizona (AZ) | 90 | $130 † |
| Arkansas (AR) | 60 | $75 † |
| California (CA) | 135 † | $100 |
| Colorado * (CO) | 168 † | $49 † |
| Connecticut (CT) | 60 | $59 |
| Delaware (DE) | 99 | $88 |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 60 | $79 |
| Florida (FL) | 63 | $36.75 † |
| Georgia (GA) | 75 | $175 |
| Hawaii (HI) | 60 | $61 |
| Idaho (ID) | 90 | $83 |
| Illinois * (IL) | 75 | $58 |
| Indiana * (IN) | 90 | $55 |
| Iowa (IA) | 60 | $95 |
| Kansas (KS) | 60 | $70 |
| Kentucky (KY) | 96 | $100 |
| Louisiana (LA) | 90 | $81 |
| Maine * (ME) | 55 † | $88 † |
| Maryland (MD) | 60 | $44 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 40 | $56 |
| Michigan (MI) | 40 | $79 |
| Minnesota (MN) | 90 | $68 |
| Mississippi (MS) | 60 | $75 |
| Missouri (MO) | 48 | $52 |
| Montana (MT) | 70 | $190 |
| Nebraska (NE) | 96 | $150 |
| Nevada (NV) | 120 | $100 † |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 40 | $66 † |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 75 | $38 |
| New Mexico * (NM) | 90 | $95 |
| New York (NY) | 77 | $15 |
| North Carolina * (NC) | 75 | $63 |
| North Dakota (ND) | 90 | $134 |
| Ohio (OH) | 100 | $66 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 90 | $75 |
| Oregon (OR) | 150 | $75 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 75 | $52 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 45 | $103 |
| South Carolina (SC) | 90 | $67 |
| South Dakota (SD) | 116 | $105 |
| Tennessee (TN) | 90 | $63 |
| Texas (TX) | 180 | $58 † |
| Utah (UT) | 120 | $69 † |
| Vermont (VT) | 40 | $110 |
| Virginia (VA) | 60 | $60 |
| Washington (WA) | 90 | $210 |
| West Virginia (WV) | 90 | $118 |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 72 | $65 |
| Wyoming (WY) | 68 † | $160 |
* Entry-level license caveat: Colorado, Illinois and Indiana license the entry level as broker; New Mexico as associate broker; North Carolina as provisional broker; Maine as sales agent. The figures shown are for that entry-level license, not a license called “salesperson.”
† Reported or not fully verified:
- Arizona ($130): the sum of a $60 state and $70 general exam if booked separately. The handbook mentions a combo discount with ambiguous wording.
- Arkansas ($75): the handbook is ambiguous about whether this is per component or combined.
- California (135 hours): DRE requires three courses of at least 45 hours each. The 135 is our multiplication, not a number DRE prints.
- Colorado ($49, 168 hours): the fee comes from a 2023 bulletin and was not re-verified. The hours came from a summary of the official page that is itself dated.
- Florida ($36.75): from an older fact sheet. The current booklet refers to fee increases without amounts.
- Maine ($88, 55 hours): the handbook does not say whether $88 is per portion or combined. The hours come from the Commission’s course outline as relayed to us.
- Nevada ($100): the fee table is ambiguous about the combined price.
- New Hampshire ($66): the combined fee as listed. A 2026 rule proposal mentions a different amount, which we could not confirm is in effect.
- Texas ($58): the handbook lists $58 for national, state or both. Confirm whether it applies per sitting.
- Utah ($69): the handbook does not say whether this is per portion or per sitting.
- Wyoming (68 hours): published only in a document we could not read. Course vendors report 68 and other sources report different totals, so treat it as low confidence.
Other hour notes: in Kansas the 60 hours are a 30-hour principles course (needed before the exam) plus a 30-hour practice course (needed before the license application). South Carolina’s 90 hours include 30 hours that may be completed after the exam. Nevada’s 120 hours apply to applicants beginning on or after October 1, 2021.
What to do with these numbers
Use the table to budget and compare, not as a final answer. When you know your state, open its handbook or regulator page and confirm the current fee and hours. Our state pages collect the details we verified, for example Texas, Florida and California.
For a step-by-step view of the process, see our license requirements checklist. If you are preparing for the exam, the free state quizzes and the GablePrep app can help you practice.
Next step
Try a free state quiz (Texas shown as an example; every state has one) and see where your knowledge stands.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the real estate exam cost?
It varies widely. In the handbooks we read (accessed 2026-10-31), the listed exam fee ranges from $15 in New York to $190 in Montana, where $95 is charged per portion. Some figures are marked unverified in the table, so confirm at booking.
How many pre-licensing hours do I need?
The hours in the handbooks and statutes we read range from 40 in several states to 180 in Texas. Some states count differently, so read the footnotes and check your regulator.
Is the exam fee the whole cost of getting licensed?
No. License application fees, fingerprinting, background checks and course tuition are usually separate. For example, California lists a separate $350 original license fee and New York lists a $65 initial license application fee.
Why do some states say broker or associate broker instead of salesperson?
Colorado, Illinois and Indiana license the entry level as broker, New Mexico as associate broker, North Carolina as provisional broker and Maine as sales agent. The table shows the entry-level figures for those states.
Sources
- Alabama - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Alaska - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Arizona - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Arkansas - candidate handbook or regulator page
- California DRE - fee schedule
- California DRE - salesperson requirements
- Colorado - PSI candidate bulletin
- Colorado - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Connecticut - PSI candidate bulletin
- Connecticut - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Delaware - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Delaware - candidate handbook or regulator page
- District of Columbia - PSI candidate bulletin
- Florida - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Florida Statutes s. 475.17 (pre-licensing hours)
- Georgia - PSI candidate bulletin
- Hawaii - PSI candidate bulletin
- Hawaii - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Idaho - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Idaho - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Illinois - PSI candidate bulletin
- Indiana - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Iowa - PSI candidate bulletin
- Kansas - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Kentucky - PSI candidate bulletin
- Louisiana - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Maine - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Maine - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Maryland - PSI candidate bulletin
- Maryland - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Massachusetts - PSI candidate bulletin
- Michigan - PSI candidate bulletin
- Michigan - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Minnesota - PSI candidate bulletin
- Mississippi - PSI candidate bulletin
- Missouri - PSI candidate bulletin
- Montana - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Montana - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Nebraska - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Nebraska - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Nevada - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- New Hampshire - PSI candidate bulletin
- New Jersey - PSI candidate bulletin
- New Mexico - PSI candidate bulletin
- New York Department of State - real estate salesperson
- North Carolina - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- North Dakota - PSI candidate bulletin
- North Dakota - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Ohio - PSI candidate bulletin
- Oklahoma - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Oklahoma - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Oregon - PSI candidate bulletin
- Oregon - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Pennsylvania - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Rhode Island - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Rhode Island - candidate handbook or regulator page
- South Carolina - PSI candidate bulletin
- South Carolina - candidate handbook or regulator page
- South Dakota - candidate handbook or regulator page
- South Dakota - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Tennessee - PSI candidate bulletin
- Texas - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Texas Real Estate Commission - sales agent requirements
- Utah - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Vermont - PSI candidate bulletin
- Vermont - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Virginia - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Washington - PSI candidate bulletin
- West Virginia - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- West Virginia - candidate handbook or regulator page
- Wisconsin - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Wyoming - Pearson VUE candidate handbook
- Wyoming - candidate handbook or regulator page
Independent exam prep. Not affiliated with any state real estate commission or testing provider. Not an approved pre-licensing course. Not legal advice. Facts verified on 2026-10-31; always confirm with your state’s official handbook.