Alabama Real Estate License Requirements

Step 1: Complete the 60-Hour Alabama Pre-license Education Course

Alabama salesperson license applicants must complete an approved 60-hour pre-license course before taking the state licensing examination.

Applicants can take the course as classroom learning or as a distance learning course. Many choose to do the pre-license course online so they can work at their own pace.

The 60-hour pre-license course will cover national and state topics pertinent to real estate. It will cover topics such as property ownership, land use regulations, financing, principles of agency, Alabama laws and regulations, licensing requirements, and disciplinary procedures.

You must complete your salesperson pre-license course within one year from the date you start it, including taking and passing its final exam. The state requires candidates to take regular incremental assessments plus the final exam and earn a minimum course grade of 70% to pass.

Step 2: Apply for the State Exam

Once you successfully pass the 60-hour course with at least a 70%, the course administrator will submit the course credit to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC). You must wait for your exam eligibility to be submitted before scheduling the course.

Upon receiving your confirmation of exam eligibility and your identification number, you'll get a confirmation notice from the state's exam administrator PSI to schedule your test.

You must schedule and pass the state exam within six months of completing the 60-hour licensing course.

To schedule an exam online with PSI, go to https://schedule.psiexams.com. Otherwise, you can schedule over the telephone by calling PSI at 888-818-5824 between the hours from 7 am-9 pm Monday-Thursday, 7 am-7 pm on Friday, and 8:30 am-5 pm on Saturday. PSI accepts credit cards for online and phone scheduling.

You have the third option to mail in a registration form included in PSI's Candidate Handbook. If you choose this option, you can pay with a cashier's check or money order. You must wait two weeks for the application to be processed before calling PSI to schedule the exam.

Step 4: Apply for a Temporary Alabama Real Estate License

Once you pass your state exam, you have 90 days to apply for the Temporary Salesperson's License, starting with the day you pass the exam.

You need the following to complete the application:

• Proof of age
• Proof of high school education or its equivalent
• Proof of state residency
• Submit fingerprints for federal and state criminal background check (see details in next step)
• Alabama non-residents must submit Consent to Jurisdiction Form

The fee for the temporary real estate salesperson license totals $210. It includes a $150 license fee, $30 research and recovery fee, and $30 recovery fund fee.

Once your active license is issued to your qualifying broker, you can begin to engage in real estate business.

Step 5: Submit Fingerprints for a Background Check

Alabama requires all applicants to submit fingerprints for a federal and state background check. The Commission exclusively uses the processing company Gemalto.

The applicant must coordinate their application submission with their fingerprint submission as the Commission will only have access to the background check information for 30 days. Therefore, the Commission strongly recommends applicants submit their application on the same day as they submit their fingerprints.

Find full fingerprint scanning and processing instructions at www.aps.gemalto.com. Make sure the name you submit is the same as the one as your driver's license. The fingerprinting fee is $48.25, payable online with a credit or debit card during registration. You can pay at the fingerprint site with a money order or cashier's check.

Step 6: Take a 30-hour Post-Licensing Course

After the Alabama Real Estate Commission receives your application and background check results, it will issue a temporary license good for one year. To receive a permanent active license, you must complete an additional 30 hours of post-licensing education. The 30-hour Post Licensing Education focuses on the operations involved in a real estate practice.

Note: your active temporary license is only good for six months; after that, it will be classified as inactive.

Step 7: Apply for Permanent License

Once your post-licensing hours are completed, you must submit an Application for Real Estate Salesperson's Original License by logging into Online Services or printing one from the commission website. The Salesperson License fee is $85 for a single year for $170 for a two-year period, plus $10 for certification of licensure. Your permanent license will be issued directly to your supervising qualifying broker.

Congratulations! You are now able to practice as a real estate salesperson in Alabama.