Alabama licensing
How to Get an Alabama Real Estate License
Alabama eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, high school diploma, background check, and more - each cited to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) and dated.
Published by Freehold · First published 2026-08-11 · Sources last verified 2026-08-17 · Review method
Your licensing route
From eligibility to an active license
Exact order can vary by state process. Each state-specific rule appears below with its source.
- 01Confirm eligibility
Check age and any residency, education, or background conditions.
- 02Complete approved education
Use the regulator's approved-provider list where one is published.
- 03Apply and take the exam
Follow Alabama's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Alabama requires.
| Requirement | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 19 |
| Pre-licensing education | 60 clock hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Required to practice |
| High school diploma | Required |
| Background check | State and national, fingerprints |
| Time limit | 90 days after passing |
| License activation | Temporary license first |
| New salesperson postlicense education | 30-hour course within six months |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocal license, Alabama-law exam |
| Exam provider | Pearson VUE |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) before enrolling or paying anything.
More on what counts as real estate school, state by state.
Each requirement, and where it comes from
Minimum age
A salesperson license may be issued only to a person who is at least 19 years old, among other trustworthiness, competency and citizenship or lawful-presence requirements.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-32 - Requirements for License; Application; Place of Business; Branch Offices; Multiple Brokers; Fees, subsection (a)(4) — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
An applicant who does not already hold a salesperson license in another state must prove they are a high school graduate or the equivalent and have completed a commission-approved real estate course of at least 60 clock hours.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-32 - Requirements for License; Application; Place of Business; Branch Offices; Multiple Brokers; Fees, subsection (e) — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
A salesperson or associate broker may not perform any act for which a license is required unless licensed under a qualifying broker, who is held responsible to the commission and the public for that licensee's transactions.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-34 - Who May Serve as Qualifying Broker; Responsibility of Qualifying Broker; Change of Broker; Termination of Qualifying Broker's Status, subsection (a)(2) — verified 2026-08-11
High school diploma
A salesperson applicant who does not already hold a current salesperson license in another state must furnish proof of being a high school graduate or the equivalent, filed with the application alongside the 60-clock-hour course proof.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-32 - Requirements for License; Application; Place of Business; Branch Offices; Multiple Brokers; Fees, subsection (e)(1) — verified 2026-08-17
Background check
The commission must obtain both Alabama and FBI criminal history record checks before issuing a license. The applicant submits fingerprints and pays the cost of the check, and the criminal history must be current as of the date the license is issued.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-32 - Requirements for License; Application; Place of Business; Branch Offices; Multiple Brokers; Fees, subsection (m) — verified 2026-08-17
Time limit
Within 90 days after passing the examination the applicant must secure a qualifying broker and meet every other requirement of the chapter, after which the license is issued as active or classified inactive.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-33 - Examinations; Temporary and Original Salesperson Licenses; Post License Course Requirements, subsection (b) — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
Alabama issues a temporary license certificate on passing, and the applicant is not licensed until they or their qualifying broker actually receive that certificate. To activate it the qualifying broker files a sworn statement of the applicant's honesty and accepts responsibility for their actions, and the applicant pays the Recovery Fund fee.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-33 - Examinations; Temporary and Original Salesperson Licenses; Post License Course Requirements, subsections (b) and (c)(1), (c)(3) — verified 2026-08-17
New salesperson postlicense education
A temporary license is valid only one year and cannot be renewed. The holder must finish a 30-hour post-license course within six months of issuance and have the original license issued, or the temporary license is placed on inactive status; it expires and lapses at the one-year mark if the course is still not done.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-33 - Examinations; Temporary and Original Salesperson Licenses; Post License Course Requirements, subsection (c)(2) — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
A holder of a current salesperson license in another state applies for a reciprocal license instead of an original one. They file a certificate of licensure, prove at least six hours of commission-approved Alabama real estate course work, and pass an Alabama-law examination, but skip the full examination and the temporary license stage entirely.
Source: Code of Alabama 1975, Section 34-27-32 - Requirements for License; Application; Place of Business; Branch Offices; Multiple Brokers; Fees, subsection (c)(1)a and b — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Alabama's real estate exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
Source: Pearson VUE — Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook, Available Exams and Time Allotted — verified 2026-07-27
Once you are eligible
The Alabama salesperson exam is 120 questions in 210 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE. Practice it free: Alabama practice test · Alabama exam prep · Alabama broker exam · compare all 50 states
New to the whole process? How to become a real estate agent walks the five steps and what changes between states.
Alabama licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Alabama?
Meet Alabama's eligibility rules, complete 60 clock hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, Alabama's rule is: Required to practice. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for an Alabama real estate license?
Alabama requires you to be 19 or older and to complete 60 clock hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 120 questions in 210 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Alabama require?
An applicant who does not already hold a salesperson license in another state must prove they are a high school graduate or the equivalent and have completed a commission-approved real estate course of at least 60 clock hours.
Sponsoring broker — what does Alabama require?
A salesperson or associate broker may not perform any act for which a license is required unless licensed under a qualifying broker, who is held responsible to the commission and the public for that licensee's transactions.
How do you become a real estate agent in Alabama?
Becoming an agent in Alabama is the license plus one more step: complete 60 clock hours, pass the 120-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Alabama's rule on sponsoring broker — Required to practice. A license you hold and a license you can practice under are not the same thing, and the difference is set out above with its source.
Nearby states
Licensing in more than one state? Each state's license requirements covers its own license law.
Florida · Georgia · Mississippi · Tennessee
Drill Alabama law free once you are enrolled
Every question sourced and explained. Guided Study Path, on-device coach, real exam settings for your state. No ads, no subscriptions, ever.
