Arkansas licensing
How to Get an Arkansas Real Estate License
Arkansas eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, background check, application sequence, and more - each cited to the Arkansas 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 Arkansas's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Arkansas requires.
| Requirement | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | 60 classroom hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Required |
| Background check | State and federal criminal background check required |
| Application sequence | Apply, background check, approval to sit, pass exam, pay fees |
| Time limit | 90 days after passing the exam |
| Retake policy | Missed 90-day deadline voids the exam pass |
| License activation | Requires passed exam plus approved background check |
| Reciprocity | General exam portion may be waived for out-of-state licensees |
| Good moral character | Good reputation for honesty required |
| Exam provider | Pearson VUE |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Arkansas 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
Salesperson applicants must have reached the age of majority, eighteen years old, before applying for an Arkansas real estate salesperson license.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate Commission - Real Estate Applicants, Real Estate License Requirements — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
Salesperson applicants must successfully complete sixty classroom hours of real estate education, of which thirty classroom hours must cover the basic principles of real estate, from a school or organization licensed by the Commission.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate Commission - Real Estate Applicants, Real Estate License Requirements — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
Arkansas law defines a salesperson as an individual who holds a salesperson's license and is employed by, or associated with as an independent contractor, a principal broker who supervises the salesperson's activity.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate License Law, 17-42-103. Definitions — verified 2026-08-11
Background check
All applicants for original salesperson licensure must complete a state and federal criminal background check, and resident applicants must submit digital fingerprints as part of the process.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate Commission - Real Estate Applicants, Application Information — Arkansas Residents — verified 2026-08-11
Application sequence
Salesperson applicants submit an application with background-check information, receive Commission approval to sit for the exam, pass the licensure examination, then send the proper forms and fees to the Commission.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate Commission - Real Estate Applicants, Real Estate License Requirements — verified 2026-08-17
Time limit
An applicant who passes the licensing examination must pay the required license fee and Real Estate Recovery Fund fee within ninety days from the date of the examination.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate License Law, 17-42-306(b)(1)(A). Application procedure — Licensing examination required — verified 2026-08-17
Retake policy
Failing to pay the license fee and Real Estate Recovery Fund fee within the ninety-day window invalidates the passing exam result, and the applicant must file a new application and retake the licensing examination as an original applicant.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate License Law, 17-42-306(b)(2). Application procedure — Licensing examination required — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
A salesperson license cannot be issued until the applicant has successfully completed the licensing examination and the Commission has received and approved the state and federal criminal background check.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate License Law, 17-42-306(a)(4)(B). Application procedure — Licensing examination required — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
A salesperson already licensed in another state may request a waiver of the general portion of the Arkansas exam and take only the Arkansas law portion if that state's exam meets acceptable standards, requires a passing grade no lower than Arkansas's, and the applicant remains currently licensed there.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate Commission - Real Estate Applicants, Applicants currently licensed in another state — verified 2026-08-17
Good moral character
The Commission issues a license only to an applicant who shows no record of unprofessional conduct and evidence of good reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity sufficient to safeguard the public.
Source: Arkansas Real Estate License Law, 17-42-302(a)(5)-(6). Issuance or denial of license — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Arkansas's real estate exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
Source: Pearson VUE — Arkansas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, Available Exams and Time Allotted — verified 2026-07-27
Once you are eligible
The Arkansas salesperson exam is 110 questions in 240 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE. Practice it free: Arkansas practice test · Arkansas exam prep · Arkansas 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.
Arkansas licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Arkansas?
Meet Arkansas's eligibility rules, complete 60 classroom hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, Arkansas's rule is: Required. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for an Arkansas real estate license?
Arkansas requires you to be 18 or older and to complete 60 classroom hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 110 questions in 240 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Arkansas require?
Salesperson applicants must successfully complete sixty classroom hours of real estate education, of which thirty classroom hours must cover the basic principles of real estate, from a school or organization licensed by the Commission.
Sponsoring broker — what does Arkansas require?
Arkansas law defines a salesperson as an individual who holds a salesperson's license and is employed by, or associated with as an independent contractor, a principal broker who supervises the salesperson's activity.
How do you become a real estate agent in Arkansas?
Becoming an agent in Arkansas is the license plus one more step: complete 60 classroom hours, pass the 110-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Arkansas's rule on sponsoring broker — Required. 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.
Missouri · Tennessee · Mississippi · Louisiana · Texas · Oklahoma
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