Colorado Associate Broker License (entry-level — no 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 168 named hours (or a real-estate major)

   Law and Practice 48, Colorado Contracts 48, Closings 24, Trust Accounts 8, Current Legal Issues 8, Practical Applications 32. Get your REC-33. Do not take the PSI exam first; Rule 2.2.D voids a score earned before you finish.

2. 2

   Pass PSI national (80 questions, 60 correct) and state (74 questions, 53 correct)

   120 + 110 minutes. $49 first / $48 retake per the PSI bulletin. The Division fee table still lists $44.95; pay the amount shown when you register.

3. 3

   CABS fingerprints (CBI + FBI)

   Get fingerprinted 2–3 weeks before filing, not months before. The application must arrive within 60 days of the Division receiving your record.

4. 4

   File the $83 broker application within one year of passing both portions

   Carry individual E&O. Affiliate with an employing broker to practice as an associate.

5. 5

   Track the three-year CE cycle

   24 hours: three different 4-hour Annual Commission Update courses plus 12 electives. $252 base renewal. Current Division notices generally use a December 31 expiration.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

The source materials do not mark an SSN as required. An ITIN is accepted.

Residency and identification

Colorado residency is not required. SB 21-077 removed lawful-presence verification for DORA credentials; an SSN or ITIN can satisfy the identification field on the Division's current application. Confirm on the current application.

Qualifying education

According to the DRE Broker Qualifying Education page (dre.colorado.gov/division-programs/real-estate-broker/education/broker-qualifying-education), you need a minimum of 168 hours of qualifying education through a nationally accredited community college or university OR a school approved by the Colorado Department of Private and Occupational Schools (DPOS). The Colorado Real Estate Commission requires these named courses: Real Estate Law and Practice (48 Hours); Colorado Contracts and Regulations (48 Hours); Trust Accounts and Record-Keeping (8 Hours); Current Legal Issues (8 Hours); Real Estate Closings (24 Hours); Practical Applications (32 Hours). The application instructions say to complete the 168 hours of course work and obtain proof of completion (REC-33 certificate(s)) from the course provider, or hold a degree with a major course of study in real estate (original transcripts). The PSI bulletin restates Rule 2.2.D: if you complete the exam before completing pre-license education, the exam will not be counted and you must retake it; certificates must show a completion date on or before the exam date. A Texas promulgated-contracts certificate or Kansas's 30+30 hours will not satisfy the 168.

Education or filing deadline

Apply within one year of passing both PSI portions. A passing score on either portion expires after one year.

Character review

The Commission may require proof of truthfulness, honesty, and good moral character. If you have convictions or pending charges, you can request a no-cost Preliminary Advisory Opinion (PAO) before you spend 168 hours in class. Failing to disclose is disqualifying on its own.

Background process

CBI and FBI fingerprints through CABS. New broker applications cannot be approved until those results arrive. A PAO does not replace the CABS fingerprint check on your actual license application.

Experience

No licensed experience is required for associate broker. Independent broker later requires two years of active Colorado associate-broker experience. Employing broker requires two years of active Colorado broker experience plus the 24-hour Brokerage Administration course. Out-of-state salesperson years do not count toward either upgrade.

Broker affiliation

An associate broker works under an employing broker. Colorado does not issue a salesperson license. Independent-broker status (two years of active Colorado associate-broker experience) lets you practice without an employing broker; employing-broker status lets you supervise others.

PSI Services LLC, under contract to the Colorado Division of Real Estate (test-takers.psiexams.com/core) · Fee: $49

PSI bulletin: $49 first attempt, $48 retake. You may retake a failed portion as soon as the next available day after scores process; you cannot rebook on the same day. Each passed portion is good for one year; after a year, you must take both portions again. Rule 2.2.D still requires the 168 hours to be finished on or before the date of the exam you want to count.

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

Division fee table (non-refundable): broker application $83, base-rate renewal $252, transfer/upgrade/activation $5, temporary broker $120, entity $120, reinstate 32 days–1 year $376.50, reinstate 1–3 years $501. PSI bulletin: exam $49 first / $48 retake. The Division page still lists the exam at $44.95; confirm the amount when you register. The CABS vendor fee is separate. School tuition varies by provider.

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  Searching for a salesperson application

  Colorado does not issue one. The Division licenses brokers only. Entry is associate broker under an employing broker.

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  Taking the PSI exam before the 168 hours are done

  Rule 2.2.D, as restated in the PSI bulletin, voids the score. Certificates must be dated on or before the exam date.

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  Booking Pearson VUE

  Colorado uses PSI at test-takers.psiexams.com/core. A Pearson score is not a Colorado score.

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  Counting out-of-state salesperson years

  They do not count toward independent or employing broker. An Arizona salesperson's three years are not Colorado associate-broker years.

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  Entity E&O without an individual policy

  Under Rule 3.9, if the individual policy is missing, the responsible broker's license, and the licenses of everyone affiliated with the brokerage, go inactive.

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  Trusting a blog that lists a $485 application fee

  The DRE Fees page lists Broker Application $83.

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  Booking the ordinary Broker State exam for CE or reciprocity

  Continuing Education and Reciprocal Licensure are separate PSI exams with the same 74/53/110 format. If you book the wrong one, you get no credit.

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  Assuming the state cut is 70%

  The bulletin requires 53 correct. 53/74 is 71.6%. The cut is not 52 (70% of 74).

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  Getting CABS fingerprints months before the application

  If the application arrives more than 60 days after the Division receives the record, you must be fingerprinted again. The bulletin says to submit fingerprints BEFORE the license application.

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  Confusing Colorado with Kansas or Utah

  Kansas uses a PL number + 30 hours of Principles + 30 hours of Practice. Utah licenses sales agents at 120 hours. Colorado requires 168 named hours and has no salesperson title.

PSI offers a Reciprocal Licensure state-only exam (74 questions, 53 correct, 110 minutes). The exam is not waived, and an out-of-state salesperson license does not convert automatically, because Colorado has no salesperson title. Confirm the current out-of-state and attorney requirements with the Division. Out-of-state salesperson years still do not count toward independent or employing upgrades.

Colorado 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.

Does Colorado issue a salesperson license?

No. The Division licenses brokers only. The first credential is associate broker, working under an employing broker. You will not find a salesperson application on dre.colorado.gov. This guide lists Colorado under "salesperson" only so readers can find it.

How many pre-license hours, and are they named?

According to the DRE Qualifying Education page, a minimum of 168 hours in these named courses: Real Estate Law and Practice 48, Colorado Contracts and Regulations 48, Trust Accounts and Record-Keeping 8, Current Legal Issues 8, Real Estate Closings 24, Practical Applications 32. Alternatively, a degree with a major in real estate qualifies (REC-33 certificates vs official transcripts).

Who administers the exam, and what is the cut?

PSI (test-takers.psiexams.com/core; (855) 744-0313; bulletin 649, Updated 10/1/2023). National: 80 questions, 60 correct, 120 minutes. State: 74 questions, 53 correct, 110 minutes. These are numbers of correct answers printed on the Examination Summary Table, not a flat 70 percent. Pearson VUE does not give this exam.

Is the exam fee $44.95 or $49?

The DRE Fees page lists a Broker Examination Fee of $44.95. The PSI bulletin lists an Examination Fee of $49.00 for a first attempt and $48.00 for a retake, not refundable or transferable, and forfeited if unused within 1 year of payment. The two sources differ, so pay the amount shown when you register with PSI.

Can I take the PSI exam before the 168 hours are done?

No. Commission Rule 2.2.D, as restated in the PSI bulletin: if you complete the exam before completing pre-license education, the exam will not be counted and you must retake it. Certificates must show a completion date on or before the exam date.

What does the original license cost at the Division?

DRE Fees page: Broker Application $83, non-refundable. Base Rate Renewal $252 on a three-year cycle. Transfer/Upgrade/Activation $5. Temporary Broker $120. Entity $120. Reinstate 32 days–1 year $376.50; 1–3 years $501. The CABS fingerprint vendor fee is separate. Individual E&O is purchased from a private insurer (Rule 3.9).

Do my Arizona salesperson years count toward independent broker?

No. The Division does not count out-of-state salesperson experience toward independent or employing upgrades. You generally spend two years as a Colorado associate broker first.

What CE is required?

According to the DRE Broker Continuing Education page, all active brokers complete 24 hours per three-year cycle. Twelve (12) of the 24 hours must be three (3) different versions of the four-hour (4) Annual Commission Update Course, plus 12 electives. If you miss a year, the alternatives are the 24-hour Broker Reactivation Course (once every other cycle), passing the Colorado state portion as a CE exam (book the Continuing Education exam), or 48 hours of Colorado Contracts & Regulations plus 24 hours of Closings (72 hours).

Fingerprints?

CBI + FBI through CABS (Colorado Fingerprinting or IdentoGO, using the Division service code currently published on dre.colorado.gov). The bulletin says to submit fingerprints BEFORE the license application. Do not get fingerprinted more than 2–3 weeks before filing; if the application arrives more than 60 days after the Division receives the record, you must be fingerprinted again. The DRE Fees page does not list a CABS fee.

E&O?

Individual errors-and-omissions insurance is required for an active license (Commission Rule 3.9). Entity E&O does not replace the responsible broker's individual policy. If the responsible broker lacks individual coverage, that broker's license, and the licenses of everyone affiliated with the brokerage, go inactive.

Where is the Division and who gives the exam?

1560 Broadway, Suite 925, Denver, CO 80202. (303) 894-2166. Fax (303) 894-2683. dre.colorado.gov. PSI (855) 744-0313, test-takers.psiexams.com/core. You must be 18 to apply; the bulletin sets no minimum age for taking the exam.

Which Colorado-specific topics are scored?

Colorado Contracts to Buy and Sell, designated broker, transaction-brokerage, water-rights disclosure, the Colorado Fair Housing Act, the Foreclosure Protection Act, and individual E&O. This exam is different from Kansas's 30+30 path or Utah's 120-hour sales agent exam.