Idaho licensing
How to Get an Idaho Real Estate License
Idaho eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, high school diploma, background check, and more - each cited to the Idaho Real Estate Commission 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 Idaho's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Idaho requires.
| Requirement | Idaho |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | 90 hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Required to practice |
| High school diploma | Required |
| Background check | Fingerprints, national check |
| Course content rule | Courses expire after three years |
| Exam registration | Register with the Commission |
| Time limit | Exam within 12 months of applying |
| Retake policy | Unlimited, new fee each time |
| License activation | Errors and omissions insurance |
| New salesperson postlicense education | Post license course before first active renewal |
| Reciprocity | Education waived, exam usually not |
| Exam provider | Pearson VUE |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Idaho Real Estate Commission 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
Every person seeking a primary Idaho real estate license as a salesperson, associate broker, or designated broker must be at least eighteen years of age.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2012. Minimum requirements for an individual primary Idaho license — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
To obtain a salesperson license you must complete 90 hours of prelicense education, split into two 45-hour modules covering fundamental real estate concepts and practice.
Source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses - Real Estate Commission, Education for Applicants, Salesperson Prelicense Education — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
A salesperson applicant must provide the name and physical address of the designated broker with whom they will be licensed, signed by that broker, and may be associated with only one Idaho broker at a time.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2012(1)(l). Minimum requirements for an individual primary Idaho license — verified 2026-08-11
High school diploma
Every applicant must furnish satisfactory proof of graduating from an accredited high school or its equivalent, including a nonpublic school, or of holding a certificate of general education.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2012(1)(c). Minimum requirements for an individual primary Idaho license — verified 2026-08-17
Background check
Applicants must be fingerprinted for a national criminal history check under section 67-9411A. Illegible prints must be retaken on request. A felony conviction, or a misdemeanor involving fraud or dishonest dealing inside the past five years, bars licensure until the Commission grants an exemption review.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2012(1)(f), (1)(g) and (1)(j). Minimum requirements for an individual primary Idaho license — verified 2026-08-17
Course content rule
The 90 hours must be completed within three years before the license application date, or the Commission must waive the limit on written request. No credit is given for a course taken for audit, or where the content repeats a course already credited.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2022(2), (4) and (5). Prelicense education requirements — verified 2026-08-17
Exam registration
The applicant registers for the examination in a manner the Commission authorizes and pays a nonrefundable examination fee at registration, capped by statute at $150. A certificate waiving the national portion, if one has been granted, is submitted with the examination application.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2014(2) and (3). License exams — verified 2026-08-17
Time limit
Both the national portion and the Idaho state portion must be passed within the twelve months immediately preceding the date of the license application. Idaho measures the window backwards from the application, which is the reverse of states that give you a period after passing.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2014(1). License exams — verified 2026-08-17
Retake policy
An individual who fails to appear for the examination, or fails to pass it, may register to take another examination. Idaho sets no attempt cap and no waiting period, but the applicant must register again and submit a new examination fee.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2014(4). License exams — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
Carrying and maintaining errors and omissions insurance is a condition of active licensing. A licensee may take the Commission's group policy or an independent policy meeting the minimum terms, and must certify compliance when obtaining or renewing an active license; failing to produce a certificate within 30 days of a request can inactivate the license.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2013(1), (4) and (6). Errors and omissions insurance required — verified 2026-08-17
New salesperson postlicense education
To renew an Idaho salesperson license on active status for the first time, or to activate it for the first time after the initial license period ends, the salesperson must complete two Commission core courses plus the post license course.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2023(1)(a). Salesperson - First active renewal or activation — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
An applicant currently and actively licensed in another jurisdiction meets all section 54-2012 qualifications except the prelicense education, and files a certified license history showing status and any discipline. A licensee in good standing may also request a written certificate waiving the national exam portion; a full waiver of both exam and education needs a written agreement between Idaho and that jurisdiction.
Source: Idaho Statutes - Title 54, Chapter 20, 54-2015(1), (2) and (3). Individuals licensed in another state or jurisdiction seeking primary Idaho licensure — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Idaho's real estate exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
Source: Pearson VUE — Idaho Real Estate Candidate Handbook, Available Exams and Time Allotted — verified 2026-07-27
Once you are eligible
The Idaho salesperson exam is 120 questions in 240 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE. Practice it free: Idaho practice test · Idaho exam prep · Idaho 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.
Idaho licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Idaho?
Meet Idaho's eligibility rules, complete 90 hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, Idaho's rule is: Required to practice. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for an Idaho real estate license?
Idaho requires you to be 18 or older and to complete 90 hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 120 questions in 240 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Idaho Real Estate Commission page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Idaho require?
To obtain a salesperson license you must complete 90 hours of prelicense education, split into two 45-hour modules covering fundamental real estate concepts and practice.
Sponsoring broker — what does Idaho require?
A salesperson applicant must provide the name and physical address of the designated broker with whom they will be licensed, signed by that broker, and may be associated with only one Idaho broker at a time.
How do you become a real estate agent in Idaho?
Becoming an agent in Idaho is the license plus one more step: complete 90 hours, pass the 120-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Idaho'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.
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