How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Alabama

Who can apply

• Be at least 19 years old.
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or legally present in the U.S.
• Show proof of bona fide residency in any U.S. state.
• Show proof of high school graduation or the equivalent (diploma, GED, college transcript, HiSET/TASC, or DD-214).
• Not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; applicants with such a conviction must appear before the Commission and may first ask for a Determination of Licensing Eligibility.
• Not have had a real estate license or application rejected or revoked in any state in the past two years.
• Attorneys and CPAs are not exempt from the course or the exam.

Step by step

1. Pre-register with AREC to get your ID number. Schools, Pearson VUE, and Fieldprint all use it.
2. Complete the 60-clock-hour salesperson prelicense course at an AREC-approved school, with a course grade of at least 70%.
3. Pass the Pearson VUE salesperson exam within 6 months of finishing the course. If you miss that deadline, you must retake the course.
4. Within 90 days of passing the exam, find a qualifying broker and send AREC a complete application with fees. Your exam score is void after 90 days.
5. Get fingerprinted through Fieldprint for the state and FBI background check, ideally on the same day you submit the application.
6. AREC issues a temporary license to your qualifying broker. You may not do real estate business until it is issued.
7. Finish the 30-hour post-license course and apply for your original (permanent) license within 6 months to stay active. The temporary license lapses after one year.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: 60 clock hours of salesperson prelicense education from an AREC-licensed school, completed within one year of starting, at no more than 8 hours of credit per day, with 90% attendance and a minimum course grade of 70%. After licensure, a 30-hour post-license course is required to get the original (permanent) license. Holders of a current license from another state may instead take a 6-hour reciprocal course on Alabama license law.

Exam: Pearson VUE. The salesperson exam has a general portion of 80 scored items (2.5 hours) and a state portion of 40 scored items (1 hour), 3.5 hours total, plus 10-15 unscored pretest items. Passing score is a scaled 70. Fee: $73 (reciprocal salesperson state-only exam: $53, 1 hour). You get unlimited attempts during a 6-month authorization; if you fail, you retake the entire exam. Exam results are good for 90 days.

What it costs in Alabama

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

What other sites get wrong about Alabama

After you're licensed

Renewal: License periods run two years, from October 1 of each even year to September 30 of the next even year. The current period began October 1, 2026 and ends September 30, 2028; for the 2026 renewal, the deadline without the $150 late penalty was August 31, and unrenewed licenses went inactive on October 1. Salesperson renewal fee is $85 per year of the period, plus a $7.50 research and education fee. Active salespersons need 15 hours of CE each period: the 3-hour "Risk Management: Initial Contact to Accepted Offer" course plus 12 hours of approved electives. A new licensee who finished the post-license course is exempt from CE for the first renewal.

Good to know in Alabama

Qualifying broker: Within 90 days of passing the exam you must secure a qualifying broker licensed in Alabama, who signs a sworn statement accepting responsibility for you. Your license is issued to that broker, and you cannot do real estate business until it is.

Temporary license limits: The temporary license can be active only for its first 6 months unless you finish the 30-hour post-license course and get your original license. It expires and lapses one year after issuance and cannot be renewed; a lapsed applicant starts over.

Reciprocity: If you hold a current license in another state earned by taking that state's prelicense course and exam, you can take a 6-hour Alabama license law course and pass the 40-item Alabama state exam, and submit a Certificate of Licensure issued within 120 days. Military spouses get an expedited temporary reciprocal license with 180 days to finish.

E&O insurance: Alabama's former errors and omissions insurance statute (34-27-35.1) was repealed in 2003.

How to file: After you pass, the license application is reached online (link in your score report or Online Services, "New License"), but the complete application must be mailed or delivered to AREC, 1201 Carmichael Way, Montgomery, AL 36106, with a check or money order. AREC's office does not accept credit cards.

Changes coming October 1, 2028: Act 2025-379 takes effect October 1, 2028. Salesperson applicants will take a 60-hour basics course, pass the exam within 180 days, and complete a 60-hour professional development course within 90 days of the exam. Temporary licensees will then complete a 15-hour orientation and a broker-signed core competencies checklist, applying within 90 days of the temporary license. Current rules apply until then.

Sources

• AREC — Become a Licensed Real Estate Professional
• AREC — License Application Instructions
• AREC — Blueprint and Deadlines for Obtaining an Alabama Real Estate License (2025)
• AREC — Renew Your Real Estate License
• AREC — Frequently Asked Questions
• Code of Alabama 34-27-33 (temporary and original licenses)
• Code of Alabama 34-27-35 (license fees, renewal, CE)
• Code of Alabama 34-27-31 (Recovery Fund)
• Pearson VUE — Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook (fees effective Aug 1, 2025)
• AREC — Renew Your Real Estate License; License Application Instructions; Act 2025-379 (HB225): A Summary