How many hours of continuing education are required for real estate license renewal in Texas?

There are two different types of continuing education requirements in Texas.

First, there are Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) requirements, which only apply if you are renewing your Texas real estate license for the first time. You must complete 90 hours of SAE credits before your first renewal date. SAE courses are 30 hours each.

Then there are Continuing Education (CE) requirements, which applies to anyone who has renewed their license more than once. TREC requires 18 hours of CE credits for each 2 year renewal period. Also, please note that you will not be granted credit for a CE course you completed if you previously completed a substantially similar course within a two year period.

CE courses may cover topics such as:

  • Real estate appraisal
  • Real estate law
  • Real estate marketing
  • Real estate math
  • Property management
  • Real estate investments
  • Residential inspection for real estate agents

In addition to the SAE and CE requirements, all licensees must take a 4-hour Legal Update 1, and a 4-hour Legal Update 2 course (8 hours in total). If you are required to take the SAE courses, the 8 hours of Legal Update credits must be taken in addition to the 90 hours of SAE credits.

If you are required to take CE credits, the 8 hours of Legal Update credits may be counted towards the required 18 hours of CE. This means you will only be required to take 10 hours of elective CE credits in addition to the 8 hours of Legal Updates.

Finally, if your broker has made you a supervisor for more than 6 months, you must take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course, prior to your renewal date.

If you are taking SAE credits, the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course must be taken in addition to the 90 SAE credits and 8 Legal Update credits.
If you are taking CE credits, the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course may count towards your required 18 hours of CE credits. Since CE candidates must take 8 hours of Legal Update courses, you will only be required to take 4 hours of elective CE credits (6-hour Broker Responsibility course, 8-hours of Legal Update courses, and 4-hours of elective CE courses).

  • Call Us
  • Cart
  • Log In

  • Refer A Friend
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Log in
  • FAQs
  • COVID-19
  • MY CART
  • My Courses

  • Appraisal
    • Get your license
    • QE livestream courses
    • Upgrade your license
    • Licensing subscription
    • Exam Prep
    • Continuing education
    • Membership
    • CE livestream courses
    • Appraisal Certifications
    • USPAP
    • Professional development
    • Corporate Solutions
  • Real Estate
    • Get your license
    • Upgrade your license
    • Post-license
    • Continuing education
    • Coaching and training
    • Membership
    • Brokerage solutions
  • Home Inspection
    • Home Inspection Continuing Education
    • American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
    • International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI)
    • California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA)
  • Land Surveyor
  • Engineering
  • Banking Suite

  • Log in
  • My Courses

How to get your Real Estate License in Texas

Do you want to become a real estate agent and get Texas Real Estate License? McKissock Learning taught thousands of aspiring real estate agents in Texas, we make it easy for you to get up to speed on the Texas real estate license requirements.

  • home >
  • real estate >
  • continuing education >
  • texas >
  • requirements

Learn what's required for your Real Estate License in Texas

This real estate licensing information summarizes the minimum requirements established by the Texas Real Estate Commission. We recommend you contact the Texas Real Estate Commission for more detailed information or changes.

If you obtain real estate licenses in multiple states, we recommend you check each state's requirements.

Texas Real Estate License: Non-Supervising Broker

Renewal Cycle in Years: 2

Education Cycle in Months: 24

Continuing Education and Renewal Date: Every 24 months on the last day of the original issuance month.

Hours Required by TREC: 18 hours.
•11 mandatory hours
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update I
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update II
    o3 hours of contract-related coursework
•7 elective hours

If you have sponsored one or more sales agents, served as the designated broker for a business entity that sponsors sales agents, or have been made a supervisor of other license holders, you will need to take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course as part of your 18 hours of CE.

If TREC records do not reflect completion of CE requirements at the time you submit your renewal application, you must pay a $200 CE Deferral Fee, or renew in inactive status. Payment of the CE Deferral Fee allows you to remain active for an additional 60 days from your expiration date to complete CE requirements.

Course Security Questions: CE credit courses contain security questions which must be answered correctly within one minute. Each question is case sensitive. Per TREC regulation, course providers are unable to make available the security questions and answers to enrollees. Please be sure to read carefully.

Seat Time: The Texas Real Estate Commission requires a timing device for all distance education courses to ensure that courses cannot be completed in less time than the approved credit hours. Please note that your course will time out after several minutes of inactivity.

Final Exam: While students are required to demonstrate mastery of the content at certain levels of the course, there is no passing score requirement for the final exam.

Expiration Date of Course: Course expiration dates vary but are generally 6 months after enrollment date.

Certificate: With few exceptions, online course completion certificates are available for download at course conclusion and posted directly to your student dashboard.

Limitations

There is no limit to the number of CE hours that may be completed online.

Roster

Roster Process: Rosters are submitted electronically every Thursday. Rosters are submitted for any CE course or QE course of 15 hours or less. Licensees are required to submit their certificates directly to the Commission for any QE courses longer than 30 hours. **If you need or want the roster submitted earlier than the scheduled date, there is a $10 rush fee for that service.**

Roster Sent: Every 7 days

Governing Agency

Name: Texas Real Estate Commission

Address: 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 400 Austin, TX 78701

Texas Real Estate License: Sales Agent

Renewal Cycle in Years: 2

Education Cycle in Months: 24

Continuing Education and Renewal Date: Every 24 months on the last day of the original issuance month.

Hours Required by TREC: 18 hours.
•11 mandatory hours
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update I
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update II
    o3 hours of contract-related coursework
•7 elective hours

If you have sponsored one or more sales agents, served as the designated broker for a business entity that sponsors sales agents, or have been made a supervisor of other license holders, you will need to take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course as part of your 18 hours of CE.

If TREC records do not reflect completion of CE requirements at the time you submit your renewal application, you must pay a $200 CE Deferral Fee, or renew in inactive status. Payment of the CE Deferral Fee allows you to remain active for an additional 60 days from your expiration date to complete CE requirements.

First Time Renewal Requirements:
Sales Agents renewing for the first time must have a total of 270 qualifying real estate course hours, 4 hours of TREC's Legal Update I, and 4 hours of TREC's Legal Update II posted to their license record prior to submitting their renewal. Those which have been made a supervisor by their broker must complete the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course.

Course Security Questions:
CE credit courses contain security questions which must be answered correctly within one minute. Each question is case sensitive. Per TREC regulation, course providers are unable to make available the security questions and answers to enrollees. Please be sure to read carefully.

Seat Time: The Texas Real Estate Commission requires a timing device for all distance education courses to ensure that courses cannot be completed in less time than the approved credit hours. Please note that your course will time out after several minutes of inactivity.

Final Exam: While students are required to demonstrate mastery of the content at certain levels of the course, there is no passing score requirement for the final exam.

Expiration Date of Course: Course expiration dates vary but are generally 6 months after enrollment date.

Certificate: With few exceptions, online course completion certificates are available for download at course conclusion and posted directly to your student dashboard.

Limitations

There is no limit to the number of CE hours that may be completed online.

Roster

Roster Process: Rosters are submitted electronically every Thursday. Rosters are submitted for any CE course or QE course of 15 hours or less. Licensees are required to submit their certificates directly to the Commission for any QE courses longer than 30 hours. **If you need or want the roster submitted earlier than the scheduled date, there is a $10 rush fee for that service.**

Roster Sent: Every 7 days

Governing Agency

Name: Texas Real Estate Commission

Address: 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 400 Austin, TX 78701

Texas Real Estate License: Supervising Licensee

Renewal Cycle in Years: 2

Education Cycle in Months: 24

Continuing Education and Renewal Date: Every 24 months on the last day of the original issuance month.

Hours Required by TREC:
18 hours.
•17 mandatory hours
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update I
    o4-hour TREC Legal Update II
    o3 hours of contract-related coursework
    o6-hour Broker Responsibility Course
•1 elective hour

If you have sponsored one or more sales agents, served as the designated broker for a business entity that sponsors sales agents, or have been made a supervisor of other license holders, you will need to take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course as part of your 18 hours of CE.

If TREC records do not reflect completion of CE requirements at the time you submit your renewal application, you must pay a $200 CE Deferral Fee, or renew in inactive status. Payment of the CE Deferral Fee allows you to remain active for an additional 60 days from your expiration date to complete CE requirements.

Course Security Questions: CE credit courses contain security questions which must be answered correctly within one minute. Each question is case sensitive. Per TREC regulation, course providers are unable to make available the security questions and answers to enrollees. Please be sure to read carefully.

Seat Time:
The Texas Real Estate Commission requires a timing device for all distance education courses to ensure that courses cannot be completed in less time than the approved credit hours. Please note that your course will time out after several minutes of inactivity.

Final Exam: While students are required to demonstrate mastery of the content at certain levels of the course, there is no passing score requirement for the final exam.

Expiration Date of Course: Course expiration dates vary but are generally 6 months after enrollment date.

Certificate:
With few exceptions, online course completion certificates are available for download at course conclusion and posted directly to your student dashboard.

Limitations

There is no limit to the number of CE hours that may be completed online.

Roster

Roster Process: Rosters are submitted electronically every Thursday. Rosters are submitted for any CE course or QE course of 15 hours or less. Licensees are required to submit their certificates directly to the Commission for any QE courses longer than 30 hours. **If you need or want the roster submitted earlier than the scheduled date, there is a $10 rush fee for that service.**

Roster Sent: Every 7 days

Governing Agency

Name: Texas Real Estate Commission

Address: 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 400 Austin, TX 78701

Good to know

Other facts and insights about getting your license

Note: This license renewal information is provided as a convenience only and is subject to change at any time. It's ultimately the responsibility of the licensee to be sure that he or she is meeting all requirements for each license and corresponding renewal period.

Back to top

How many CE hours do Realtors need in Texas?

Texas real estate brokers are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education, including TREC Legal Updates I and II, and a six-hour Broker responsibility course. The remaining four hours of required CE may be chosen from TREC's list of qualifying real estate courses.

How many hours of continuing education are required for license renewal in Texas?

Continuing Education Requirements by License Type 24 hours of continuing education is required for each license period.

How do I renew my expired real estate license in Texas?

To renew your Texas real estate license, you need to:.
Take your required renewal courses from a TREC-approved course provider..
Submit the course completion documents to TREC..
Wait at least 10 days to allow your credits to be processed..
Submit your renewal application to TREC with your renewal fee..

How much continuing education CE may be carried over to the next renewal period quizlet?

No more than 8 hours of CE may be carried over to the next renewal period.