How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Tennessee

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent (proof is required with the application).
• Pass a TBI and FBI fingerprint-based background check.
• Carry errors and omissions insurance.
• Affiliate with a Tennessee principal broker, who must sign your PSI examination application.

Step by step

1. Complete the 60-hour real estate principles/fundamentals course. Your school sends proof to PSI; you cannot register for the exam until it does.
2. Pass both the national and state portions of the PSI affiliate broker exam.
3. Complete the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates. It must be done before the license is issued.
4. Get fingerprinted through IdentoGO (service code 28TZ99) for the TBI and FBI background check.
5. Buy errors and omissions insurance, through the TREC group program or an equivalent outside policy.
6. Within one year of passing all exam portions, apply online at core.tn.gov with the $91 fee, your course certificates, the PSI exam application signed by your principal broker, proof of E&O, proof of high school graduation, and your fingerprint receipt.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: 90 hours total (T.C.A. 62-13-303(b)(2); Rule 1260-05-.03): 60 hours of real estate principles/fundamentals before the exam, and the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates before the license is issued. Certificates for both go with the application.

Exam: PSI (bulletin updated 7/1/2025). National portion: 80 items in 160 minutes, pass with 56 correct (70%). State portion: 40 items in 80 minutes, pass with 28 correct (70%). Unscored experimental questions may be added. Fees: $63 full exam, $37 national only, $26 state only. A passed portion stays valid for two retakes of the failed portion or one year, whichever comes first. After a first failure you can retest the next day; after the second attempt you must wait 30 days between retakes. Apply for the license within one year of passing.

What it costs in Tennessee

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 Tennessee

After you're licensed

Renewal: Licenses renew every two years online through CORE for $75. Affiliate brokers licensed on or after July 1, 1980 must complete 16 hours of approved CE each two-year period, including the 6-hour TREC CORE course and 10 elective hours, on or before the expiration date (Rule 1260-05-.12). Late renewal costs $50 per month for the first 120 days and $100 per month from 121 to 365 days. Retired-status licensees do not need CE or E&O to renew.

Good to know in Tennessee

Principal broker: Your principal broker must sign the PSI examination application that goes with your license application.

E&O insurance: Each licensee must carry errors and omissions insurance as a condition of licensure, even if the firm also has a policy. Missing coverage leads to suspension procedures and civil penalties (minimum $200). The new group term with RISC began July 1, 2026.

Reciprocity: TREC does not offer a reciprocal license. Out-of-state education, national exam results, or experience may count toward Tennessee requirements; send TREC's Worksheet A and certified license histories to TREC.Info@tn.gov for a review.

Criminal history: Under Rule 1260-01-.01(4), you cannot take the exam or be considered for a license until two years after your probation, parole or conviction ends or you are released from incarceration, whichever is later. This applies to all felonies and to misdemeanors involving theft of money, services or property.

Military families: The Military Families Licensing Recognition Act, effective July 1, 2026, sets licensing standards for active or retired military members, spouses and dependents who hold a valid license from another state or the military. They must be in good standing, pay fees, complete a form and consent to Tennessee jurisdiction.

Sources

• TREC — Affiliate Broker Licensure
• TREC — PSI & Exam Information
• PSI — Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025)
• TREC — Fees
• TREC — Renewal, Reciprocity & Other Resources
• Rules of the Tennessee Real Estate Commission, Chapter 1260-05
• TREC Newsletter, Summer 2026 (E&O term, 2026 legislation)