How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Louisiana

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or a GED.
• Complete 90 hours of LREC-approved real estate education.
• Pass a fingerprint-based criminal history review by the Louisiana State Police and the FBI.
• Be supervised by a licensed Louisiana real estate broker and show proof of errors and omissions insurance before the license is issued.

Step by step

1. Complete the 90-hour Real Estate 101 pre-licensing course (online or live) at an LREC-certified real estate school, including the course final exam.
2. Mail or deliver your completion certificate and the Initial Salesperson License Application – Part A to the LREC with the $90 fee.
3. After the LREC processes Part A, Pearson VUE emails you to schedule and pay for the exam.
4. Get fingerprinted for the criminal history review at an IdentoGO location using service code 27N4TH.
5. Pass both the national and Louisiana state portions of the exam.
6. Submit Part B of the application with your supervising broker's signed agreement and proof of E&O insurance (or the prorated group premium).

Training and exam

Training: 90 hours of pre-licensing education from an LREC state-certified real estate school, covering real estate principles and practices, Louisiana Real Estate License Law, Commission rules, law of agency, and Louisiana civil law on real estate. Online courses must be Internet-based, ARELLO-approved for delivery and Commission-approved for content. You must pass a final course exam to get the certificate. College courses or out-of-state coursework may earn partial credit with prior LREC approval, but nothing substitutes for the 30-hour Louisiana law portion.

Exam: Given by Pearson VUE after LREC authorization. Combined salesperson exam: 135 questions in 240 minutes; national only: 80 questions, 150 minutes; state only: 55 questions, 90 minutes (pretest questions are also included). Passing scaled score: 70 on the national and 70 on the state portion. Fees: $81 for the combined exam on the first attempt and $96 for a repeat; national only $42; state only $39. You get unlimited attempts during a 1-year authorization, only retake the part you failed, and a passing score is good for 1 year.

What it costs in Louisiana

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 Louisiana

After you're licensed

Renewal: Licenses renew every year through the MyLREC Portal. The timely renewal period is August 1 – September 30; renewals from October 1 – November 15 add a $50 delinquent fee, and from November 16 – December 31 a $200 delinquent fee for active licensees ($50 if inactive). Every licensee must renew by December 31. New salespersons must complete a one-time 45-hour post-licensing course, with a passed course exam, within 180 days of the initial license date (not required if the license is moved to inactive within 180 days, but due before reactivating). Active licensees also need 12 hours of CE by December 31 each year, including the LREC mandatory topic (for 2026: Transparency, Technology, and Trust); new licensees owe the 12 hours in the year they are licensed. Post-licensing hours can count toward part of the 12 hours, but not the mandatory topic.

Good to know in Louisiana

Supervising broker: A licensed broker must sign the Agreement and Acknowledgement of Supervising Broker in Part B. If you do not yet have a sponsoring broker, you can ask that the license be issued in inactive status.

How to apply: Initial applications are mailed to or dropped off at the LREC office, 9071 Interline Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

Background check: Act 553 of 2022 requires a fingerprint-based criminal history review for all initial license applicants. Applicants with felony history can use the LREC's Application for Felony Review.

Licensed in another state: LREC may accept another state's exam results in place of the national portion if you passed an equivalent exam within five years of applying; you then take only the Louisiana state portion. Results are not accepted if your license is expired. Course credit from other states can be partial, but the 30-hour Louisiana law portion of the 90-hour course cannot be substituted.

Renewal cost: The LREC lists an annual salesperson renewal total of $77 when you show your own E&O policy (renewal fee plus a $7 processing fee), or $219 when you buy the LREC group E&O policy at renewal. Renewals after September 30 add a $50 or $200 delinquent fee.

Sources

• LREC — Become Licensed: Salesperson
• LREC — Salesperson Pre-licensing Education
• LREC — Salesperson Pre-Licensing Checklist
• LREC — Initial Salesperson License Application, Part A
• LREC — Initial Real Estate Application, Part B (Supervision Affidavit)
• LREC — Fingerprint Criminal History Review
• LREC — Errors and Omissions
• LREC — Post-licensing Education Requirements
• LREC — Continuing Education Requirements
• LREC — Renewal Season
• Pearson VUE — Louisiana Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook
• LREC — FAQs (renewal fees)
• La. R.S. 37:1443 — Fees