New York licensing
How to Get a New York Real Estate License
New York eligibility and application rules - minimum age, pre-licensing education, sponsoring broker, statutory basis, course content rule, and more - each cited to the New York Department of State - Division of Licensing Services 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 New York's application order, then sit the configured salesperson exam.
- 04Activate your license
Complete any sponsorship or initial-license step that New York requires.
| Requirement | New York |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Pre-licensing education | 77 hours |
| Sponsoring broker | Required before licensure |
| Statutory basis | Real Property Law Article 12-A |
| Course content rule | At least 6 of the 77 required hours must focus on fair housing and discrimination |
| Education exemption | Computer-based and distance-learning courses count toward the 77-hour requirement |
| Application sequence | Application must name the sponsoring broker and list two years of prior occupation history |
| Exam registration | Written exam tests contract, agency, and fair-housing law, plus General Obligations Law knowledge |
| Retake policy | Missing the two-year renewal window requires retaking and passing the written exam |
| License activation | A salesperson license is valid for a two-year term from issuance |
| New salesperson postlicense education | Renewal requires 22.5 hours of continuing education every two years |
| Reciprocity | Out-of-state licensees can transfer in without exam only if their home state offers the same waiver to New Yorkers |
| Good moral character | A criminal conviction bars licensure unless the Secretary of State finds it does not, under Correction Law Article 23-A |
| Exam provider | State-administered |
Requirements change. Confirm with the New York Department of State - Division of Licensing Services 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 New York real estate salesperson license, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, one of the core eligibility requirements the Department of State lists for licensure.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate Agent (Salesperson) licensing requirements, Requirements — verified 2026-08-11
Pre-licensing education
Applicants must successfully complete 77 hours of Department of State-approved qualifying education before they are eligible to sit for the salesperson licensing examination.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate Agent (Salesperson) licensing requirements, Requirements — verified 2026-08-11
Sponsoring broker
A New York real estate salesperson applicant must be sponsored by a New York State-licensed real estate broker; a salesperson is associated with that broker and cannot operate independently.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate Agent (Salesperson) licensing requirements, Requirements — verified 2026-08-11
Statutory basis
The licensing scheme for New York real estate brokers and salespersons is codified at Real Property Law Article 12-A; Section 440-a sets the age floor of 18 for salespersons and 20 for brokers, and Section 441 sets the 77-hour qualifying course and the requirement to name the broker the applicant will be associated with.
Source: New York Real Property Law Section 440-a, 440-a. License required for real estate brokers and salespersons — verified 2026-08-11
Course content rule
Of the 77-hour qualifying course, at least six hours must be focused specifically on fair housing and discrimination in the sale or rental of real property.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(1)(c) — verified 2026-08-17
Education exemption
The Department of State may approve computer-based and distance-learning courses if the provider can monitor and verify the applicant's participation for the required time.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(1)(d) — verified 2026-08-17
Application sequence
Every salesperson license application must set forth the applicant's residence, the sponsoring broker's name and business address, and two years of prior business or occupation history.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(1-A)(a) — verified 2026-08-17
Exam registration
The written examination evaluates an applicant's working knowledge of contracts, real property and agency law, fair housing rules, and the General Obligations Law provisions governing salesperson duties.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(1-A)(b) — verified 2026-08-17
Retake policy
A licensee who does not renew within the two-year renewal period must qualify again by passing the written examination, unless the delay was caused by military induction or enlistment.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(2) — verified 2026-08-17
License activation
A salesperson license issued or reissued under Article 12-A entitles the holder to act as a salesperson only up to and including the date on which the license expires by its two-year term.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441-a(2), (7) — verified 2026-08-17
New salesperson postlicense education
Renewal requires 22.5 hours of continuing education within the preceding two years, including cultural competency, fair housing, implicit bias, and ethics topics, with at least eleven hours due in the first year of an initial license term.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 441(3)(a) — verified 2026-08-17
Reciprocity
New York recognizes another state's broker or salesperson license without a new exam only if that state, by written examination requirement, permits New York residents to obtain a license without examination in return.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 442-g(1) — verified 2026-08-17
Good moral character
No person convicted of a crime in New York or elsewhere may be licensed as a salesperson unless the Secretary of State makes a finding, applying Correction Law Article 23-A standards, that the conviction does not bar licensure.
Source: NY Department of State - Real Estate License Law (Real Property Law Article 12-A), Real Property Law § 440-a — verified 2026-08-17
Exam provider
New York's real estate exam is administered by State-administered.
Source: New York Department of State — Real Estate Agent (Salesperson) licensing requirements, Written Exam — verified 2026-08-11
Once you are eligible
The New York salesperson exam is 75 questions in 90 minutes, administered by State-administered. Practice it free: New York practice test · New York exam prep · New York 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.
New York licensing FAQ
How do you get a real estate license in New York?
Meet New York's eligibility rules, complete 77 hours, apply to the regulator, and pass the salesperson exam. On sponsoring broker, New York's rule is: Required before licensure. Each requirement is set out below with the provision it comes from.
What are the requirements for a New York real estate license?
New York requires you to be 18 or older and to complete 77 hours before sitting the salesperson exam, which is 75 questions in 90 minutes. Every figure on this page names the New York Department of State - Division of Licensing Services page it came from and the date we checked it.
How much pre-licensing education does New York require?
Applicants must successfully complete 77 hours of Department of State-approved qualifying education before they are eligible to sit for the salesperson licensing examination.
Sponsoring broker — what does New York require?
A New York real estate salesperson applicant must be sponsored by a New York State-licensed real estate broker; a salesperson is associated with that broker and cannot operate independently.
How do you become a real estate agent in New York?
Becoming an agent in New York is the license plus one more step: complete 77 hours, pass the 75-question salesperson exam, and then satisfy New York's rule on sponsoring broker — 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.
Pennsylvania · New Jersey · Connecticut · Massachusetts · Vermont
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