Who can apply for a Texas sales agent license?
You must be at least 18 and either a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien. You also have to meet TREC's standards for honesty, trustworthiness and integrity. If you have a criminal record or past discipline and aren't sure it will clear, you can ask TREC for a Fitness Determination before you spend money on courses. That ruling does not replace the background check you go through later. Law school courses don't count toward the education. Every applicant takes the required qualifying courses.
The 180 hours of qualifying education
The sales agent license requires six 30-hour courses from a TREC-approved provider: Principles of Real Estate I, Principles of Real Estate II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, and Real Estate Finance. Before you enroll, open a REALM Portal account. TREC emails you a pre-license education application number, and you give that number to your school. Opening the account is not the same as applying. Finish all 180 hours before you file the application, because you upload your completion documents as part of it.
Application, fingerprints, exam and sponsorship
You apply and pay through the REALM Portal by choosing the Sales Agent Application. The fee is non-refundable, and the application expires one year after you file it, so every remaining step has to be done inside that year. Once your status moves from Submitted to In Review, TREC emails you instructions for scheduling fingerprints with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Prints held by other agencies are not accepted, and you won't be licensed if you fail the background check.
Pearson runs the exam, which has a state portion and a national portion. TREC emails you scheduling instructions once it has confirmed your education. If you fail either portion three times, you have to take more education before you can test again. After you pass, TREC issues an inactive license. You become active only when a licensed broker sponsors you, and either of you can send the sponsorship request through the REALM Portal.
Renewal and Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE)
The license runs for two years. Your first renewal requires SAE: the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course and two more 30-hour qualifying courses from TREC's list (for example Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Law, or Residential Property Management, Advanced). Those 90 hours bring your qualifying total to 270 hours. You also complete 8 hours of TREC Legal Update I and II on top of that. You can't defer SAE. If it isn't done in time, your license expires.
After the first renewal, each two-year period requires 18 hours of continuing education: 8 hours of Legal Update I and II, 3 hours of contract coursework and 7 hours of electives. If your broker makes you a supervisor, the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course counts within the 18. You can renew active without finishing CE by paying a $200 deferral fee, which gives you 60 more days.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. These figures come from BLS OEWS May 2025 for the real estate sales agents series, moved to 2026 with the Employment Cost Index; Texas figures are published BLS state estimates. BLS counts employees only, so most self-employed, commission-only agents are left out, and actual income depends on deal volume and your broker split. Refer to the Real Estate Sales & Brokerage salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Age and statusYou must be at least 18 and either a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien.
- CharacterYou must meet TREC's honesty, trustworthiness and integrity standards. A Fitness Determination before you apply is optional.
- Qualifying educationYou need 180 classroom hours across six 30-hour TREC-approved courses, all finished and uploaded before you apply.
- FingerprintsYour fingerprints must be on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety, and you must pass the background check.
- ExamYou must pass the state and national portions of the Pearson exam. Three failures on either portion means you take more education before retesting.
- Sponsoring brokerYour new license is inactive. A licensed Texas broker has to sponsor you before you can do brokerage work.
How to get there
- Week 1Open a REALM Portal accountYou get a pre-license education application number to give your school.
- Months 1-4Complete 180 hours of qualifying coursesPrinciples I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, Real Estate Finance.
- After coursesSubmit the sales agent applicationApply in REALM after uploading your course certificates. The one-year clock starts when you file.
- Within the yearFingerprints and background checkSchedule fingerprints with DPS once your application shows In Review.
- Within the yearPass the state and national examsTREC emails Pearson scheduling instructions after it confirms your education.
- Years 1-2Get sponsored, then complete SAEA broker activates your license. Before your first renewal you finish 90 hours of SAE qualifying courses plus 8 hours of Legal Update I and II.
Questions people ask
How many hours of education do you need for a Texas real estate license?
You need 180 classroom hours, made up of six 30-hour qualifying courses, before you apply. Before your first renewal you add 90 hours of qualifying courses as Sales Agent Apprentice Education, which brings your qualifying total to 270 hours, plus 8 hours of TREC Legal Update I and II.
Can I start working as soon as I pass the exam?
No. TREC issues an inactive license once you meet the requirements. You need a licensed broker to sponsor you before the license goes active and you can do brokerage work.
How long does my application stay open?
It expires one year from the date you file it. Fingerprints, the background check and both exam portions all have to be done inside that year, and the fee is non-refundable.
What happens if I fail the exam?
You can retake it. If you fail either the state or the national portion three times, you have to complete additional education before you can test again.
Do I need a license to work as an apartment locator in Texas?
Yes, if you expect to be paid for helping prospective tenants find units in an apartment complex. TREC says residential rental locators need a broker or sales agent license unless they are the owner's employee or otherwise exempt.
Can I defer my first-renewal SAE courses?
No. SAE hours can't be deferred, and if they aren't finished by renewal your license expires. The $200 CE deferral option applies only to regular continuing education at later renewals.
