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RE License Guide

Delaware real estate licensing

Delaware Real Estate Associate Broker / 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 5 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
99-hour Delaware broker / associate-broker pre-licensing course (24 Del. Admin. C. 2925-6.3)
Exam fee
$88
Published fees
$337–$361+
Typical timeline
Five years of licensure and 30 transactions are the long pole
01

What to know first

A Delaware associate-broker or broker license is not a second 99-hour salesperson course. 24 Del. Admin. C. 2925-6.0 is a different 99 hours — Brokerage / sales and business management 30, Real Estate Documents 6, Valuing Real Property 6, Financing 9, Landlord-Tenant / property management / condominiums 9, Legal and governmental aspects 15, Real Estate Investment 12, Ethics 6, Math 3 — plus a school end-of-course examination at 75 percent, with one retake before the school documents failure. Distance education is allowed for the broker 99 as well (2925-6.8). Completing that approved Delaware broker’s licensing course also satisfies Modules 1–7 of that biennium’s CE (2900 § 14.11.1), which is a consequence the salesperson 99 never had.

Experience is the other axis salesperson applicants never see. Associate broker (24 Del. C. § 2907(c); 2900 § 3.0): actively licensed as a salesperson and/or broker in Delaware or any combination of jurisdictions for five continuous years immediately preceding application (late renewal within 30 days still counts as continuous), and a list of at least 30 sale or lease transactions completed in a licensed capacity in those five years, signed by the supervising broker. Timeshare and property management do not count. Designated-agent or team-leader supervision of others’ transactions can count with Commission approval. Broker of record (24 Del. C. § 2907(d); 2900 § 4.0) is the associate-broker file plus evidence of three years of active practice immediately preceding, an office permit, a Delaware-bank escrow account (2900 § 6.4), and an attestation that the broker is responsible for day-to-day management and supervision. Associate broker still hangs under a broker of record; broker of record is the firm-qualifying seat.

Pearson still lists $88. The three-attempt fuse in 2900 § 3.1.3 is written as a broker rule, not only a salesperson rule: pass both the general and State portions of the broker examination in no more than three attempts, or retake the broker pre-licensing course. The Delaware state outline builds the broker law paper to 50 scored items plus 10 pretest — 10 of those 50 are broker-only (escrow accounts, examination of records, eligibility, place of business and supervision, foreclosure consultants, manufactured homes/DMV, New Home Buyer Protection Act escrow, Commercial Broker’s Lien, conditional/installment sales, mortgage-loan-modification coverage). National is still 80 scored. Combined sitting is still four hours. Apply in DELPROS after passing. DPR prices associate broker original at $229 and broker original at $248; Guaranty Fund $25 is not collected again if it was paid on the salesperson license (2900 § 3.3). Apply within 12 months of completing the broker course or add prorated CE.

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. Log five continuous years and 30 eligible transactions

    Supervising broker signs the listing. Timeshare and property management do not count. Broker of record also needs three years of active practice immediately preceding.

  2. Complete the 99-hour Delaware broker curriculum at 75 percent

    Not the salesperson 99. Distance allowed. This course also satisfies that biennium’s 21-hour / 7-module CE.

  3. Pearson $88 — broker 80 national + 50 Delaware law, three-attempt fuse

    Scaled 70. 10 broker-only state items. File within 12 months of the course.

  4. DELPROS: $229 associate broker or $248 broker, Guaranty Fund if not already paid

    Associate broker hangs under a broker of record. Broker of record files the office permit and a Delaware-bank escrow account.

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
Five continuous years of active licensure in Delaware or any combination of jurisdictions immediately preceding (2900 § 3.1.1). Broker of record also needs three years of active practice immediately preceding (§ 4.1.1). A Delaware office needs a Delaware-bank escrow account. Reciprocal associate brokers and brokers sit the Delaware-law paper; the 30-transaction list still attaches for reciprocal associate brokers (§ 5.2).
Qualifying education
Not the salesperson 99. Brokerage (sales management and business management) 30 including organizing an office, recruiting, advertising, MLS, multi-offer, broker responsibilities for escrow and associates, risk reduction / E&O, budgeting; Real Estate Documents 6; Valuing Real Property 6; Financing 9; Landlord-Tenant / property management / condominiums 9; Legal and governmental aspects 15 (license law, fair housing, agency, environmental, zoning, surveys, transfer tax); Real Estate Investment 12; Ethics 6; Math 3. School end-of-course examination 75 percent, one retake (2925-6.6). Distance allowed (6.8). Instructors: Delaware real-estate attorney, practicing Delaware broker or associate broker, mathematics instructor (6.9). Out-of-state broker pre-licensing hours may count toward the course-hour requirement if the applicant is actively licensed as a broker in that jurisdiction (2900 § 3.1.2). Completing this course satisfies Modules 1–7 CE for that biennium (14.11.1).
Education or filing deadline
Apply within 12 months of completing the broker pre-licensing course (2900 § 3.1.4). Pre-licensing courses included in § 3.2.1 are exempt from that 12-month fuse. After 12 months, add prorated CE. Three Pearson attempts, then retake this 99-hour broker course. DELPROS drafts still die at six months.
Character review
Same § 2907 review and § 16.0 crime list as salesperson applicants. License history from every jurisdiction, dated within 30 days.
Background process
As DELPROS currently names it on the associate-broker / broker application. Same disclosure file as salesperson.
Experience
Associate broker: five continuous years actively licensed as a salesperson and/or broker immediately preceding, plus 30 sale or lease transactions in those five years (timeshare and property management ineligible). Broker of record: that file plus three years of active practice immediately preceding (24 Del. C. § 2907(d); 2900 §§ 3.1, 4.1).
Broker affiliation
Associate broker still hangs under a broker of record (Statement of Broker of Record; office permit if in DE). Broker of record is the person 24 Del. C. § 2907(d) holds responsible for day-to-day management and supervision of a brokerage organization, commonly called broker of record. A new Delaware office files the Broker application and the Real Estate Office application together. An established office needs a letter from the current broker naming the replacement, or a letter of explanation. Escrow must be in a bank with an office in Delaware, in the brokerage name that matches the license including any d/b/a (2900 § 6.4–6.5). Designated On-Site Supervisor at a branch: five years of continuous real estate services experience (2900 § 1.3.3).

Documents to prepare

  • 99-hour Delaware broker-course certificate (school final 75 percent)
  • Sales or Lease Transaction Listing form — 30 transactions in 5 years, signed by the supervising broker
  • License history from every jurisdiction, dated within 30 days
  • Pearson broker score report (both papers, or Delaware-law only if reciprocal)
  • Associate broker: Statement of Broker of Record and office permit if in DE
  • Broker of record: office application or replacement-broker letter, escrow-account evidence, day-to-day-supervision attestation
04

The licensing exam

Pearson $88, four hours combined, scaled 70, handbook #090800. Broker General: 80 scored + 5 pretest, April 1, 2025 national/general broker outline (heavier application/analysis than salesperson). Broker Delaware Law: 50 scored + 10 pretest (June 1, 2020). Shared salesperson buckets (Commission 4, licensing 3, statutory activity 17, additional state topics 16) plus Broker Only 10 items: escrow accounts; examination of records; eligibility for licensing; place of business and supervision; foreclosure consultants; manufactured homes / DMV; New Home Buyer Protection Act — escrow unfinished work; Commercial Broker’s Lien; conditional/installment sales agreements; Mortgage Loan Modification Services — coverage and exemption. Three attempts, then retake the 99-hour broker course (2900 § 3.1.3). Failed-portion retakes within one year of the broker course. Reciprocal brokers sit the Delaware-law paper; Pearson sends scores directly to the Commission office.

Pearson VUE, $88, handbook #090800. Apply to DELPROS after passing. Request Pearson to send broker scores directly to the Commission office (DPR broker page). · Fee: $88

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Broker General (national) 80 150 Scaled 70; 80 scored + 5 pretest. Combined Pearson sitting is four hours ($88); this part is the 150-minute national allotment inside that appointment.
Broker Delaware Law 50 90 Scaled 70; 50 scored + 10 pretest; 10 broker-only items on escrow, records, place of business, Commercial Broker’s Lien, New Home Buyer Protection Act. Combined sitting is four hours.

Maximum three attempts to pass both broker papers, then retake the 99-hour broker pre-licensing course (2900 § 3.1.3). Failed-portion retakes within one year of completing the broker course. 24-hour wait. Reciprocal applicants sit Delaware law only after the Client Waiver.

What to study

  • Approved Delaware broker’s licensing course (2925-6.0)

    DREC-approved provider

    99 hours, 75 percent school final, satisfies Modules 1–7 CE for that biennium. Not the salesperson 99.

  • Pearson handbook #090800 broker state outline — Broker Only 10 items

    Pearson VUE / DREC

    Escrow, records, place of business, Commercial Broker’s Lien, New Home Buyer Protection Act.

  • 24 Del. Admin. C. 2900 §§ 3.0, 4.0, 6.0

    DPR

    Five years, 30 transactions, three years of practice, Delaware-bank escrow.

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$248
Examination$88
Initial license$248

DPR fee schedule: associate broker original $229 / reinstatement $344; broker original $248 / reinstatement $372; main and branch office $192; Guaranty Fund $25 if not already paid; change broker type $65; transfer $30. Pearson $88. Same April 30 even-year renewal. Processing fees are non-refundable.

Commission

Delaware Real Estate Commission (Division of Professional Regulation)

(302) 744-4500

24 Del. C. Chapter 29 (especially § 2907 qualifications and § 2907(g) Guaranty Fund); 24 Del. Admin. C. 2900 (licensure, 3-attempt fuse, CE modules); 24 Del. Admin. C. 2925 (salesperson 99-hour curriculum and broker 99-hour curriculum)

Pre-licensing

99-hour Delaware broker / associate-broker pre-licensing course (24 Del. Admin. C. 2925-6.3)

Not the salesperson 99. Brokerage (sales management and business management) 30 including organizing an office, recruiting, advertising, MLS, multi-offer, broker responsibilities for escrow and associates, risk reduction / E&O, budgeting; Real Estate Documents 6; Valuing Real Property 6; Financing 9; Landlord-Tenant / property management / condominiums 9; Legal and governmental aspects 15 (license law, fair housing, agency, environmental, zoning, surveys, transfer tax); Real Estate Investment 12; Ethics 6; Math 3. School end-of-course examination 75 percent, one retake (2925-6.6). Distance allowed (6.8). Instructors: Delaware real-estate attorney, practicing Delaware broker or associate broker, mathematics instructor (6.9). Out-of-state broker pre-licensing hours may count toward the course-hour requirement if the applicant is actively licensed as a broker in that jurisdiction (2900 § 3.1.2). Completing this course satisfies Modules 1–7 CE for that biennium (14.11.1).

Apply within 12 months of completing the broker pre-licensing course (2900 § 3.1.4). Pre-licensing courses included in § 3.2.1 are exempt from that 12-month fuse. After 12 months, add prorated CE. Three Pearson attempts, then retake this 99-hour broker course. DELPROS drafts still die at six months.

Sponsoring broker

Associate broker still hangs under a broker of record (Statement of Broker of Record; office permit if in DE). Broker of record is the person 24 Del. C. § 2907(d) holds responsible for day-to-day management and supervision of a brokerage organization, commonly called broker of record. A new Delaware office files the Broker application and the Real Estate Office application together. An established office needs a letter from the current broker naming the replacement, or a letter of explanation. Escrow must be in a bank with an office in Delaware, in the brokerage name that matches the license including any d/b/a (2900 § 6.4–6.5). Designated On-Site Supervisor at a branch: five years of continuous real estate services experience (2900 § 1.3.3).

Fingerprints

As DELPROS currently names it on the broker application. Same disclosure file as salesperson.

CE / renewal

21 hours / 7 modules unless an approved Delaware broker’s licensing course already satisfied Modules 1–7 for that biennium (14.11.1). Brokers co-sign CE logs for their salespersons and associate brokers and keep certificates three years (2900 § 1.3.1). Same April 30 even-year cliff.

50 percent of the renewal fee. Associate broker reinstatement $344; broker $372. Same 30-day / 6-month / 2-year reinstatement ladders as salesperson, using the broker course and broker exam where § 13.1 says “applicable.”

Recovery fund

Same $25 Guaranty Fund prerequisite. Not required if already paid when obtaining the salesperson license (2900 § 3.3). Still not E&O — the broker course spends hours on E&O as risk reduction (2925-6.3.1.12).

06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Treating salesperson 99 as the broker course

    Different 99 hours, different school cut (75 versus 70), different CE consequence, different Pearson state paper (50 versus 40, plus 10 broker-only items).

  • Counting timeshare, property management, or related deals toward the 30

    Ineligible. The list must be signed by the supervising broker and include dates, addresses, and party names (2900 § 3.2.4).

  • Applying as broker of record without a Delaware-bank escrow account

    2900 § 6.4: escrow in a bank with an office in Delaware, brokerage name matching the license including d/b/a. Associate broker does not skip the hang under a broker of record.

  • Assuming the three-attempt fuse does not apply to broker papers

    2900 § 3.1.3 is a broker rule. Third fail and you retake the 99-hour broker course, not the salesperson course.

  • Paying Guaranty Fund twice, or using salesperson $149 on a broker file

    Fund is once. Associate broker is $229; broker is $248; office is $192.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

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

Reciprocal associate broker / broker: Delaware-law Pearson paper, Pearson sends scores to the Commission, plus the 30-transaction list for associate broker (§ 5.2) and the broker-of-record extras in §§ 4.2 and 5.3. Out-of-state broker courses of at least 99 hours can satisfy 18 CE hours (Modules 1–4 and 6–7) without making you a Delaware broker (14.11.2).

08

Renewal and staying active

21 hours / 7 modules unless an approved Delaware broker’s licensing course already satisfied Modules 1–7 for that biennium (14.11.1). Brokers co-sign CE logs for their salespersons and associate brokers and keep certificates three years (2900 § 1.3.1). Same April 30 even-year cliff.

Late renewal: 50 percent of the renewal fee. Associate broker reinstatement $344; broker $372. Same 30-day / 6-month / 2-year reinstatement ladders as salesperson, using the broker course and broker exam where § 13.1 says “applicable.”

Applicant checklist

  • Five continuous years of active salesperson/broker licensure immediately preceding
  • 30 sale or lease transactions in those five years (not timeshare, not property management)
  • 99-hour Delaware broker course, school final 75 percent (not the salesperson 99)
  • Pearson broker 80/50 at scaled 70, ≤3 attempts, inside 1 year of the broker course
  • DELPROS $229 associate broker or $248 broker; Guaranty Fund if not already paid
  • Associate broker: Statement of Broker of Record
  • Broker of record: office permit, Delaware-bank escrow, 3 years active practice immediately preceding
09

How Delaware is different

Maryland and Pennsylvania brokers sit different hour-and-experience grids. New Jersey broker is a separate file. Delaware associate broker is five continuous years, 30 transactions, and a 99-hour broker curriculum with a 75 percent school final — then Pearson 80/50 at scaled 70 with the same three-attempt fuse. Broker of record adds three years of active practice, an office permit, and a Delaware-bank escrow account. The salesperson 99 is the base, not the upgrade. Completing the Delaware broker course also clears that biennium’s 21-hour CE, which is why some salespersons take it as a CE product without applying for the broker license.

10

Frequently asked questions

Does salesperson 99 count as broker education?
No. 24 Del. Admin. C. 2925-6.0 is a different 99 hours with a 75 percent school final. Completing it does satisfy that biennium’s 21-hour / 7-module CE (2900 § 14.11.1).
Associate broker versus broker of record?
Associate broker: five continuous years, 30 transactions, 99-hour broker course, broker exam, hang under a broker of record ($229). Broker of record: that file plus three years of active practice immediately preceding, an office permit, a Delaware-bank escrow account, and day-to-day supervision ($248 + office $192).
Is the three-attempt fuse a salesperson-only rule?
No. 2900 § 3.1.3 applies it to the broker examination: three attempts to pass both portions, then retake the broker pre-licensing course.
How many transactions, and what does not count?
Thirty sale or lease transactions in the five years immediately preceding, signed by the supervising broker. Timeshare and property management are ineligible. Designated-agent or team-leader supervision of others’ deals can count with Commission approval.
Does the Guaranty Fund get paid again?
No, if it was paid when the salesperson license was issued (2900 § 3.3).
Can I use an out-of-state broker course?
If you are actively licensed as a broker there, those hours may count toward Delaware’s course-hour requirement (§ 3.1.2). You still sit the Delaware-law paper. An out-of-state broker course of at least 99 hours can also satisfy 18 CE hours without making you a Delaware broker.

Primary Sources

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

  1. DPR — broker and associate broker licensure (5 years, 30 transactions, 99-hour broker course)
  2. DPR fee schedule (associate broker $229, broker $248, office $192, Guaranty Fund $25)
  3. 24 Del. Admin. C. 2900 §§ 3.0–4.0, 6.0, 14.11 (experience, escrow, broker course as CE)
  4. 24 Del. Admin. C. 2925-6.0 (broker 99-hour curriculum; school final 75%)
  5. Pearson VUE Delaware handbook #090800 (broker state 50 scored + 10 broker-only items)

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