How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Kentucky

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old before starting the licensing steps.
• Have a high school diploma or GED (or a transcript showing 28 college credit hours).
• Complete 96 classroom hours of pre-license education or 6 college credit hours in real estate.
• Submit an FBI national criminal history check; the Commission investigates any felony conviction in the past 10 years or misdemeanor conviction in the past 5 years.

Step by step

1. Complete the 96-hour sales associate pre-license course at a KREC-approved school (or 6 credit hours at an accredited college).
2. Submit your fingerprints for an FBI national criminal history check before you book the exam. The report is valid for 90 days.
3. Register with PSI, pay the $100 fee, and pass both the general and Kentucky state portions of the sales associate exam.
4. Get errors and omissions (E&O) insurance if your license will be active right away.
5. Within 60 days of passing both portions, submit the license application (online link emailed by KREC, or the paper form from the test site) with your course certificate, diploma/GED proof, E&O proof, background report and fee.
6. Complete 48 hours of post-license education within the first 2 years of holding an active license.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: 96 classroom hours of real estate pre-license education from a Kentucky-approved school, or 6 academic credit hours in real estate from an accredited college or university (1 semester hour equals 16 classroom hours). The education must be finished before you make a test reservation; testing early voids your scores.

Exam: Given by PSI. Sales associate general portion: 80 questions, 150 minutes; Kentucky state portion: 50 questions, 90 minutes; both: 130 questions, 240 minutes. Up to 5–10 unscored experimental questions may be added. Passing score: at least 75% correct. Fee: $100 whether you take one or both portions; not refundable, and registration expires after 1 year. You only retake a failed portion, but both must be passed within 4 months of the first passed portion. After 3 failed attempts on a portion, wait at least 30 days before retesting. A passing score is valid for only 60 days, so apply quickly.

What it costs in Kentucky

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 Kentucky

After you're licensed

Renewal: Licenses are renewed through the KREC Online Services Portal by March 31 of every even-numbered year; the renewal fee is $130 if active or $120 if inactive. A license that is not renewed is cancelled. Sales associates licensed after January 1, 2016 must complete 48 hours of Commission-approved post-license education within the first 2 years of active licensure, or the license is automatically cancelled the next day. Active licensees also complete 6 hours of CE each year (3 in law and 3 elective) by December 31 of the first year of the renewal cycle, and must take the Commission-approved core course once every 4 years. Under KRS 324.085, a licensee completing the post-license requirement is excepted from the regular CE requirement.

Good to know in Kentucky

Principal broker: A sales associate works under a principal broker. When that association ends, the release is reported to the Commission, which emails you about what you must do within 30 days.

Tight deadlines: Your FBI background report is valid for 90 days and your passing score for 60 days. You must pass the exam and file the application before either expires.

Reciprocity: Actively licensed sales associates from other states can apply for an equivalent Kentucky license by filing a background check, a license certification issued within 90 days, proof of 6 credit hours (or equivalent under a reciprocity agreement), and passing only the Kentucky law portion of the exam.

Online portal: Within 10 days of receiving your license number, you must create an Online Services Portal account and confirm your address, phone number and email.

Late fees: KREC's fee schedule lists a $200 late renewal fee and a $1,000 late fee for missed continuing education/CORE, on top of regular processing fees.

Sources

• KREC — Apply for a License
• KREC — Steps to Obtain a Sales Associate License
• KREC — Fee Schedule
• KREC — Licensing Exam information
• KREC — Education (pre-license and post-license)
• 201 KAR 11:210 — Licensing, education, and testing requirements
• PSI — Kentucky Real Estate Sales Associate and Broker Candidate Information Bulletin
• KREC — Background Check