Colorado licensing
How to Get a Colorado Real Estate License
Colorado eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, employing broker supervision, background check, good moral character, and more - each cited to the Colorado Division of Real Estate (DRE) 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 Colorado's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Colorado requires.
| Requirement | Colorado |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | 168 hours |
| Employing broker supervision | High level of supervision for two years |
| Background check | Fingerprint background check |
| Good moral character | Commission may require proof of character |
| Exam registration | 80 national / 74 state questions |
| Retake policy | Retest as early as the next day; scores expire after one year |
| Time limit | One year to apply after passing |
| Reciprocity | Accepted from all U.S. states and territories |
| Path to Independent or Employing broker | Two years of active broker experience |
| Exam provider | PSI |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Colorado Division of Real Estate (DRE) 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
You must be 18 years old to apply for a Colorado real estate broker license. There is no age restriction on taking the exam itself. Colorado has no separate salesperson tier -- the entry-level license is called a broker, at the Associate Broker level until two years of experience are reached.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Colorado Real Estate Broker Examinations, Age — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
168 hours across six named courses: 48 hours Real Estate Law and Practice, 48 hours Colorado Contracts and Regulations, 8 hours Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping, 8 hours Current Legal Issues, 24 hours Real Estate Closings, and 32 hours Practical Applications. A degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in real estate may substitute.
Source: Colorado DRE - Broker License Application Requirements, I Have Never Held a License - Education requirements by hours — verified 2026-08-11
Employing broker supervision
Employing brokers must ensure that a high level of supervision is exercised over a newly licensed active broker during their first two years of real estate practice. A licensee cannot qualify for Colorado's Independent or Employing license tiers -- both requiring two years of active broker experience -- until that period is served, so every new licensee starts as an Associate Broker under a supervising employing broker.
Source: Colorado DRE - Employing Broker Supervision, Standards That An Employing Broker Must Follow — verified 2026-08-11
Background check
A fingerprint background check is required as part of the application, alongside passing both the national and state portions of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam, which stay valid for one year from each portion's passing date.
Source: Colorado DRE - Broker License Application Requirements, I Have Never Held a License — verified 2026-08-11
Good moral character
The Colorado Real Estate Commission is authorized to require an applicant to submit proof of truthfulness, honesty, and good moral character before it will issue a broker license.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Colorado Real Estate Broker Examinations, Character — verified 2026-08-17
Exam registration
Candidates register online at test-takers.psiexams.com and must pass both portions: 60 of 80 correct on the 120-minute national portion and 53 of 74 correct on the 110-minute state portion.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Colorado Real Estate Broker Examinations, Examination Scheduling Procedures / Score Reporting — verified 2026-08-17
Retake policy
A candidate who fails one portion may retake it at a later date, as soon as the next business day depending on seat availability, but no passing score on either portion is accepted beyond one year from the date it was earned.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Colorado Real Estate Broker Examinations, Retaking a Failed Examination — verified 2026-08-17
Time limit
An applicant must submit the completed license application within one year of passing both portions of the exam; if the application is not received in that year, both portions of the exam must be retaken.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Colorado Real Estate Broker Examinations, License Application Instructions - Procedure for Licensure (After Passing the Exam) — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
Colorado accepts reciprocity from all U.S. states and territories; an applicant with a non-expired license held at least two years elsewhere must pass only the state exam portion, complete a fingerprint background check, and provide a certified license history dated within 90 days of application.
Source: Colorado DRE - Broker License Application Requirements, I Have a Non-Expired License for at Least Two Years in Another Jurisdiction (Reciprocity) — verified 2026-08-17
Path to Independent or Employing broker
Advancing past the entry-level Associate Broker tier to Colorado's Independent or Employing broker license requires two years of active broker experience; experience gained only as a salesperson or sales agent does not count toward it.
Source: Colorado DRE - Broker License Application Requirements, Independent License / Employing License — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Colorado's real estate exam is administered by PSI.
Source: PSI — Colorado Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin, EXAMINATION SUMMARY TABLE — verified 2026-07-27
Once you are eligible
The Colorado salesperson exam is 154 questions in 230 minutes, administered by PSI. Practice it free: Colorado practice test · Colorado exam prep · Colorado 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.
Colorado licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Colorado?
Meet Colorado's eligibility rules, complete 168 hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On employing broker supervision, Colorado's rule is: High level of supervision for two years. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for a Colorado real estate license?
Colorado requires you to be 18 or older and to complete 168 hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 154 questions in 230 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Colorado Division of Real Estate (DRE) page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Colorado require?
168 hours across six named courses: 48 hours Real Estate Law and Practice, 48 hours Colorado Contracts and Regulations, 8 hours Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping, 8 hours Current Legal Issues, 24 hours Real Estate Closings, and 32 hours Practical Applications. A degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in real estate may substitute.
Employing broker supervision — what does Colorado require?
Employing brokers must ensure that a high level of supervision is exercised over a newly licensed active broker during their first two years of real estate practice. A licensee cannot qualify for Colorado's Independent or Employing license tiers -- both requiring two years of active broker experience -- until that period is served, so every new licensee starts as an Associate Broker under a supervising employing broker.
How do you become a real estate agent in Colorado?
Becoming an agent in Colorado is the license plus one more step: complete 168 hours, pass the 154-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Colorado's rule on employing broker supervision — High level of supervision for two years. 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.
Wyoming · Nebraska · Kansas · Oklahoma · New Mexico · Utah · Arizona
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