District of Columbia

The District of Columbia Real Estate Commission, staffed through DLCP Occupational and Professional Licensing at 1100 4th Street SW, licenses salespersons, associate brokers, brokers, property managers, and firms. Original salesperson education is a 60-clock-hour DCREC-approved Principles and Practices course (17 DCMR 2602.3). PSI delivers the exam. The Candidate Information Bulletin, copyright 2026, updated 6/3/2026, prices the exam at $79 for one portion or both: salesperson national 80 items in 120 minutes, DC 30 items in 90 minutes, combo 110 in 210 minutes. Brokers take 75 items scoring 80 points plus a 40-item DC portion. Endorsement and reciprocity applicants take the DC portion at 75 percent. Apply within six months of passing or retake the exam.

DC has no counties. There is no county recorder; instruments go to the DC Recorder of Deeds. Fair housing is the Human Rights Act of 1977 on top of federal Fair Housing; 17 DCMR 2609.1 is the ethics rule that names those extra classes. TOPA and DOPA are why tenant's right to purchase is on the state outline. Reciprocity in the PSI bulletin is limited to named Maryland and Virginia licensees; everyone else applies by endorsement, with a 3-hour DCREC Fair Housing course and a 90-day sealed certification letter. Pocket cards are not accepted.

DLCP fees are application $65, salesperson license $130, broker/associate broker $170, plus $60 for the Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund. Salespersons expire August 31 of odd years; brokers expire February 28 of odd years. CE for 2023–2025 is 15 hours: salespersons take four named 3-hour mandatories plus 3 electives; brokers take 15 all-mandatory hours including 3-hour Broker Supervision.

A DC broker license requires 135 hours and two consecutive years as an active salesperson immediately preceding application, not a second 60-hour salesperson course. Associate broker is a $170 license to work under another broker after passing the broker exam, not a salesperson title. Maryland's 60-hours-plus-ethics package and Virginia's 60-hour DPOR course count toward DC's 60 hours only if they are DCREC-approved.