Arizona Real Estate Salesperson License requirements

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

1. 1

   Complete the 90-hour salesperson pre-licensing at a commissioner-certified school

   A.R.S. § 32-2124(B): live classroom or certified distance learning, with an in-person proctored school exam. The certificate must be ≤10 years old when you apply to ADRE. This is not California's three college courses or Nevada's 120 hours.

2. 2

   Complete the 6-hour Contract Writing course

   A.R.S. § 32-2124(L): drafting purchase contracts, listings, and leases. ADRE salesperson page: the certificate must be ≤2 years old when you apply. This is not CE.

3. 3

   Apply for the DPS Level 1 Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

   Apply at psp.azdps.gov with the reason "AZ Department of Real Estate – Licensure A.R.S. § 32-2108.01." The DPS fee is $67.00 plus vendor printing. The card is valid 6 years. Start this in parallel with your coursework; ADRE will not issue a license without it.

4. 4

   Take the Pearson General and State exams at an Arizona test center

   80 questions/150 min/$70 and 60 questions/90 min/$60, or the $75 combo back to back. You need 75% on each. No OnVUE and no PSI. Bring the prelicensure certificate and two signature IDs.

5. 5

   File the ADRE application within one year of passing

   Include both score reports (original), the Disciplinary Action Disclosure, legal-presence proof, the DPS card, and the 90-hour and 6-hour certificates. ADRE collects $50 license + $10 Recovery Fund = $60 once the file is complete. In eligible status, you still need a broker hire-on to practice.

6. 6

   Calendar the two-year CE cycle

   A.R.S. § 32-2130: 24 credit hours per 24-month period for salespersons. ADRE Education FAQ: beginning January 1, 2025, 1 hour each of Firewise, Deed Fraud, and Arizona Water is part of those required hours. Submit CE yourself through Licensee Login; schools do not report it to ADRE.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.

Residency and identification

Under A.R.S. § 32-2124(D), you must be at least eighteen. The Pearson handbook requires proof of legal presence in the United States (A.R.S. § 41-1080) before you can hold a state-issued professional license; if the presence document has no photograph, you also need a government-issued photo ID. Arizona residency is not separately required for an original in-state application. For out-of-state recognition, the salesperson recognition page requires a license history of at least one year AND either proof of Arizona residency or a 27-hour pre-licensure certificate if you are not an Arizona resident. The Licensing FAQ still prints "You must be an Arizona resident" for the out-of-state path; follow the dedicated recognition document list. No compact applies. Pearson reservations ask for your SSN.

Qualifying education

A.R.S. § 32-2124(B) requires at least ninety classroom hours, or the equivalent, at a commissioner-certified school, plus a passed school examination. You may take a live classroom course or certified distance learning, but the school exam must be a proctored examination completed in person; instruction may mix in-person and synchronous remote segments. Completion must be no more than ten years before application (the commissioner may find equivalent work-plus-education). ADRE's salesperson page requires the 90-hour Salesperson Pre-licensing Course Certificate within 10 years of application submission. After the 90 hours, A.R.S. § 32-2124(L) and the salesperson page require six hours of instruction in real estate contract law and contract writing, including participation in drafting contracts to purchase real property, listing agreements and lease agreements, with the certificate dated within 2 years of application submission. Under A.R.S. § 32-2124(B), the commissioner may not waive the 27-hour Arizona-specific course for a current out-of-state licensee (except as provided in § 32-4302). California's three DRE courses, Nevada's 120 hours, and Colorado's 168 hours do not substitute for this 90 + 6. CE does not substitute either. The NAR Code of Ethics is not an ADRE licensing requirement (ADRE Education FAQ).

Education or filing deadline

90-hour certificate within 10 years of ADRE application (A.R.S. § 32-2124(B); ADRE salesperson page). 6-hour Contract Writing within 2 years of application (ADRE salesperson page). Pearson scores: apply within one year of passing (ADRE salesperson page; handbook; A.R.S. § 32-2125.01). If your school will not recertify a 90-hour certificate that is still within its 10 years, use Form LI-245 (prelicensure education recertification).

Character review

The Pearson handbook and A.R.S. § 32-2124 require honesty, truthfulness, good character and competency. (The current statute text leads with competency and the age, education, and experience requirements; the handbook still prints the honesty/truthfulness/good-character clause.) You must not have had a license denied within one year or revoked within two years immediately preceding application. Under A.R.S. § 32-2124(M) and the Licensing FAQ, the commissioner shall not issue a license to a person currently incarcerated, paroled, under community supervision, or on probation for a felony. A person with a prior felony or misdemeanor may apply once probation, parole, community service, and restitution are completed, and the application still goes through review. Disclose criminal convictions, adverse judgments, and professional-license discipline in writing within 10 business days (Licensing FAQ) and on the original Disciplinary Action Disclosure; any "yes" answer requires the Disclosure Document Checklist. Failing to disclose is grounds for denial on its own. Passing Pearson does not guarantee issuance.

Background process

Level 1 Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card from AZDPS. According to the Licensing FAQ, a Fingerprint Clearance Card is required to obtain an original real estate salesperson or broker license. Precluding offenses for a Level One card are listed in A.R.S. § 41-1758.07(B)–(C). A Regular card under § 41-1758.03 is a different product. Good-cause exceptions go through the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting, a separate agency. IdentoGO is not part of the Arizona process. Budget the $67.00 DPS fee plus the separate printing fee charged by Fieldprint or another vendor.

Experience

No licensed experience is required for the salesperson license. You need an employing broker to practice (to move from eligible to active through a hire-on), not to take the Pearson exam. For a broker license later, you need three years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the five years immediately preceding application (ADRE broker page; A.R.S. § 32-2124(A)(1)).

Broker affiliation

A salesperson practices under a licensed employing / designated broker. According to ADRE's Licensing FAQ, after you pass, ADRE emails a licensee-login number from [email protected] the same day. The license issues in eligible status and can remain eligible indefinitely if you keep CE current and pay the biennial renewal. Eligible is the status previously called inactive, and it means you are ready to be hired. Inactive is now a separate status that can last up to 15 years and does not require CE until you want to return to eligible or active (A.R.S. § 32-2130(K); after 15 years inactive, the commissioner shall require a state-law exam before activating). You may not perform licensed acts until the broker accepts the hire-on in Licensee Login. A PC or PLLC may be added to an individual license for commission purposes; a plain LLC may not.

Pearson (Pearson VUE / Pearson Professional Assessments), under contract to ADRE. pearsonvue.com/us/en/az/realestate.html; (888) 405-5776. Test centers in Arizona only. Not PSI. Not OnVUE. · Fee: $75

Pearson handbook: wait twenty-four (24) hours after taking an exam before reserving a retake of that exam. Reservations cannot be made at the test center. A retake costs the same as the initial exam ($70 General / $60 State). The handbook prints no attempt limit. After a second fail, you can review missed items in a one-time 30-minute exam playback within 14 days of that fail, before any additional attempt; call (888) 405-5776 (Pearson's page says exam reviews cannot be scheduled online). Apply for the license within one year of passing; after a year, the score no longer counts. The $75 combo is a same-day scheduling discount, not a single 240-minute exam; each exam keeps its own time limit.

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

ADRE Fees page: Examination Application and Examination Fees, combined $75 salesperson / $125 broker. Original salesperson License Fee $50 + Real Estate Recovery Fund $10 = Total $60. Original broker $125 + $20 = $145. Timely renewal salesperson $60 / broker $120. Late renewal $125 / $245. Reinstatement per A.R.S. § 32-2131 $5. Entity original/renewal No Fee; branch $60. Law Book $25 + $7 shipping. Pearson handbook (February 2026) back cover: Sales General $70, Sales State $60, combo $75 back to back, broker $125, out-of-state salesperson state exam $60, out-of-state broker state exam $125; a retake costs the same as the initial exam. The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same $60 original fee, not two separate charges. AZDPS page: Fingerprint Clearance Card DPS fee currently $67.00; the vendor printing fee is extra and is not published by DPS. School tuition is set by each school. First-time applicants may file the Fee Waiver Request Form (ADRE salesperson page).

• !

  Calling the regulator DRE

  Arizona's regulator is ADRE; DRE is California. ADRE's pages, the handbook, and Title 32 all name the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

• !

  Booking PSI or OnVUE

  Pearson's page (updated July 30, 2026) states that Arizona Real Estate examinations are not available through OnVUE. ADRE contracts with Pearson, and Colorado or Ohio PSI scores do not transfer.

• !

  Assuming the 90 hours must be in a classroom

  A.R.S. § 32-2124(B) allows certified distance learning with an in-person proctored school exam. ADRE's salesperson page still requires the 90-hour certificate within 10 years. Neither ADRE's pages nor the statute sets a 10-hour-per-day cap.

• !

  Letting Contract Writing age past two years

  ADRE salesperson page: the 6-hour Contract Writing Course Certificate must be within 2 years of application, separate from the 10-year limit on the 90 hours. A.R.S. § 32-2124(L) requires drafting of purchase contracts, listings, and leases.

• !

  Studying a pre-2026 combined 180-question salesperson outline

  Effective January 1, 2026, the salesperson exam is two exams: 80 questions/150 min and 60 questions/90 min, 75% each, $70+$60 or the $75 combo. The 180-question single exam is the broker exam.

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  Assuming a 60/45 raw cut score

  The handbook requires 75% of questions correct. It does not publish 60 of 80 or 45 of 60 as official cut scores.

• !

  Calling it reciprocity

  The path for out-of-state licensees is Out-of-State License Recognition, and it still includes the Arizona state exam. Non-residents applying through the salesperson recognition page add 27 hours.

• !

  Skipping the DPS card

  A Level 1 Non-IVP card from AZDPS is a required original-license document. DPS fee $67.00. Passing Pearson does not waive it.

• !

  Thinking you have one year to activate

  Licensing FAQ: you have one year to apply after passing. An eligible license can stay eligible indefinitely with CE and renewal. Inactive status can last up to 15 years with no CE. You still need a broker hire-on to practice.

• !

  Waiting for the school to report CE to ADRE

  ADRE Education FAQ: you receive a certificate and submit it yourself through Licensee Login. CE from another state and NAR ethics courses do not count unless the course is ADRE-approved.

• !

  Confusing Arizona with California, Colorado, or Nevada

  California uses DRE and a 150-question exam. Colorado requires 168 named hours and has no salesperson title. Nevada requires 120 hours. Arizona uses ADRE, 90 + 6 hours, Pearson exams of 80 and 60 questions at 75%, and a DPS Level 1 Non-IVP card.

Arizona does not offer reciprocity. ADRE's How to Obtain a License page describes Out-of-State License Recognition under A.R.S. § 32-4302: you must be currently licensed for at least one year, have completed approved education in the other state, have passed a license examination there, and have no revocation, voluntary surrender, or pending complaint. The salesperson recognition page requires the State-Specific Pearson exam only and a license history of at least one year. Arizona residents submit proof of residency; non-residents submit a 27-hour pre-licensure certificate. You still need the 6-hour Contract Writing course within 2 years, the DPS card, and proof of legal presence. Under A.R.S. § 32-2124(J), a current equivalent out-of-state licensee is exempt from the national portion. Under A.R.S. § 32-2124(N), the commissioner shall require a § 32-4302 out-of-state applicant to pass an examination specific to Arizona law. The Licensing FAQ still says you must be an Arizona resident; the dedicated recognition page, which is more specific, offers the 27-hour option for non-residents. Military-spouse exam waiver: A.R.S. § 32-4302(A), requested through the Licensing Division Message Center (How to Obtain a License page). A California DRE score, a Colorado PSI score, or a Nevada NRED exam does not replace the Arizona state exam.

Arizona vs neighboring states

Hours are the pre-license total printed in each guide; states that count credits or named courses show “See guide.” Published state fees add the application, exam, initial-license, and fingerprint amounts the guide can cite — tuition is not included.

Is the regulator ADRE or DRE?

ADRE, the Arizona Department of Real Estate (azre.gov). DRE is California. ADRE's salesperson and broker pages, the Pearson handbook cover, and A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20 all name ADRE / the Arizona Department of Real Estate. Do not mail a California DRE application to Phoenix.

Who gives the exam: Pearson or PSI?

Pearson. ADRE's salesperson and broker pages name Pearson as the third-party testing vendor. The February 2026 handbook and Pearson's page (updated July 30, 2026) state that Arizona Real Estate examinations are not available through OnVUE; all exams are at a Pearson authorized test center in Arizona. (888) 405-5776. Colorado and Ohio use PSI, and a PSI score is not an Arizona score.

How many pre-licensing hours are required?

According to ADRE's Salesperson License page, you need a 90-hour Salesperson Pre-licensing Course Certificate (within 10 years of application) PLUS a 6-hour Contract Writing Course Certificate (within 2 years). A.R.S. § 32-2124(B) requires at least ninety classroom hours, or the equivalent, at a certified school, with a passed school exam. You may take a live classroom course or certified distance learning; the school exam must be proctored in person. Guides from 2023 or earlier that say classroom-only are out of date. The 6 hours, under A.R.S. § 32-2124(L), cover drafting purchase contracts, listings, and leases; they are not CE.

How many questions, how much time, what passing score, and what fee?

Pearson handbook (February 2026): General 80 scored + 5 pretest / 150 minutes / $70; State 60 scored + 5 pretest / 90 minutes / $60; $75 combo back to back. Scores are percents, and you need 75% of questions correct on each exam. That equals 60 of 80 and 45 of 60, but the handbook publishes only the 75% standard. ADRE's Fees page lists a combined examination fee of $75; Pearson's price list is what you pay when you book. Retakes require a 24-hour wait. Apply within one year of passing.

Can I take the exam online through OnVUE?

No. Pearson's page (updated July 30, 2026) states that Arizona Real Estate examinations are not available through OnVUE, and the handbook says all examinations must take place at a Pearson authorized test center in Arizona. (The temporary OnVUE language on that page applies to Arizona Notary exams beginning August 1, 2026, not real estate.)

Does Arizona have reciprocity?

No. ADRE's How to Obtain a License page describes Out-of-State License Recognition under A.R.S. § 32-4302. The salesperson recognition page requires the State-Specific exam only, a license history of at least one year, and either proof of Arizona residency or 27 hours if you are not an Arizona resident, plus the 6-hour Contract Writing course. The Licensing FAQ still says you must be an Arizona resident, but the dedicated recognition page, which is more specific, offers the 27-hour option.

What does original issuance cost at ADRE?

ADRE Fees page: License Fee $50 + Real Estate Recovery Fund $10 = Total $60. Timely renewal $60; late $125; reinstatement $5. Pearson is separate ($75 combo / $70 / $60). The DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card is currently $67.00 according to AZDPS, plus vendor printing.

How do fingerprints work?

You need a Level 1 Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card from AZDPS (A.R.S. §§ 32-2108.01, 41-1758.03). AZDPS lists a $67.00 DPS fee and a 6-year card; apply at psp.azdps.gov with the reason "AZ Department of Real Estate – Licensure." Copy both sides into your ADRE file. Live Scan RE 237, IdentoGO, and CABS prints do not count.

Do I have only one year to activate after I am licensed?

No. ADRE's Licensing FAQ calls that a common misconception. You have one year to apply after passing. Once issued, a license in eligible status can remain eligible indefinitely if you keep CE current and pay the biennial renewal. Eligible is what used to be called inactive; inactive is now a status of up to 15 years with no CE requirement (A.R.S. § 32-2130(K)). You still need a broker hire-on to practice.

What CE is required?

A.R.S. § 32-2130(A): 24 credit hours per 24-month period for salespersons and associate brokers (30 for designated brokers and for associate brokers employed under § 32-2151.01(G)). ADRE Education FAQ: beginning January 1, 2025, 1 hour each of Firewise, Deed Fraud, and Arizona Water is part of those required hours. SPS 2005.14: a minimum of three credit hours in each of the six mandatory categories, totaling 24 Department-approved hours. Fair Housing Issues is one named mandatory category, and commercial-only specialists may petition to substitute. The Education FAQ does not list the other five category names; A.A.C. R4-28-402(A)(5) sets them, and Licensee Login shows any remaining category deficits. You submit CE yourself; schools do not report completions to ADRE. The NAR Code of Ethics is not an ADRE CE requirement. CE from another state does not count unless the course is ADRE-approved.

What are the Recovery Fund caps?

ADRE's Recovery Fund page: $30,000.00 per transaction regardless of the number of people with claims; $90,000.00 total per licensee. The Fees page lists a $10 surcharge on the original salesperson license and $20 on the original broker license. The fund is a scored topic on the state outline.

Which Arizona-specific topics are tested?

The Arizona Anti-Deficiency Statute, the 1967 Consumer Fraud Act, Arizona Fair Housing, homestead, HOA restrictions, the Recovery Fund, and ADRE (not DRE). The broker exam adds Article XXVI, the 1980 Groundwater Management Act / AMAs, deed-of-trust foreclosure, and ADRE audits. Preparing for California's DRE 150, Colorado's 168-hour associate broker, or Nevada's 120 will not cover this content.