How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien.
• Meet TREC's standards for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity. You may ask for a Fitness Determination before applying.
• Pass a fingerprint-based background check with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Step by step

1. Create a REALM Portal account to get a pre-license education application number, and give it to your course provider.
2. Complete the 180 hours of qualifying education from a TREC-approved provider.
3. Submit the Sales Agent Application and $206 fee in REALM. Do not apply until all education is done.
4. Get fingerprinted ($37 to IDEMIA) after your application moves to "In Review."
5. Pass the national and state portions of the Pearson VUE sales agent exam. TREC emails scheduling instructions after it reviews your education.
6. TREC issues an inactive license. Find a sponsoring broker and submit the sponsorship in REALM to make it active.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: 180 classroom hours from a TREC-approved provider: Principles of Real Estate I (30), Principles of Real Estate II (30), Law of Agency (30), Law of Contracts (30), Promulgated Contract Forms (30), and Real Estate Finance (30). A college transcript usually does not count unless it shows these specific courses. Before the first renewal you must also complete Sales Agent Apprentice Education (see renewal).

Exam: Pearson VUE (Texas candidate handbook, September 2026). National portion: 85 items (80 scored, 5 pretest) in 150 minutes; you need 56 correct. State portion: 50 items (40 scored, 10 pretest, effective January 1, 2026) in 90 minutes; you need 28 correct. Total time is 240 minutes. The handbook lists the exam fee as $58; TREC's fee schedule (effective December 15, 2025) still lists $43, so check the amount when you book. If you fail, you retake only the failed portion. You get three attempts before your application expires; after three failures you must take 30 more hours of qualifying education (60 hours if you failed both portions) before testing again.

What it costs in Texas

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

How long it takes

TREC says to allow up to four weeks from your application date for it to review your application and decide whether you are eligible for an exam authorization.

What other sites get wrong about Texas

After you're licensed

Renewal: Renew every two years in REALM; on-time renewal costs $110 ($143 up to 90 days late, $176 more than 90 days late). First renewal: complete Sales Agent Apprentice Education (a 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course and 60 more hours of qualifying education, for 270 total qualifying hours) plus Legal Update I and II (8 hours). These hours cannot be deferred; if they are not done, the license expires. Later renewals: 18 hours of CE each period, including Legal Update I (4), Legal Update II (4), 3 hours of contract coursework, and 7 elective hours. If CE is not finished, a $200 deferral fee keeps you active for 60 more days. A license can be renewed up to six months after expiration.

Good to know in Texas

Sponsoring broker: A sales agent must be sponsored by a licensed Texas broker to perform any real estate services. Your license is issued inactive until you or your broker submit a sponsorship request in REALM.

Application deadline: Your application expires one year after it is filed. You must meet every requirement, including passing both exam portions, within that year.

Reciprocity: Texas has no reciprocity with any other state. If you hold an active license in a state that participates in ARELLO's national exam accreditation, you may be exempt from the national portion; submit a license history from that state with your application.

Late renewal: A late renewal (up to six months after expiration) is renewed on inactive status, and CE cannot be deferred with a late renewal. From six months to two years after expiration you apply for reinstatement; after two years you must reapply and pass the exam.

Sources

• TREC — Become a Real Estate Sales Agent
• TREC — Fee Schedule (effective December 15, 2025)
• TREC — Renew Your Sales Agent License
• Pearson VUE — Texas Real Estate Licensure Exams
• Pearson VUE — Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (September 2026)
• TREC: REALM Portal for real estate applicants