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RE License Guide

Arizona real estate licensing

Arizona Real Estate Broker License requirements

A practical, source-checked guide to qualifying, passing the exam, applying, and keeping this license active.

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor  ·  Verified  ·  RE License Guide Editorial Desk

Source checked 6 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
90-hour broker pre-licensing + BMC #1, #2, #3 (9 hours)
Exam fee
$125
Published fees
$125
Typical timeline
Experience is the long pole (three years in five)
01

What to know first

An Arizona broker license is an ADRE object, not a salesperson license with a new wall hanging and not a NAR upgrade. Live ADRE Broker License page (azre.gov/about/services/broker-license, fetched 2026-09-02): 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate completed within 10 years of application submission; 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic Certificates — BMC #1, BMC #2 and BMC #3, all three, completed within 2 years of application submission; Broker Candidate Experience Verification reflecting a minimum of three years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the five years immediately preceding the time of application. A.R.S. § 32-2124(A)(1) and (C) are the statute behind that page: active licensed real estate salesperson or broker for at least three years during the five years immediately preceding application, plus a separate 90-hour broker course (live classroom or certified distance, in-person proctored school exam, not more than ten years old). Salesperson 90 hours do not double as broker 90. A Colorado 24-hour Brokerage Administration course, an Oregon BASS certificate, and a Nevada broker package do not post as BMC #1–#3.

Pearson delivers a single Arizona-content broker examination, not a national-plus-state split. Live handbook: Real Estate Broker, 180 scored questions, 15 pretest, 195 total, 315 minutes, $125. Passing is the same 75% percent score. The outline, effective September 23, 2019, is Arizona-specific: Real Estate Statutes / Article XXVI / A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20 including Recovery Fund and timeshare (28); Commissioner's Rules including CE, advertising, compensation, documents, professional conduct (18); agency relationships and managerial duties (14); contracts (10); property interests, estates, tenancies (10); math (11); disclosure and consumer protection (8); environmental law (6); Arizona water law including the 1980 Groundwater Management Act, Active Management Areas, Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas, grandfathered rights, well-right transfers (5); deed-of-trust foreclosure (5); ADRE audits (5); plus smaller printed bands on government rights, income tax, land descriptions, land development, encumbrances including homestead, escrow/FIRPTA, fair housing/ADA/RESPA, leases, commercial leasing, ARLTA, insurance, appraisal, and financing. Bring Form LI-226 (Broker Candidate Experience Verification) signed by each designated or employing broker covering the qualifying period, plus a certified license history if the experience was earned outside Arizona. Pearson is not responsible for validating LI-226; ADRE will not issue if the form is deficient.

Live Fees page: original broker License Fee $125 + Recovery Fund $20 = Total $145. Examination combined $125 (matches Pearson's $125 broker sitting). Timely renewal $120; late $245. Same Level 1 Non-IVP DPS card. Same one-year exam-to-application fuse. Designated-broker CE is 30 hours per 24-month period, not the salesperson 24 (A.R.S. § 32-2130(A)). Out-of-state recognition brokers sit a 110-question state-specific paper, 165 minutes, $125, 75%, and the live broker recognition page wants Proof of Arizona Residency — it does not print the 27-hour non-resident alternative the salesperson recognition page prints. California's eight college-level broker courses are a different legal object. This paper cannot be renamed.

02

Your path to the license

Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.

  1. Document three years of actual licensed experience in the last five

    LI-226 from each broker. Out-of-state experience also needs a certified history. A Texas 720-point log is not this form.

  2. Complete the 90-hour broker pre-licensing at a certified school

    Live A.R.S. § 32-2124(C): classroom or certified distance; in-person proctored school exam. Certificate ≤10 years. Salesperson 90 does not count.

  3. Complete BMC #1, BMC #2, and BMC #3

    9 hours, all three, within two years of application. Named Arizona clinics. A Colorado administration course will not post.

  4. Sit the 180-question Pearson broker exam at an Arizona test center

    315 minutes, $125, 75%. Bring LI-226. Not OnVUE. Recognition candidates book the 110/165 product instead.

  5. File with ADRE within one year, DPS card in hand

    Live Fees: $125 license + $20 Recovery Fund = $145. Then designated-broker / entity filings if using an entity (entity fee $0; branch $60).

  6. Calendar 30-hour designated-broker CE

    A.R.S. § 32-2130(A): 30 credit hours per 24-month period for designated brokers, including the January 1, 2025 Firewise / Deed Fraud / Arizona Water hours inside the required total.

03

Education and eligibility

Minimum age
18 years old
Identification
A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
Residency and identification
Live A.R.S. § 32-2124(D): 18. Legal presence under A.R.S. § 41-1080. Arizona residency is not independently required for an original in-state broker file. Live Out-of-State License Recognition Broker page wants Proof of Arizona Residency (no 27-hour alternative is printed on that page — unlike the salesperson recognition page). Confirm the live broker recognition list rather than importing the salesperson 27-hour door.
Qualifying education
Live A.R.S. § 32-2124(C) fetched 2026-09-02: at least ninety classroom hours, or the equivalent, of a commissioner-approved broker course at a certified school, with a passed school exam. Live classroom OR certified distance; in-person proctored school exam; segments may mix in-person and synchronous remote; not more than ten years before application. Live ADRE broker page: 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate within 10 years; 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic Certificates — BMC #1, BMC #2 and BMC #3, all three, within 2 years of application. Salesperson 90 does not double as broker 90. CE does not substitute, though live Education FAQ allows a Continuing Education Waiver Request Form when the 90-hour broker pre-licensing course is used toward current CE categories. A Colorado 24-hour Brokerage Administration, Oregon BASS, and Washington 90-hour managing-broker stack will not post as BMC.
Education or filing deadline
90-hour broker certificate within 10 years of application. BMC #1–#3 within 2 years of application (live broker page). Pearson: apply within one year of passing. A.R.S. § 32-2130(J): a broker may renew as a salesperson without meeting § 32-2124(B); returning to broker later means meeting chapter requirements including § 32-2124(C).
Character review
Same competency / one-year-denial / two-year-revocation / felony-supervision bars as salesperson applicants (A.R.S. § 32-2124). Disciplinary Action Disclosure applies. Handbook still prints honesty, truthfulness, good character and competency.
Background process
Level 1 Non-IVP DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card. Same product as the salesperson file. Live DPS $67.00.
Experience
Live broker page: a minimum of three years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the five years immediately preceding the time of application. A.R.S. § 32-2124(A)(1): active licensed real estate salesperson or real estate broker for at least three years during the five years immediately preceding. A.R.S. § 32-2124(A)(7): equivalent experience in the field in the past five years may substitute if it would have been sufficient had the applicant held a license. Handbook: full-time; LI-226 from each designated or employing broker; certified license history if the experience was earned in another state.
Broker affiliation
An Arizona broker license is the credential that can run a brokerage and employ salespersons. Designated-broker status for an entity is a separate ADRE filing (Entity/Employing Broker License Application/Change Form). Live Fees: entity original/renewal No Fee; original branch $60. Live Licensing FAQ: a virtual office is allowed if you notify the Department of off-site or electronic record storage and have an address of record. Salespersons hang with a broker; eligible is not active until the hire-on is accepted.

Documents to prepare

  • Form LI-226 Broker Candidate Experience Verification, signed by each designated/employing broker covering the qualifying period (bring to Pearson; ADRE still reviews at issuance)
  • Certified license history from each other state of licensure in the preceding five years, if applicable
  • 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate (≤10 years)
  • BMC #1, BMC #2, and BMC #3 certificates (≤2 years; 9 hours total)
  • Pearson broker score report (180 scored / 315 min / 75%)
  • Level 1 Non-IVP DPS card and legal-presence proof
04

The licensing exam

Pearson broker examination, handbook February 2026: 180 scored + 15 pretest (195) / 315 minutes / $125 / 75% percent score / Arizona test-center only. Single paper, not national-plus-state. 75% of 180 is 135 — the handbook prints 75%, not 135 as a raw cut. Outline effective September 23, 2019 (live #090301): I Real Estate Statutes 28 (Article XXVI Arizona Constitution; A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20 — ADRE, licensing, regulation, property management, subdivisions including Affidavit of Disclosure, Recovery Fund, timeshare); II Commissioner's Rules 18 (general, CE, advertising, compensation, documents, professional conduct); III Agency Relationships & Managerial Duties 14; IV Contracts and Contract Law 10; V Property Interests, Estates & Tenancies 10; VI Government Rights in Real Property 4; VII Income Tax Aspects 3; VIII Arizona Water Law 5 (doctrine, Groundwater Management Act 1980, AMAs & INAs, grandfathered rights, well-right transfers); IX Environmental Law 6; X Land Descriptions 4 (including Arizona Constitution Article X); XI Land Development 4; XII Encumbrances 3 (mechanic's lien, homestead); XIII Acquisitions/Transfer of Title 5 (affidavit of value); XIV Escrow and Settlement 4 (FIRPTA); XV Fair Housing, ADA & RESPA 3; XVI Leases & Leasehold Estates 5; remaining printed headings include commercial leasing / ARLTA, property insurance, appraisal, financing documents, deed-of-trust foreclosure 5, disclosure & consumer protection 8, math 11, cooperative nature 2, business accounting 2, ADRE audits 5. A couple of PDF headings sit next to numbered neighbors without a reprinted item count in the fetch — this hub does not invent those missing-band counts; the paper is 180 scored. Out-of-state recognition broker state paper: 110 questions / 165 minutes / $125 / 75% (live handbook; content outline effective April 1, 2020, water law 10, statutes 25, rules 15, ADRE audits 5, math 8).

Pearson, under contract to ADRE. Test-center only in Arizona. Not PSI. Not OnVUE. (888) 405-5776. · Fee: $125

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Broker examination (single Arizona-content paper) 180 315 Live handbook February 2026: 180 scored + 15 pretest = 195 total / 315 minutes / $125. Percent score; 75% of questions correctly. 75% of 180 is 135 — not printed as a raw cut. This is a single Arizona-content paper, not a national-plus-state split (the salesperson exam is the two-paper product). Outline effective September 23, 2019: statutes/Article XXVI/Recovery Fund 28, Commissioner's Rules 18, agency/managerial 14, math 11, contracts 10, property interests 10, disclosure 8, environmental 6, Arizona water law 5, deed-of-trust foreclosure 5, ADRE audits 5, plus smaller printed bands. Bring LI-226. Out-of-state recognition brokers book the 110-question / 165-minute / $125 state-specific product instead, not this 180.

24-hour wait. Retake $125. No attempt cap printed. After a second fail, one-time 30-minute exam playback within 14 days, before any additional sitting; call (888) 405-5776. Apply within one year of passing. Bring LI-226 to the test center; ADRE still rejects deficient experience at issuance.

What to study

  • Pearson VUE broker content outline (180 items, effective September 23, 2019)

    Pearson / ADRE

    Water law, ADRE audits, deed-of-trust foreclosure, Recovery Fund, Article XXVI, and Commissioner's Rules are the Arizona-only weight.

  • Form LI-226 Broker Candidate Experience Verification

    ADRE

    Experience letters that do not cover actual licensed activity inside the five-year window stall files. Pearson does not validate the form.

  • A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20 and Commissioner's Rules

    Arizona Legislature / ADRE

    The 28-item and 18-item buckets on the broker paper. Groundwater Management Act 1980 is a 5-item water-law heading.

05

Application costs

These are commission or testing-vendor amounts we can cite. School tuition and optional preparation products are private-market prices.

Fee Amount
Application$145
Examination$125
Initial license$145
Renewal (every 2 years)$120
Fingerprints / background check$67

Live ADRE Fees page fetched 2026-09-02: original broker License Fee $125 + Real Estate Recovery Fund $20 = Total $145. Examination combined $125. Timely renewal $120; late $245; reinstatement $5. Entity original/renewal No Fee; branch original/renewal/realignment $60. Application and initialLicense in this object are that same $145 original cart, not stacked. Pearson handbook: broker exam $125, OOS broker state $125, retake = initial. Live DPS $67.00 plus vendor printing. BMC and 90-hour tuition are private-market prices. First-time Fee Waiver Request Form may apply (live broker page).

Commission

Arizona Department of Real Estate

Message Center at azre.gov; Pearson (888) 405-5776; DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card Section (602) 223-2279

A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20 (including §§ 32-2108 / 32-2108.01 fingerprint clearance, 32-2124 qualifications — 90 hours or equivalent, 6-hour contract writing, three years in five for brokers, 27-hour Arizona-specific that cannot be waived, 32-2125.01 exam-to-application year, 32-2130 24/30-hour CE and 15-year inactive exam, 32-2131 reinstatement, 32-2132 fees, 32-2186 through 32-2193.02 Recovery Fund, 32-4302 out-of-state recognition / military-spouse exam waiver). A.A.C. R4-28-402 (CE categories). A.R.S. § 41-1080 legal presence; § 41-1758.03 / § 41-1758.07 fingerprint cards. Live ADRE Salesperson License, Broker License, Out-of-State License Recognition Salesperson, Out-of-State License Recognition Broker, How to Obtain a License, Fees, Education, Recovery Fund, and Licensing FAQ pages fetched 2026-09-02. Live A.R.S. §§ 32-2124 and 32-2130 fetched 2026-09-02. Pearson Arizona Real Estate Candidate Handbook February 2026 (#090300) and Content Outlines (#090301, 01/2026) at pearsonvue.com/us/en/az/realestate.html, fetched 2026-09-02 (Pearson page last updated 2026-07-30: Arizona Real Estate examinations are not available through OnVUE). Live AZDPS Fingerprint Clearance Card page fetched 2026-09-02 (DPS fee currently $67.00). ADRE is ADRE — California is DRE. Pearson is Pearson — Colorado and Ohio sit PSI.
Pre-licensing

90-hour broker pre-licensing + BMC #1, #2, #3 (9 hours)

Live A.R.S. § 32-2124(C) fetched 2026-09-02: at least ninety classroom hours, or the equivalent, of a commissioner-approved broker course at a certified school, with a passed school exam. Live classroom OR certified distance; in-person proctored school exam; segments may mix in-person and synchronous remote; not more than ten years before application. Live ADRE broker page: 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate within 10 years; 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic Certificates — BMC #1, BMC #2 and BMC #3, all three, within 2 years of application. Salesperson 90 does not double as broker 90. CE does not substitute, though live Education FAQ allows a Continuing Education Waiver Request Form when the 90-hour broker pre-licensing course is used toward current CE categories. A Colorado 24-hour Brokerage Administration, Oregon BASS, and Washington 90-hour managing-broker stack will not post as BMC.

90-hour broker certificate within 10 years of application. BMC #1–#3 within 2 years of application (live broker page). Pearson: apply within one year of passing. A.R.S. § 32-2130(J): a broker may renew as a salesperson without meeting § 32-2124(B); returning to broker later means meeting chapter requirements including § 32-2124(C).
Sponsoring broker

An Arizona broker license is the credential that can run a brokerage and employ salespersons. Designated-broker status for an entity is a separate ADRE filing (Entity/Employing Broker License Application/Change Form). Live Fees: entity original/renewal No Fee; original branch $60. Live Licensing FAQ: a virtual office is allowed if you notify the Department of off-site or electronic record storage and have an address of record. Salespersons hang with a broker; eligible is not active until the hire-on is accepted.
Fingerprints

Same DPS Level 1 Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card as salesperson applicants. Live broker page lists it. Live DPS fee currently $67.00. ADRE will not issue without it.
CE / renewal

A.R.S. § 32-2130(A): 30 credit hours per 24-month period for designated brokers or for associate brokers employed by a designated broker pursuant to § 32-2151.01(G); 24 for ordinary associate brokers. Live Education FAQ: Firewise, Deed Fraud, and Arizona Water 1 hour each beginning January 1, 2025 as part of required hours. Same six-mandatory-category structure (SPS 2005.14 / A.A.C. R4-28-402). A broker may renew as a salesperson without repeating § 32-2124(B) (A.R.S. § 32-2130(J)).

Live Fees page: late renewal broker $245 (timely $120). Reinstatement $5. License expired more than one year is terminated (A.R.S. § 32-2130(F)).
Recovery fund

Brokers and the salespersons they employ are inside the Real Estate Recovery Fund. Live page caps: $30,000 per transaction, $90,000 per licensee. Original broker surcharge $20 on the live Fees page. The broker outline scores the fund inside the 28-item statute band. A paid claim can affect the license. The judgment on a claim must include the employing broker. Not E&O.
06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Skipping BMC because you took a broker class elsewhere

    Live broker page: BMC #1, #2, and #3, all three, within two years. Colorado Brokerage Administration is not BMC.

  • Reusing salesperson 90 hours as broker 90

    They are different commissioner-approved courses. Live § 32-2124(C) is the broker 90.

  • Counting generic years

    Three years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the five years immediately preceding, on LI-226. Equivalent-experience substitution is a commissioner discretion under § 32-2124(A)(7), not a handshake at Pearson.

  • Using the reciprocity word on a broker file

    Recognition is the inbound noun. Live broker recognition page wants Arizona residency proof and a 110-question state paper. It does not print the salesperson 27-hour non-resident door.

  • Leaving LI-226 for after Pearson

    Handbook: bring completed, signed LI-226 to the test center. ADRE still rejects deficient experience at issuance.

  • Sitting the salesperson two-paper product as a broker

    Broker is a single 180-question / 315-minute Arizona paper at $125. The 80/60 split is the salesperson exam after January 1, 2026.

  • Booking OnVUE or PSI

    Same as salesperson: Pearson, Arizona test center, not OnVUE, not PSI.

  • Renaming this paper to California or Colorado

    California broker is eight college courses and a 200-question DRE exam. Colorado employing is 24-hour Brokerage Administration and two Colorado years. Arizona is BMC #1–#3, three years in five, 180 questions, ADRE.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

Partner / path Accepted exam Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential.

No reciprocity. Live Out-of-State License Recognition Broker page (fetched 2026-09-02): Pearson state-specific exam; Broker Application; Disciplinary Action Disclosure; license history from the other state where an equivalent license is held for at least one year; Proof of Arizona Residency; Broker Candidate Experience Verification (three years in five); BMC #1–#3 within 2 years; DPS card; legal presence. Live handbook: Out-of-State License Recognition - Broker State Specific Examination, 110 questions, 165 minutes, $125. That page does not print a 27-hour non-resident alternative. A.R.S. § 32-2124(J) waives the national portion for a current equivalent out-of-state licensee — the broker original paper is already Arizona-content, so recognition is a different product, not a skipped 180. Military-spouse exam waiver: A.R.S. § 32-4302(A) via Message Center.

08

Renewal and staying active

A.R.S. § 32-2130(A): 30 credit hours per 24-month period for designated brokers or for associate brokers employed by a designated broker pursuant to § 32-2151.01(G); 24 for ordinary associate brokers. Live Education FAQ: Firewise, Deed Fraud, and Arizona Water 1 hour each beginning January 1, 2025 as part of required hours. Same six-mandatory-category structure (SPS 2005.14 / A.A.C. R4-28-402). A broker may renew as a salesperson without repeating § 32-2124(B) (A.R.S. § 32-2130(J)).

Late renewal: Live Fees page: late renewal broker $245 (timely $120). Reinstatement $5. License expired more than one year is terminated (A.R.S. § 32-2130(F)).

Applicant checklist

  • LI-226 covering three years of actual licensed experience in the last five (plus certified histories if out of state)
  • 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate (≤10 years); in-person proctored school exam passed
  • BMC #1, BMC #2, and BMC #3 (9 hours; ≤2 years)
  • Level 1 Non-IVP DPS card (live DPS $67)
  • Pearson 180 scored / 315 min at 75% (or 110/165 recognition product)
  • ADRE original $145 ($125 + $20 Recovery Fund) within one year of passing
  • Entity / branch filings if you will employ others (entity $0; branch $60)
09

How Arizona is different

California broker: eight college courses, two years full-time in five (or a real-estate degree), DRE's own 200-question exam at 75 percent. Colorado employing broker: 24-hour Brokerage Administration and two years of Colorado broker experience that cannot be imported from a salesperson title. New Mexico qualifying broker: transaction points and a commission-meeting appearance. Nevada is NRED plus Pearson after you pay NRED first. Arizona is BMC #1–#3 plus three years in five, a 180-question Arizona Pearson paper, DPS Level 1 Non-IVP, $145 original including $20 Recovery Fund, and recognition instead of reciprocity.

10

Frequently asked questions

Is this ADRE or DRE, Pearson or PSI?
ADRE and Pearson. Live broker page: third party testing vendor, Pearson. Not California DRE. Not PSI. Not OnVUE.
What are BMC courses?
Live broker page fetched 2026-09-02: 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic Certificates — BMC #1, BMC #2 and BMC #3, all three, completed within 2 years of application submission. Named Arizona clinics, not a generic broker class from another state. They are original-license education; designated-broker CE is a separate 30-hour cycle.
How much experience, and how is it proved?
Live broker page: minimum of three years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the five years immediately preceding. A.R.S. § 32-2124(A)(1). Handbook: Form LI-226 from each designated or employing broker; certified license history if the years were earned in another state. Bring LI-226 to Pearson; ADRE still reviews it at issuance.
Broker exam items, time, cut, fee?
Live handbook: 180 scored + 15 pretest / 315 minutes / $125 / 75% percent score. Single Arizona-content paper. 75% of 180 is 135 — not printed as a raw cut. Live Fees page also prints combined examination $125. Recognition brokers sit 110 questions / 165 minutes / $125 / 75%.
Did the live statute keep classroom-only broker hours?
No. Live A.R.S. § 32-2124(C) fetched 2026-09-02 allows certified distance learning with an in-person proctored school exam, same as salesperson. The live ADRE broker page still wants the 90-hour Broker Pre-licensing Course Certificate within 10 years. Salesperson 90 does not count as broker 90.
What does original broker issuance cost?
Live Fees page: $125 license + $20 Recovery Fund = $145. Pearson $125. DPS $67 plus vendor. Timely renewal $120; late $245.
Does a California broker license waive the Arizona exam?
No. Arizona does not offer reciprocity. Recognition brokers still sit the 110-question Arizona state paper and still produce BMC #1–#3, LI-226, residency proof, and a DPS card.
Designated-broker CE?
A.R.S. § 32-2130(A): 30 credit hours per 24-month period for designated brokers (and for associate brokers employed under § 32-2151.01(G)), versus 24 for salespersons and ordinary associate brokers. Same January 1, 2025 Firewise / Deed Fraud / Arizona Water hours as part of the required total. BMC is original-license education, not that 30.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

  1. ADRE — Broker License (90-hour / 10-year, BMC #1–#3 / 2-year, three years in five)
  2. ADRE — Out-of-State License Recognition Broker (residency; 110-question state paper)
  3. ADRE — Fees (original $125+$20=$145; exam $125; renewal $120/$245)
  4. Pearson Arizona Real Estate Candidate Handbook (February 2026)
  5. A.R.S. § 32-2124 (broker 90 hours, three years in five, LI-226 path)
  6. A.R.S. § 32-2130 (30-hour designated-broker CE)

Verified 2026-09-02  ·  Next scheduled review 2026-12-01