Maryland licensing
How to Get a Maryland Real Estate License
Maryland eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, good moral character, course content rule, and more - each cited to the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) 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 Maryland's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that Maryland requires.
| Requirement | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | Up to 60 clock hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Commitment required before licensure |
| Good moral character | Good character and reputation |
| Course content rule | Ethics hours, flexible delivery |
| Education exemption | College real estate courses |
| Application sequence | Exam results and broker commitment |
| Exam registration | Commission or its testing service |
| License activation | Broker named on the certificate |
| Reciprocity | Discretionary waiver, comparable license |
| Broker experience | Three years as a salesperson |
| Exam provider | PSI |
Requirements change. Confirm with the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) 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
To qualify for a real estate salesperson license, an applicant shall be an individual who is at least 18 years old and of good character and reputation.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(b) and (c) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
An applicant must complete a Commission-approved basic real estate course of no more than 60 clock hours of classroom instruction, which must include a 3 clock hour course in real estate ethics.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(d) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
An applicant must obtain, from a licensed real estate broker, a commitment providing that the applicant will become affiliated with that broker as a real estate salesperson as soon as the license is granted.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(f) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-11
Good moral character
A salesperson applicant must be of good character and reputation, and must also meet any further requirement the Commission sets to ensure only individuals who are professionally competent and of good character and reputation are licensed, which is an open-ended power rather than a fixed checklist.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(b) and (g) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-17
Course content rule
The basic course must be Commission-approved and must include a three clock hour course in real estate ethics that is separately Commission-approved. Maryland writes the 60 clock hours as a ceiling and lets the instruction be delivered in a classroom, by remote access satellite, closed-circuit video, computer or internet, home study, or any other delivery system the Commission approves.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(d) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-17
Education exemption
Instead of the basic real estate course, the Commission may approve courses in real estate subjects taken at any college as an alternative, provided they include the Commission-approved three clock hour course in real estate ethics.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-303(d)(2) - Qualifications for real estate salesperson license — verified 2026-08-17
Application sequence
The application goes to the Commission on its own form, with a copy of the examination results where a testing service was used, the Guaranty Fund payment required under 17-403, and adequate evidence of the broker's written commitment to affiliate. The Commission may also demand any further documentation bearing on competence or character.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-307(a) and (c) - Application for license — verified 2026-08-17
Exam registration
An applicant who otherwise qualifies is entitled to be examined. The Commission gives examinations periodically at times and places it determines and notifies each qualified applicant, but where it uses a testing service that service may instead set the times and places and give the notice. Examinations are written, and every copy given on a particular date carries the same questions.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-306(a) to (f) - Examinations — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
The Commission prints the licensed broker's firm name on the salesperson's own license certificate, and the license authorizes brokerage services only on behalf of that named, affiliated broker. It does not authorize the salesperson to act on their own behalf or for anyone else. Changing firms means surrendering the certificate and pocket card and applying to transfer affiliation.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-310(b) - Scope of license (with 17-309(c)(2) and 17-311(c)) — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
The Commission may waive any requirement of the licensing subtitle for an applicant who holds a comparable or equivalent license from another state. The applicant must still pay the application fee, give adequate evidence of meeting the qualifications otherwise required, and file a certified copy of the out-of-state license. It is a discretionary waiver, not an automatic grant.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-308 - Waiver of requirements for out-of-state license holders — verified 2026-08-17
Broker experience
A Maryland broker applicant must have completed a Commission-approved broker course including a three clock hour ethics course, and must have been a licensed real estate salesperson actively and lawfully providing brokerage services for at least three years. An applicant qualified to practice law in the State has both the education and the experience requirement waived.
Source: Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, 17-305(d) - Qualifications for real estate broker license — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
Maryland's real estate exam is administered by PSI.
Source: PSI — Maryland Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin, EXAMINATION SUMMARY TABLE — verified 2026-07-29
Once you are eligible
The Maryland salesperson exam is 110 questions in 120 minutes, administered by PSI. Practice it free: Maryland practice test · Maryland exam prep · Maryland 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.
Maryland licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in Maryland?
Meet Maryland's eligibility rules, complete up to 60 clock hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, Maryland's rule is: Commitment required before licensure. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for a Maryland real estate license?
Maryland requires you to be 18 or older and to complete up to 60 clock hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 110 questions in 120 minutes. Every figure on this page names the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does Maryland require?
An applicant must complete a Commission-approved basic real estate course of no more than 60 clock hours of classroom instruction, which must include a 3 clock hour course in real estate ethics.
Sponsoring broker — what does Maryland require?
An applicant must obtain, from a licensed real estate broker, a commitment providing that the applicant will become affiliated with that broker as a real estate salesperson as soon as the license is granted.
How do you become a real estate agent in Maryland?
Becoming an agent in Maryland is the license plus one more step: complete up to 60 clock hours, pass the 110-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy Maryland's rule on sponsoring broker — Commitment required before licensure. 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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