One of the great things about being a real estate agent, is that there is a need for agents no matter where you are located. However, if you move out of the state you live in, or want to practice in another state, you will need to follow the rules of the new state.
The requirements for transferring a real estate license vary considerably from state to state. Some will let you effectively transfer your license, but some will make you start from scratch (and several states are in between!). This guide will cover the details of real estate license reciprocity and portability between states.
By the way – if you find that your future state doesn’t permit reciprocity in your circumstance, we’ve convinced Colibri to offer a whopping 45% discount to our reciprocity-seeking agents. In most cases, agents cost real estate schools a lot less to educate in a second state, so it only seems fair to get a better deal. To our knowledge, this offer isn’t publicized and is only available through our site, so be sure to click on the code today to save it to your checkout or bookmark this page if you plan to purchase your course well into the future.
Real estate license reciprocity is an agreement between states that allows the holders of a real estate license in one state to fast-track the process of getting a license in their state. Often, they can skip the pre-licensing courses entirely and go straight to taking the real estate exam. This exists in order to facilitate easier licensing – and is essentially a method where states will “vouch” for the legitimately of the education and licensing process of other states. Some states offer reciprocity, while some do not. Some only offer it to certain states. Keep reading to see the details for your specific state.
The portability of a real estate license is just a breakdown of the basic rules that each state has when it comes to agents who don’t have a license there but may have clients who are interested in buying or selling in that state. There are 3 classifications that apply in these situations:
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Alabama honors licenses from almost all other states. While applicants won’t have to complete any general real estate courses, they will need to take a six-hour course in Alabama real estate law. To earn a real estate license in Alabama you will also have to take and pass the corresponding state portion of the exam.
They will also have to submit their license application along with a ‘Certificate of Licensure”. This shows you have a license from another state. It can be obtained from the Real Estate Commission Office in the state where you are currently licensed.
The certificate must be issued within 120 of submitting your reciprocal license application. Candidates will receive an application for licensure at the test center after passing the exam.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Alaska has full reciprocity with other states. Applicants who have held their license a year or more with 24 months of experience within the past 36 months may practice in Alaska if they pass the Alaska portion of the real estate exam.
The agent must not have any sort of felony on their record for a crime that occurred in the last seven years. They must also keep up with continuing education requirements to maintain their real estate license in Alaska.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Arizona is known to be a very strict state and does not offer any real estate license reciprocity with other states. To get a real estate license in Arizona, you must meet all state education requirements before re-taking the national exam and passing the state portion of the pre-licensing exam.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Arkansas offers reciprocity to several other states. If you live in any of these states, you may forgo taking the general part of the real estate license exam and pass only the Arkansas section.
| States Arkansas offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Alabama |
| Colorado |
| Florida |
| Georgia |
| Iowa |
| Kansas |
| Louisiana |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| New York |
| Ohio |
| Oklahoma |
| Pennsylvania |
| South Dakota |
| Washington |
| West Virginia |
However, even in these states there are other eligibility requirements that apply. For instance, you must have passed the general portion of the test with standards that are acceptable to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission, you must have scored at least 70% on the test and you must have been holding an active license in your current state when taking the test.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: If you have previous real estate education from an accredited school, a transcript will be accepted in lieu of pre-licensing coursework.
Additionally, you will also need to meet the following requirements to earn a real estate license in California:
You must also be at least 18 years of age. If you are not a California resident, there are tests available for out of state applicants.
Applicants must also be honest and truthful. A criminal conviction may result in denial of the license. Denial of the license may also occur if the applicant does not disclose any prior convictions.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Colorado offers real estate license reciprocity from all states. Therefore, you won’t need to retake all your exams. You will only need to take the portion of the exam that shows you are familiar with the laws specific to Colorado.
The steps you must take will vary according to how long you were practicing in the other state.
If you have two or more years of experience in another state, you will need to meet the following requirements to earn a real estate license in Colorado:
If you have less than two years of experience in the state you are applying from you will need:
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Connecticut has mutual reciprocity with many states.
To become licensed in Connecticut, your current real estate license must be in good standing with no convictions or complaints pending against you. You must have passed the written portion of the real estate exam in the state you are currently licensed in. Those states include:
| States Connecticut offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Alabama |
| Colorado |
| Florida |
| Georgia |
| Illinois |
| Indiana |
| Massachusetts |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| New York |
| Ohio |
| Oklahoma |
| Rhode Island |
You must also pay your application fees and required fees for taking the Connecticut Real Estate Licensing Exam. You must pass the exam to get your license.
Applicants from Florida, Illinois, Indiana and those who have not taken the written portion of the real estate exam will also need to take the State Portion of the Connecticut Real Estate Licensing Exam.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Delaware offers full reciprocity to all states. To apply for a Delaware license, you must provide on of three types of documentation:
· A certificate of licensure history showing that you have been actively licensed for at least 3 years and a completed signed Sales or Lease Transaction Form showing you have closed at least 20 sales or lease transactions within the last three years.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Florida does not offer real estate reciprocity with other states, but it does acknowledge the experience of agents that have practiced in states that have a mutual agreement in Florida. These states include:
| States exempt from taking Florida pre-licensing exam |
|---|
| Alabama |
| Arkansas |
| Connecticut |
| Georgia |
| Illinois |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| Rhode Island |
If your state has a mutual agreement in place, you will be exempt from taking the 63-hour pre-license education requirement and you will only need to take the 40 question Florida state exam.
To qualify, you must have at least two years of experience within the last five years prior to applying. Additionally, realtors must provide a Certification of License History.
If you do not live in one of the above states, you will be required to start from scratch and must go through all of the steps to get a real estate license in Florida.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: If you are moving to Georgia or looking to practice real estate there, you will be eligible to apply for a Georgia real estate license if:
If you meet these requirements, you can submit an application for reciprocity along with the following:
You will be required to take a 25-hour post-license course within a year of getting your license. You must also take 36 hours of approved continuing education within the four-year renewal period. If you don’t meet these requirements, your license will be considered lapsed.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Unfortunately, Hawaii does not offer reciprocity to any states. To become licensed in Hawaii, you will need to start from scratch by taking both the general and state specific parts of the real estate exam.
Hawaii is known for having stricter housing laws, which is why they insist on having newcomers learn about the regulation before practicing in the state.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Idaho does not offer reciprocity with any other states, but they do honor experience by allowing those with an active license in another state to waive the national portion of the licensing exam, pre-licensing education and broker experience requirements. You must fill out and submit an exam waiver request to apply.
Applicants may obtain the same type of license (salesperson or broker) as they held in their previous position unless they are from a ‘single licensure state’ (i.e. a state where everyone is a broker). If this is the case, you must hold a Principal or Designated Broker license to be eligible.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: The state of Illinois offers real estate license reciprocity to real estate agents in the following states:
| States Illinois offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Colorado |
| Connecticut |
| Florida |
| Georgia |
| Indiana |
| Iowa |
| Nebraska |
| Wisconsin |
If you are from one of these states, you will also need to meet the following eligibility requirements to earn a real estate license in Illinois:
If you meet these requirements, you will need to submit a reciprocity application along with the following:
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Indiana does not offer reciprocity to any states, but you may be approved if the state you come from has license requirements that are similar to Indiana’s. If approved, you will be able to take the state portion of the real estate exam to get your real estate license in Indiana. If you are not approved, you will have to apply for the general exam.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Iowa has reciprocal agreements in place with a list of states. If you live in one of these states and want to transfer your license, you must prove that you took the real estate exam in another state, you must submit your certificate and license history and you must undergo a criminal background check.
If you do not live in a state that is offered reciprocity, you may apply to have the national portion of the real estate exam waived but you will still be required to take the state portion.
| States Iowa offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Arkansas |
| Georgia |
| Louisiana |
| Massachusetts |
| Minnesota |
| Mississippi |
| North Dakota |
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Kansas’s reciprocity is more complicated than most states. They won’t waive all requirements when you apply but they will honor your experience. With that in mind, here are some things to take note of.
Salesperson: If you are applying as a salesperson, you must pass the Kansas portion of the salesperson exam. If you hold a salesperson’s license in another state, you won’t need to complete the 30-hour Kansas pre-licensing course or the national portion of the real estate exam. This will only apply if you come from a jurisdiction with requirements that are similar to Kansas.
Broker: If you hold a broker’s license in another jurisdiction, you will not need to complete the Kansas 24-hour pre-licensing course or the national portion of the exam if you come from a jurisdiction that is determined to have equivalent requirements to Kansas. However, you will need to take a 4-hour Kansas Law Course. You must record your passing score with the KREC.
To qualify, you must have been actively engaged in real estate for two years during the last five years.
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: Kentucky offers reciprocity to Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The steps you’ll need to take to get a real estate license in Kentucky vary according to the state you come from and the position you are interested in. Here are the steps you will need to take.
Ohio Salesperson: if you come from Ohio and are looking to transfer your salesperson license, you must have been active as a salesperson for at least one year proceeding the time of application. You must affiliate your Kentucky license with a Principal Broker who holds a Kentucky Broker License. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once you have your license, you must adhere to all Kentucky real estate requirements including a 48-hour post licensing course that must be completed within 2 years after getting your license.
Ohio Broker: If you come from Ohio and are looking to transfer your broker license you must have had an Ohio broker license for at least two years prior to your application. You must have an escrow account at a Kentucky bank and a definite place of business in Kentucky. If you wish to affiliate with a broker, it must be a broker that holds a Kentucky license. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once licensed, you must adhere to all Kentucky broker requirements including continuing education courses.
Tennessee Salesperson: if you come from Tennessee and are looking to transfer your salesperson license, you must have been active as a salesperson for at least one year proceeding the time of application. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once you have your license, you must adhere to all Kentucky real estate licensing requirements.
Tennessee Broker: If you come from Tennessee and are looking to transfer your broker license you must have had a Tennessee broker license for at least three years prior to your application. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once licensed, you must adhere to all Kentucky broker requirements including continuing education courses.
West Virginia Salesperson: if you come from West Virginia and are looking to transfer your salesperson license, you must have been active as a salesperson for at least one year proceeding the time of application. You must affiliate your Kentucky license with a Principal Broker who holds a Kentucky Broker License. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once you have your license, you must adhere to all Kentucky real estate requirements including annual continuing education courses.
West Virginia Broker: If you come from West Virginia and are looking to transfer your broker license you must have had an West Virginia broker license for at least one year prior to your application. You must have an escrow account at a Kentucky bank and a definite place of business in Kentucky. If you wish to affiliate with a broker, it must be a broker that holds a Kentucky license. You must complete a 40-hour reciprocal license course and submit to a background check. Once licensed, you must adhere to all Kentucky broker requirements including continuing education courses.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Louisiana has reciprocal agreements in place. To be eligible, you must provide proof that you were licensed in a reciprocal state, and you can only obtain the same license type you held in the previous state. You must also undergo a background check to earn a real estate license in Louisiana.
| States Louisiana offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Alabama |
| Arkansas |
| Colorado |
| Georgia |
| Iowa |
| Mississippi |
| New Mexico |
| Oklahoma |
| Pennsylvania |
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Maine does not offer reciprocity to any states. However, you may be able to waive certain requirements if you do the following:
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Maryland offers license reciprocity to agents from Pennsylvania and Oklahoma only. If you have an active license in either of these states and can show certification and license history from that state, you will be able to take the Maryland portion of the PSI exam to become fully licensed.
Agents from any other state must start from scratch if they want to hold a Maryland real estate license.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Massachusetts offers real estate reciprocity to certain states. These include:
| States Massachusetts offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Colorado |
| Connecticut |
| Georgia |
| Iowa |
| Maine (partial reciprocity) |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| Nevada (partial reciprocity) |
| New Hampshire (partial reciprocity) |
| New Mexico |
| New York (partial reciprocity) |
| Oklahoma (partial reciprocity) |
| Pennsylvania |
| Rhode Island |
| Tennessee |
| West Virginia |
The terms of reciprocity vary from state to state. Brokers from certain states will need to take the Massachusetts portion of the real estate exam while others will not.
In addition to the exam, applicants will need to:
If you are applying from a state that is not offered reciprocity, you must:
Once the information is reviewed and the application is approved, you will have the opportunity to take the real estate exam. If you pass, you will earn a real estate license in Massachusetts.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: The state of Michigan does not offer real estate reciprocity. In order to apply for a real estate license in Michigan you must meet all state requirements and take the pre-licensing exam in order to practice real estate.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Minnesota offers real estate license reciprocity to agents applying from six other states. Those states include:
| States Minnesota offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Colorado |
| Iowa |
| Nebraska |
| North Dakota |
| South Dakota |
| Oklahoma |
For most of the states listed above, applicants will need to contact a primary broker to submit an application for licensure. A Minnesota licensed broker will need to submit the application on behalf of the nonresident agent.
The applicant will also need to provide a $130 license fee and a Letter of Certification to get a real estate license in Minnesota.
Special rules apply to agents from Wisconsin. These agents will need to meet education requirements consisting of a 13-hour Wisconsin to Minnesota Reciprocal Pre-License course. Then they must pass the state portion of the Real Estate Exam.
Once that is complete, they can contact a primary broker to submit an application for licensure and provide the fee and a Letter of Certification.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Mississippi does not offer reciprocity to any states but may honor your experience based on the following conditions:
You must also be affiliated with a licensed Mississippi broker and have a clean criminal record. You must be able to name three people in Mississippi who have owned land for at least three years. You must pay all application and testing fees.
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: Missouri offers real estate reciprocity to all states. Agents may apply for a real estate license in Missouri if they hold a current license with the state they are applying from and have at least two years of experience in the last 30 months.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Montana has reciprocity agreements with Alberta (Canada) among several states as well.
If you live in one of these states, you must submit an application for a real estate license. The powers that be will determine if you have the equivalent education and experience to qualify. If your equivalency is approved, you will need to take a 60-hour pre-licensing course approved by the board and get a passing grade.
In some cases, it may be determined that you license has standards equivalent to those required in Montana and the board may waive all pre-licensing requirements.
| States Montana offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Colorado |
| Georgia |
| Idaho |
| Iowa |
| Nebraska |
| New Mexico |
| North Dakota |
| Oregon |
| South Dakota |
| Tennessee |
| Utah |
| Wyoming |
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: Nebraska does not offer formal reciprocity with any other states. However, under the Nebraska Real Estate Act, agents may receive a license if they have an equivalent license in good standing with another state.
Additionally, you will need to complete a three-hour course approved by the Commission, submit proof of Errors and Omissions insurance coverage, submit a Certification of Licensure History issued by your current state showing your license is active and in good standing and pay all relevant fees.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Nevada does not offer real estate license reciprocity for other states. However, it may waive educational requirements for certain states.
For example, if you are coming from California and hold a salesman license, you will only need to take the Nevada Real Estate class. If you hold a real estate license, you will not need to take any classes.
Agents coming from certain other states will not need to take educational courses in Nevada if they hold a real estate or broker’s license. These states include:
| States where educational requirements are waived |
|---|
| Arizona |
| Colorado |
| Delaware |
| Idaho |
| Illinois |
| Indiana |
| Iowa |
| Kentucky |
| Louisiana |
| Minnesota |
| Oklahoma |
| South Carolina |
| Texas |
| Utah |
| Washington |
| West Virginia |
However, even if you live in a state where educational courses are not required, you will still need to take the Nevada licensing exam, provide fingerprints and background information and apply for a real estate license in Nevada.
If you are not applying from one of the states listed above, you will need to meet all the requirements listed above and you must also complete a 90-hour Nevada pre-licensing course.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: New Hampshire offers reciprocity to only four states. To be eligible, you must show that your license is in good standing and submit a Certificate of Good Standing. You must show proof that you completed at least six real estate transactions in which you had at least 50% involvement. You must complete a 60-hour pre-licensing course (unless applying through reciprocity).
If you are a commercial agent, you will need to fill out and submit an Out of State Cooperative Agreement Form.
| States New Hampshire offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Georgia |
| Maine |
| Massachusetts |
| Vermont |
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: New Jersey does not offer real estate reciprocity with any other states. In order to get a license you must meet all state requirements and complete the pre-licensing education before passing the exam.
However, many real estate agents who hold a New Jersey real estate license also have licenses in Maryland and Delaware.
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: New Mexico offers full reciprocity to three states only. If you live in one of these states, you must pass the NM Real Estate Commission’s broker’s exam.
Those states include:
| States Connecticut offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Georgia |
| Louisiana |
| Massachusetts |
If you are licensed in other jurisdictions, you may be able to waive the 60 or 90 hours of pre-licensing education if you can provide a certified license history from your home state showing you’ve completed Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law or an equivalent course. While this may exempt you from taking the National Broker Exam, you will still be required to take the 30-hour Broker Basic Course which will prepare you for the state portion of the examination.
If you hold a license in another state, you will need to prove that you were actively practicing real estate for at least four years in the last 60-month period. This will need to come in written form from a qualifying broker or the state’s equivalent of a qualifying broker. You will also need to fulfill all necessary requirements of maintaining your license.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: New York has real estate license reciprocity agreements in place with the following states:
| States New York offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Arkansas |
| Colorado |
| Connecticut |
| Georgia |
| Massachusetts |
| Mississippi |
| Oklahoma |
| Pennsylvania |
| West Virginia |
The terms vary from state to state but, basically, agents applying from states listed above may not be required to take the 75-hour salesperson qualifying education course and/or the 45-hour real estate salesperson course if they want to hold a real estate license in New York.
However, regardless of where you come from, you will need to provide the state with the following:
If you are an associate broker or a salesperson, you will also need a sponsoring broker to back your application.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: North Carolina used to offer real estate license reciprocity to certain states only, but it updated its policies in 2012. Now, anyone who wants to transfer their license from another state will be exempt from taking the North Carolina pre-licensing course or passing the National section of the North Carolina real estate exam. However, they will still have to pass the state section of the examination.
Agents will also need to submit an application along with the following to hold a real estate license in North Carolina:
Note: If you have been convicted of a crime, your application may not be approved.
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Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: North Dakota offers partial reciprocity to Georgia, Iowa and Minnesota. To qualify for a license, you must be a North Dakota resident and have an active license from your home state. If you are eligible, educational requirements will be waived.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Ohio offers real estate reciprocity to the following states:
| States Ohio offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Arkansas |
| Connecticut |
| Kentucky |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| Oklahoma |
| West Virginia |
| Wyoming |
If you live in one of these states and have held an active salesperson’s license in the state for at least one year, you may take the Ohio Real Estate Law Course at a higher education institution to become a broker. You must also be affiliated with an Ohio licensed broker to get your real estate license in Ohio.
In addition to taking the test, you must also submit an application along with the following:
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Oklahoma does not offer formal reciprocity to any states. To qualify for a license, you must have at least two years of experience as a salesperson or broker within the last five years. You must complete three one-hour Oklahoma state specific courses and you must take the state portion of the exam. You must provide a certificate of licensure proving your license is in good standing and you must fill out all required forms and pay the necessary fees. If you meet all requirements, you may receive a nonresident license.
If you hold your license for six years but don’t have two years of active experience, you will need to take the three one-hour Oklahoma real estate courses and both the national and state part of the exam. You will also need to submit your license history.
Oklahoma allows their brokers to participate in active brokerage arrangements with out of state brokers as long as both parties conduct business in the state in which they hold a license.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Oregon has partial reciprocity with Alabama, Alberta, Canada, Georgia, Nebraska and South Dakota. The state does not offer any waivers of education or testing requirements. Reciprocal licensing requirements are specific. Contact the agency for more information about earning a real estate license in Oregon.
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: Pennsylvania offers license reciprocity to the following states:
| States Pennsylvania offers reciprocity to |
|---|
| Arkansas |
| Georgia |
| Louisiana |
| Maryland |
| Massachusetts |
| New York |
If you are applying from a state that is offered reciprocity, you will not need to take any exams or educational courses. However, you will need to submit an application along with the following:
If you are not applying from any of the states listed above, you will need to take 75 hours of pre-license education and pass three exams. Two of the exams will be on the course content and you must score a grade of 70 or above to pass. The other is a state administered license exam that you must pass with a grade of 75 or above.
If you are applying from a different state not listed above, you will need to start from scratch in order to earn your real estate license in Pennsylvania.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Rhode Island offers partial reciprocity to Connecticut and Massachusetts. To qualify, you must submit an application, a Letter of Good Standing from the state you are applying from, a criminal history record, proof of Errors and Omissions insurance, a Lead Poisoning/Lead Mitigation Certificate of Completion for a three-hour course and irrevocable power of attorney for service of process.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: South Carolina recognizes the qualifications of all other states. However, applicants must still take the South Carolina portion of the real estate examination. They must also provide the following when submitting their application.
You must also pass the following exams for a real estate license in South Carolina:
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: South Dakota does not offer formal reciprocity to other states. However, if you hold an active license in another state and have passed the real estate exam in that state, you may obtain a similar level license if you pass the state portion of the examination.
You will need to fill out a non-resident application and pay the required fee. You will also have to provide proof of errors and omissions and insurance and submit to a background check.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Tennessee does not offer real estate license reciprocity to any other states. However, if you submit proof of your real estate coursework and the passage of the national portion of the exam, you will not have to retake the national part of the test.
In the state of Tennessee, a real estate license is known as an affiliate brokers license. You may apply for the license if you hold a real estate license in your state of residency and if the firm and principle broker you work for holds an active real estate license in Tennessee.
You will also need to submit a nonresident application along with the following:
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Texas does not offer real estate reciprocity to other states. But if you are licensed in another state, you may be excused from taking some of the pre-licensing courses. However, this is usually pretty rare because Texas requires more pre-licensing education than other states.
Most schools sell individual courses, so keep a look out for those if you don’t need to take all of them. Even better, you can get your Texas real estate license online through several on demand real estate schools. Check out our list of Best Online Real Estate Schools Texas.
You will also need to submit an application along with the following:
Portability: Turf State
Reciprocity: Utah has reciprocity agreements in place with Georgia, Mississippi and Alberta, Canada. To become eligible for a license, you must submit a completed and signed Real Estate Reciprocity Application to the Real Estate commission along with a certificate of licensure from the jurisdiction you were originally licensed in as well as any other jurisdiction where you held a license.
Principle and branch brokers must also provide a notarized letter on their company’s letterhead signed by the company’s manager or owner stating that they are authorized to use the company name.
All applicants must also provide two fingerprint cards and a signed fingerprint waiver and a completed certification of legal presence.
If you are an applicant with an active real estate license coming from a state that does not have reciprocity with Utah, you may still qualify for a waiver of some education and national exam requirements.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Vermont does not have formal reciprocity with any states. However, you may have part or all of the examination requirements waived based on your experience.
Requirements may be waived if you have an active license showing you are a real estate agent or broker in good standing and if the Commission feels your experience is substantially equal to what is required to practice real estate in Utah.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Virginia offers real estate reciprocity for applicants from all other U.S. states. To get your real estate license in Virginia, you must meet all state requirements and pay the application fees.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Washington offers real estate reciprocity for all states. Agents can apply if they hold a license that is in good standing and if they were active in the real estate industry for the past six months. They will not need to complete the national portion of the real estate test, but they will need to pass the law portion to earn a Washington real estate license. Agents will need to be licensed under a designated broker and affiliated with a broker licensed in Washington to become licensed.
Individuals will need to submit the application along with the following documentation:
Transferring a real estate license from one state to another is doable and, in many instances, you will not need to retake the national real estate courses and exams. This makes it easy to take your experience with you when you move.
However, you will have to research every state’s requirements to make sure you are submitting the proper forms and taking the necessary courses and exams. Good luck continuing your career no matter where your road might lead.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: West Virginia has reciprocity with the state of Ohio. Agents from Ohio may transfer their license if they obtained their original license by passing the real estate exam and if the license is seen as being equivalent to the one being applied for in West Virginia.
Applicants must also file a bond in the penalty of $2000 and take a pass at the West Virginia state portion of the real estate exam.
Portability: Physical Location
Reciprocity: Wisconsin has reciprocity agreements with Illinois and Indiana. Obtaining a license will require different processes depending on whether you are applying as a salesperson or a broker.
Salesperson: Agents from Indiana and Illinois are exempt from any educational requirements and may take the state portion of the exam directly. Those licensed in other states must take 13 hours of sales education before taking the exam. All previously licensed agents are exempt from completing the full 72-hour course.
Broker: If you hold an active managing broker license in Illinois or Indiana, you are exempt from education and may take the exam directly. If your Illinois or Indiana license in not active, but was active within the last two years, you may apply to get the Broker License via endorsement.
Brokers must complete the board-approved 6-hour pre-licensing education program for brokers as well as the 13-hour board approved pre-license education program for salespersons. They must also pass the Wisconsin portions of the salesperson and broker exam. They must submit evidence of salesperson experience to the Real Estate Examining Board to hold a real estate license in Wisconsin.
Portability: Cooperative
Reciprocity: Wyoming has full reciprocity with all states. Different requirements are in place for salespersons and brokers as follows:
Salesperson: Salespersons must submit fingerprints and pass the Wyoming Law portion of the Salesperson I course as well as the entire Salesperson II course and the State Exam for Salespersons before applying.
Brokers: Brokers must submit fingerprints and pass the Wyoming Law Portion of the Broker I Course, the Broker II course, and the Broker Management Course. They must also pass the State Exam.
Now that you know how to transfer your license in a variety of states in the country, will you be making the move?
While you can look at using reciprocity to practice real estate in another state, many moves will require you to get fully licensed in the state you wish to practice. While any school you choose will teach you enough to pass the real estate exam in that state, it’s safe to say it won’t cover the ins and outs of the topics you need to know to be a successful estate agent (like real estate website builders, the best real estate lead generation companies, or the best real estate CRMs).
The licensing courses cover the basics, but like most real estate schools, they lack info about what to do once you’ve passed. Most notably, it won’t cover the best real estate software as you’re starting out, how to bring in buyer leads, or how to find the right real estate CRM (even if you’re looking for a free CRM tool). If you’re looking for more advanced topics like real estate ads, building your own real estate lead generation website, which real estate marketing tools you’ll need, how to build a successful social media strategy, or even just real estate marketing ideas in general, you will need to complete those studies on your own.
About the Author
Chris Heller brings 27 years of experience in real estate. Chris serves on the Agent Advice Editorial Board and is the Chief Real Estate Officer at OJO Labs. Chris brings deep expertise having held influential industry positions including CEO of mellohome and former CEO of Keller Williams Realty International.
Last Updated: 8/7/2024
