Alabama Frequently Ask Questions Real Estate License

The state requires you to take a 60-hour pre-license salesperson course. After passing the state exam, you will also need to complete a 30-hour post-licensing course.

In total, you will need 90 hours of education to meet Alabama's real estate license requirements. Sixty hours are for Alabama state pre-licensure course taken before the licensing exam. The next 30 hours are for the required post-licensing course that you must take before applying for a permanent license.

You can take the 60-hour Alabama real estate pre-license course in person or through an online course. Many applicants prefer online so they can work on the content on their schedule. No matter which option you choose, you must take the course from a state pre-approved education provider.

Yes, you can take the Alabama pre-license course online as long as it is with a pre-approved education provider. Taking the course online enables you to work through the content at your own pace and schedule.

It is unlikely because in Alabama, you must be at least 19 years of age and have a diploma or GED requirement when you apply for your temporary real estate license. With six months to pass the exam and 90 days to file a temporary license, the timing may not work for you.

No, Alabama does not accept law school credits towards your Alabama pre-license course. All applicants must take the 60-hour pre-licensing course.

In some cases, yes. If your college offers real estate courses inside a degree-based curriculum, you can see if the Alabama Real Estate Commission has approved that curriculum. If so, successful completion may qualify you for the licensure exam.

Yes, the Alabama 60-hour pre-license course has a required final exam. Passing the final is a requirement of successfully completing the class.

To be eligible to take the state license exam, you must attend the 60-hour pre-license course and pass its final exam.

You can’t take the state licensing exam without successfully completing the pre-license course. You will pre-register with the AREC before finishing the pre-licensure course, which will provide an identification number. Your course provider uses your ID number and sends your completion to the state and to PSI.

Yes. You will pre-register with the AREC before finishing the pre-licensure course, which will provide an identification number. Your course provider uses your ID number and sends your completion to the state.

Visit the Alabama Real Estate Commission website and search for the course you need. The website also enables you to search by school name, location, and school number.

You can find an approved course provider for the 6-hour Contract Writing class through the Alabama Department of Real Estate website. You can search by course name, course type, and location.

You must be at least 19 years old to receive an Alabama real estate salesperson license.

A high school diploma or its equivalent general education diploma (GED) is required to get an Alabama real estate salesperson's license.

Alabama does allow you to have a real estate salesperson license if you are not an Alabama resident. However, you must be a U.S. citizen or be legally present in the U.S. You’ll have to show proof of U.S. residency as part of your application.

The Alabama Real Estate Commission has compiled all the Alabama real estate-related license laws with its references, articles, sections, and chapters on its website.

AL licenses expire every two years by September 30 each even-numbered year. During the two-year period, you must complete 15 hours of continuing education. Initiate your license renewal through the AREC online portal. An online renewal costs $185.

A renewal application submitted online will cost $185. A late application submitted online or sent through the mail will be assessed a late fee of $150.

Your Alabama real estate salesperson's license is active for two years, with the period ending on September 30 every even-numbered year. You will have to apply for renewal before September 30 of that year.

Salesperson licenses are required to take a 30-hour post-licensing course from an AREC-approved course provider. In your first license period, this counts for your continuing education hours. For each period after, you’ll need 15 hours of continuing education. Three of these hours must be a risk management course.

AL inactive license holders are still required to renew their license and keep up with continuing education requirements. Visit the AREC portal to renew your inactive license. Remember to log the required 15 hours of CE each two-year license cycle.

Get ready to renew your license as soon as you receive your mailed courtesy reminder postcard from the AREC. This should be in mid-July. Your renewal application must be submitted by August 31 to avoid a penalty. Do not delay in submitting your renewal to avoid any complications.

Anyone late in renewing their Alabama salesperson's license will have their license immediately go inactive on midnight, September 30. You will need to pay a $150 late fee to reactivate your license.

Once your salesperson license is expired in Alabama, you'll need to begin the process to renew your license from the beginning. This includes the 60-hour pre-license course, state exam, and application for a real estate temporary license.

An active Alabama real estate salesperson's license enables you to act on behalf of an Alabama licensed real estate broker to transact real estate and earn a commission for your efforts.

A real estate license is required anytime you wish to work with real estate as a broker or salesperson and be paid compensation for your work.

If you transfer brokers, you must notify the AREC you are moving from your current broker. Go to AREC Online Services to initiate a registration/transfer form.

Active license holders in other states can receive a reciprocal license by submitting a reciprocal salesperson license application and meeting some additional education requirements.

Alabama requires reciprocal license applicants to take a 6-hour course in Alabama real estate law, pass the Alabama portion of the exam, and submit an official “Certificate of Licensure” from the state you currently hold the license.

Follow the reciprocal license guidelines to receive your Alabama license. The AREC recommends you thoroughly read Section 34‐27‐32(b)(1) and Rule 790-X-1-.18 as they pertain to out-of-state licensees.

Alabama requires any applicants to be United States residents. You’ll follow the same process as in-state applicants. For your fingerprint processing, request printed cards that you will mail to the state’s background check processor.

Yes, Alabama requires reciprocal applicants to take the state-specific examination even if you seek out-of-state license recognition.

You must be at least 19 years of age, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, reside in the US, be a citizen, permanent resident, or legally present in the US, and no felony or crime concerning moral turpitude convictions. Before you apply, you must pass a 60-hour pre-license course and the state licensing exam.

Follow the Alabama real estate license application instructions given to you when you passed the state exam. You have 90 days from the date of passing your exam to apply for a temporary license.

For your Temporary License, you’ll be given a paper application after passing the state licensing exam. When it’s time for your permanent license, yes, you’ll use the AREC Online Services to file.

Your AL salesperson license application fee for the temporary salesperson license is $150, payable to the AL Real Estate Commission. You’ll pay $30 to the Recovery Fund and $30 to Research Education, for a total of $210. Your Original License application fee will be $85 per year or $170 for a two-year renewal.

See the licensing instructions for a complete list of acceptable documentation for proof of age, education, United States residency, and citizenship, permanent resident alien, or legal presence.

You must file your temporary application within 90 days of passing the AL state salesperson exam. The state recommends you time your sending of the application with the processing of your background check.

No. State law requires AL real estate salespersons to work under the supervision of a state licensed real estate broker. In fact, you can’t practice real estate until the AREC issues your license to a qualifying broker.

After you’ve completed your pre-license course, state exam, temporary application process, and 30-hour post-licensing course, you’ll be ready for the AL salesperson permanent application. An AL real estate broker must hire you to have an active license.

During your pre-license course, you’ll apply to the AREC for an identification number. Use this number to check on the status of your AL salesperson license application with AREC’s online services. You can also contact the AREC by calling (334) 242-5544 or emailing arec@arec.alabama.gov.

If you’d like a hard copy of your AL salesperson license, request one with the license print and mail form. You may also be able to request one through AREC’s online services or your qualifying broker.

AREC will not issue a license to any person convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. If you have questions about if a prior conviction will impact your eligibility, you can submit a request for determination of licensing eligibility for individuals with a criminal history.

You will not be able to receive an Alabama salesperson’s license if you have been convicted of a felony or convicted of a misdemeanor offense, such as theft, forgery, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, violence against another person, or crimes of moral turpitude.

Alabama’s Temporary Salesperson License Application will ask if you have been arrested, indicted, convicted of a criminal offense, fined, imprisoned, or placed on probation.

On your Temporary Salesperson License Application, you will be asked if you have been arrested, indicted, convicted of a criminal offense, fined, imprisoned, or placed on probation.

Yes. Alabama requires all applicants to submit their fingerprints for a state and federal background check. You must use the state’s processor, Gemalto, even if you are out-of-state.

Start by visiting the state’s background check processor Gemalto. Create an account, schedule your fingerprinting, and pay the fees through a credit card checkout. Visit any Gemalto Cogent fingerprint location, checking their hours first. Out-of-state applicants will need to submit a fingerprint card to Gemalto Cogent.

You’ll need to have your fingerprints taken within 90 days after passing the Alabama state licensing exam. This is because the submission of your fingerprints must coincide with your temporary salesperson license application.

Since you’re out-of-state, you won’t be able to go directly to the state’s vendor, Gemalto Cogent. Instead, you’ll need to do paper fingerprinting and send the card to the vendor. Still visit Gemalto to create an account, schedule your fingerprinting, and pay the fees through a credit card checkout.

Fingerprints with Gemalto Cogent cost $48.25, and are payable online during registration via credit card or debit card. You can also pay on-site with a money order or cashier’s check.

You can earn your Alabama salesperson license in seven steps. Start by completing your 60-hour pre-license course. Next, schedule and pass your AL state exam. After passing, you’ll apply for a Temporary License. Take the 30-hour post-licensing course and then apply for your permanent license.

You can get your AL broker license in approx. 8 weeks
1. Complete the 60-hour pre-license course online: 2-4 weeks 2. Schedule and pass the AL state exam: 1-3 weeks 3. Apply for Temporary License and Background Check: 2-4 weeks 4. Pass 30-hr post-licensing course: 1 week 5. Apply for a permanent license: 2-6 weeks

Every real estate salesperson applicant in Alabama not applying with an out-of-state license will need to take the 60-hour pre-license salesperson course. Throughout the course, you’ll have quizzes and tests to check your comprehension. The course ends with a required comprehensive final exam.

The Temporary Salesperson License Application will be given to you once you pass the state exam. This will be a paper application. For your permanent license, you can use online filing to apply for your Alabama real estate salesperson license.

You can take the required post-licensing course after successfully receiving your temporary license. You must take the class within one year of receiving your license. Otherwise, you’ll need to begin the steps again. The course must be administered by a state approved education provider.

The total cost to earn your Alabama real estate salesperson’s license is $569.25. Your pre-license course with RealEstateU costs $149. The state exam is $77, and your license application is $210. A Fingerprint and Background Check is $48.25. A one-year original license is $85.

Yes. You can find RealEstateU under Alabama’s pre-approved course providers.

Once you complete your 60-hour pre-license course, you have six months to successfully schedule and pass the state licensing exam.

Exams are administered by PSI. Schedule your exam by visiting https://schedule.psiexams.com/. You can also schedule your exam by calling 888-818-5824.

Your Alabama state exam will cost $77 per attempt. You will pay PSI directly for the exam.

PSI accepts debit cards, credit cards, cashier’s checks, or money orders. You must pay for your state exam ahead of time either by scheduling an appointment through their website or by calling 888-818-5824. They do not accept personal checks or cash.

By registering for your salesperson exam online, you can be scheduled in around 15 minutes.

The AL state salesperson exam must be taken in person. PSI operates testing centers in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery by appointment only. Refer to the Candidate Handbook for specific addresses.

Yes, Alabama’s reciprocity guidelines require applicants to take the Alabama-specific state exam. The Alabama Reciprocal Salesperson Exam has 40 multiple-choice questions relating specifically to Alabama real estate license exam. Time allowed is 60 minutes.

If you need to reschedule or cancel your exam, you can reschedule at no charge either by going online to PSI or calling 888-818-5824 at least two business days before your exam appointment. If you do not cancel or change your reservation 48 hours before your exam, you will forfeit the exam fee.

Yes, your Alabama state exam license results are only good for one year. You must take the 30-hour post-licensing course and apply for your temporary Alabama real estate salesperson license within 365 days of passing the state exam.

The Alabama state salesperson licensing exam has a total of 140 questions. You may have up to an additional 10 “pretest” questions that are not scored. Questions about state and national topics are intermixed.

Your AL state salesperson licensing exam asks about a range of topics. Find the full details in the content outline provided by PSI in their Candidate Handbook. A sample: AL real estate statutes, licensing requirements, title transfer, valuation and market analysis, and disclosures.

Alabama does not limit the number of times you can take the salesperson license exam, but you must pass it within six months of passing your 60-hour pre-licensing course. If you do not pass, you must wait 24 hours to reschedule your exam.

Your PSI-provided score report will include diagnostic information related to the exam. This information will help guide your study for the retake.

Good news! You’ll receive the score report showing if you passed or failed immediately at the test center. If you pass, you’ll receive your Alabama temporary license application. If you fail, you’ll receive a diagnostic report and reexamination information.

You’ll receive an AL temporary salesperson license application with your passing score report. You have 90 days from the date you pass the exam to submit the application and its supporting documents to the AREC. Time your submission with the fingerprinting as AREC only has access to your background check for 30 days.

A calculator is not required, but PSI does permit you to bring one as long as it is battery-operated, silent, non-printing, and without an alphabetic keypad. Refer to the Candidate Handbook on allowable calculators.

Bring with you to the PSI testing center two forms of acceptable ID with your signature. One ID must be government-issued, such as a Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID card, or Alien Registration Card.

Yes. Any candidate with visual, sensory, or physical disabilities that would prevent them from taking the exam under standard conditions may request accommodations by filling out the Request for Special Examination Accommodations on pages 17-18 of the Candidate Handbook.

Personal items must be left in your car or placed in the provided secure storage area. No electronic devices are allowed in the testing room. Eating, drinking, and smoking are not allowed during the test. You may take a break, but the exam clock does not stop.

You must wait 24 hours after a failed exam attempt before rescheduling with PSI. You will use the reapplication instructions provided with your score report to register for your retake.

Yes. Alabama doesn’t require you be hired by a real estate broker to take the state exam. You will need to be hired by one to activate your permanent license.

Yes. Alabama requires you to submit your temporary license application within 90 days of passing the state licensing exam. Otherwise, you’ll need to either retake the exam or start again with the pre-license course.

Each time you retake the exam will cost $77.

Yes, you can. Follow the instructions supplied to you in the prior exam score report. You must wait (24) hours before scheduling your retake. The exam attempt will cost $77.