Hawaii licensing
How to Get a Hawaii Real Estate License
Hawaii eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, high school diploma, education exemption, and more - each cited to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Branch (REB) 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 Hawaii's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Hawaii requires.
| Requirement | Hawaii |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | 60 class hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Required to remain active |
| High school diploma | Required |
| Education exemption | Prelicense Education Equivalency Certificate |
| Background check | Preliminary decision on request |
| Exam registration | Book direct with PSI |
| Time limit | Two years after passing |
| License activation | Employed by an active brokerage |
| Reciprocity | None; uniform-section credit only |
| Exam provider | PSI |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Branch (REB) 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
An applicant must be at least 18 years of age as of the date of the real estate salesperson examination, in addition to being a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or authorized alien with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Branch - Examination Prerequisites, Examination Prerequisites — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
The salesperson license education requirement is satisfied by successfully completing a curriculum of at least sixty class hours, each class hour meaning sixty minutes of classroom instruction, conforming to the commission-approved salesperson curriculum.
Source: Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 16, Chapter 99, §16-99-36 Education requirement — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
A salesperson's license is placed on involuntary inactive status if the brokerage firm the licensee is affiliated with or employed by loses its registration or if the principal broker's own license becomes inactive, so active status depends on ongoing affiliation with a licensed broker.
Source: Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 16, Chapter 99, §16-99-5.1 Involuntary inactive license status — verified 2026-08-11
High school diploma
Hawaii requires the candidate to have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent, and to be a United States citizen, United States national, or an alien authorized to work in the United States, as of the examination date.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Branch - Examination Prerequisites, Examination Prerequisites pursuant to section 467-9.5, HRS — verified 2026-08-17
Education exemption
Instead of the 60-hour course a candidate meeting one of the Commission's specified categories may apply for, and if approved be granted, a Prelicense Education Equivalency Certificate. Like a school completion certificate it is valid two years from the date of issuance.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Commission - General Steps on Becoming a Hawaii Licensed Real Estate Salesperson on Active Status, Successfully complete a 60 hour Hawaii salesperson prelicensing course — verified 2026-08-17
Background check
Hawaii does not run a routine fingerprint check, but a candidate with a questionable background issue - a criminal conviction, a DUI, unpaid tax obligations, an unpaid judgment, discipline in another licensing area or jurisdiction, current parole or probation - may ask the Commission for a non-binding preliminary decision before paying for a course or the examination.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Branch - General Prelicensing Information, Salesperson Prelicense Candidate Information - Request for Preliminary Decision — verified 2026-08-17
Exam registration
PSI Services administers the Hawaii examination and the candidate schedules it directly, online or by phone, receiving a confirmation number. A Hawaii school completion certificate or a prelicense education equivalency certificate must be in hand to sit the salesperson examination.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Commission - General Steps on Becoming a Hawaii Licensed Real Estate Salesperson on Active Status, Schedule exam reservation by calling PSI Services, LLC — verified 2026-08-17
Time limit
A complete Hawaii salesperson license application must be submitted within two years of passing the examination. The application itself is handed to successful candidates at the test site, and school completion certificates separately expire two years from issuance.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Commission - General Steps on Becoming a Hawaii Licensed Real Estate Salesperson on Active Status, Within two (2) years of passing the Hawaii salesperson's examination, submit a complete application — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
Passing and applying gets the license issued, but to be licensed on active status the applicant must be employed by or associated with a current and active Hawaii licensed real estate brokerage firm or sole proprietor. Without one the license exists but cannot be used.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Commission - General Steps on Becoming a Hawaii Licensed Real Estate Salesperson on Active Status, NOTE: To be licensed on active status, the applicant must be employed or associated with a current and active Hawaii licensed real estate brokerage firm or sole proprietor — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
Holding a license elsewhere does not shorten Hawaii's route. A candidate with a current out-of-state license who passed that state's uniform portion at the equivalent level may apply for a Uniform Equivalency Certificate, valid two years, which waives only the uniform section; the Hawaii state section and the prelicense education still apply.
Source: Hawaii Real Estate Commission - General Steps on Becoming a Hawaii Licensed Real Estate Salesperson on Active Status, Candidates possessing a current real estate license in another state who have passed the Uniform Portion — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Hawaii's real estate exam is administered by PSI.
Source: PSI — Hawaii Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (hosted by the Hawaii DCCA Real Estate Branch), Examination Summary Table; Content Outlines — verified 2026-07-28
Once you are eligible
The Hawaii salesperson exam is 130 questions in 240 minutes, administered by PSI. Practice it free: Hawaii practice test · Hawaii exam prep · Hawaii 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.
Hawaii licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Hawaii?
Meet Hawaii's eligibility rules, complete 60 class hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, Hawaii's rule is: Required to remain active. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for a Hawaii real estate license?
Hawaii requires you to be 18 or older and to complete 60 class hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 130 questions in 240 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Branch (REB) page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Hawaii require?
The salesperson license education requirement is satisfied by successfully completing a curriculum of at least sixty class hours, each class hour meaning sixty minutes of classroom instruction, conforming to the commission-approved salesperson curriculum.
Sponsoring broker — what does Hawaii require?
A salesperson's license is placed on involuntary inactive status if the brokerage firm the licensee is affiliated with or employed by loses its registration or if the principal broker's own license becomes inactive, so active status depends on ongoing affiliation with a licensed broker.
How do you become a real estate agent in Hawaii?
Becoming an agent in Hawaii is the license plus one more step: complete 60 class hours, pass the 130-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Hawaii's rule on sponsoring broker — Required to remain active. 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.
Other states
Licensing in more than one state? Each state's license requirements covers its own license law.
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