District of Columbia 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

   Finish the 60-hour DCREC-approved Principles and Practices course

   Use a provider on the current DCREC approved-course list (2023–2025 list titles it Principles and Practices of Real Estate for Salespersons — 60 Hours). Endorsement/reciprocity: equivalent hours plus 3-hour DCREC Fair Housing and 3-hour DCREC Property Management.

2. 2

   Schedule PSI ($79) and pass National 80/120 and DC 30/90 at 75 percent

   test-takers.psiexams.com/dcre or (855) 557-0616. Bring evidence of the 60-hour course and two IDs. In-District site is 1100 4th Street SW, Suite E500. Endorsement/reciprocity request the state exam only.

3. 3

   File the DLCP application within six months: $65 + $130 + $60 Fund

   Apply online through the OPL portal, which the bulletin lists as govservices.dcra.dc.gov/newoplalicenses. Include a 2x2 photo and, if licensed elsewhere, a sealed certification letter ≤90 days old. The application fee is non-refundable. If you miss the six-month deadline, you must retake the exam.

4. 4

   Affiliate with a DC broker before any licensed act

   Transfer/status change is $30. Inactive is $130. You cannot practice on an unaffiliated salesperson license.

5. 5

   Renew by August 31 of odd years with 15 named CE hours

   2023–2025 requirements: 3 Fair Housing, 3 Ethics, 3 Legislative Update, 3 Property Management, 3 electives. New licensees are CE-exempt for the remainder of the cycle of first issuance but still renew. Late renewal $50.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

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

Residency and identification

DC residency is not required. Original applicants complete a DCREC-approved 60-hour course. Reciprocity is the Virginia / Maryland track in the PSI bulletin. Endorsement is every other jurisdiction, plus Maryland salespersons licensed before 1996. Endorsement and reciprocity certification letters must be original, dated within 90 days, with the official seal. Pocket cards and license copies are not accepted.

Qualifying education

17 DCMR 2602.3: a DCREC-approved Principles and Practices of Real Estate course of at least 60 clock hours, distributed among the regulation's named subject areas — Principles of Real Estate; Salesperson's Duties and Responsibilities; Rules of Agency and Listings; Deposits, Escrow, and Recordkeeping; Interests and Rights in Real Property; Forms of Ownership; Forms of Legal Description; Real Estate Contracts and the Law; Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity in Housing; Ethical Practices in Real Estate (National); Code of Ethics — District of Columbia; D.C. Real Estate Licensing Laws and Regulations; D.C. Law & Common Violations of the Real Estate Licensure Act of 1982 (case studies); Regulatory and Consumer Affairs; Reciprocity & Dual Licenses (tri-area issues); Federal & Regional Laws and Practices; The Property Manager; Landlord/Tenant Relationship; Condominiums, Cooperatives; Transfer of Title to Real Property; Real Estate Economics and Fiscal Policy; Real Estate Financing; Real Estate Mathematics; Pricing Property and the Appraisal Process; Taxes and Assessments; Real Property Insurance and Investments; Title Insurance and Settlements; Introduction to Commercial Property; Land-Use Control; Securities & Syndication; Residential Construction and Home Inspection; Real Estate Office Management; Technology & Real Estate Trends; New Home Sales & Marketing. Total required hours: 60. The 2023–2025 DCREC approved-course list titles this 'Principles and Practices of Real Estate for Salespersons — 60 Hours.' Endorsement: meet or exceed those 60 in the other jurisdiction, then add a 3-hour DCREC-approved Fair Housing course (PSI bulletin) and, on DLCP's checklist, a 3-hour DCREC-approved Property Management course.

Education or filing deadline

Apply for the license within six months of passing the examination (17 DCMR 2602.5 and the PSI bulletin) or retake. Endorsement certification letters: 90 days, official seal. PSI examination fee is valid one year from payment.

Character review

17 DCMR Chapter 26 character and fitness. Disclose anything a certification letter will show. Failing to disclose is disqualifying on its own. 17 DCMR 2609.1 is the ethics rule that incorporates the Human Rights Act of 1977.

Background process

DLCP's commission page lists, for all applicants, one 2x2 passport-style photo (.jpeg), an unexpired government-issued ID, and a debit or credit card. It does not name IdentoGO or a fingerprint vendor on that checklist. PSI requires two forms of ID at the site, one a current government photo-and-signature ID whose name matches the reservation.

Experience

No licensed experience is required for the salesperson license. A DC-licensed broker affiliation is required to practice. The broker license has separate requirements: 135 hours and two years of experience.

Broker affiliation

All DC licensed salespersons must be affiliated with a DC licensed broker (PSI bulletin renewal section; 17 DCMR advertising rules). Transfer / license exchange / status change is $30 on the DLCP fee table. Inactive status is $130 for a salesperson. Affiliation is required before you perform any licensed act.

PSI Services (test-takers.psiexams.com/dcre). Candidate Information Bulletin copyright 2026, updated 6/3/2026. Phone (855) 557-0616. Email [email protected]. · Fee: $79

Retake only the failed portion. Fee remains $79 whether one portion or both. Any failed portion must be passed within six months of the first examination attempt. Apply for the license within six months of the passing examination date or retake (17 DCMR 2602.5). Examination fees are not refundable or transferable and are valid one year from payment. Cancel at least two calendar days ahead or forfeit the fee. Arrive 30 minutes early; late arrival forfeits the fee. Two forms of ID, one a current government photo-and-signature ID matching the legal name on the reservation.

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

DLCP table: application $65, salesperson license $130 (up to two years), Guaranty and Education Fund $60, late renewal $50, reinstatement $130, inactive $130, duplicate/verification/transfer $30. PSI $79 for one portion or both (bulletin 6/3/2026). Application fees are non-refundable (D.C. Code § 47-2853.10). The broker/associate broker license is $170, not $130.

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  Filing on day 181 after PSI

  17 DCMR 2602.5 and the PSI bulletin: miss six months from the passing date and you retake the exam. The $79 PSI fee being valid for one year does not extend the six-month license-filing deadline.

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  Paying a 2018 bulletin's $61.50

  The current PSI bulletin, updated 6/3/2026, prices the exam at $79 for one portion or both. Older PSI PDFs still circulating at $61.50 are superseded. Pay the amount PSI charges when you book.

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  Sending a pocket card as the certification letter

  DLCP and the PSI bulletin: original letter of certification, dated within 90 days, official seal. Pocket cards and license copies are not accepted. A scanned card will stop both reciprocity and endorsement applications.

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  Treating federal Fair Housing as the Human Rights Act

  17 DCMR 2609.1 incorporates the Human Rights Act of 1977. Source of income, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, and place of residence or business are District classes. Studying only federal law leaves you underprepared for the 20-item licensee-activities section.

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  Recording a DC deed at a Maryland county courthouse

  The District has no counties and no county recorder. Instruments go to the DC Recorder of Deeds. TOPA/DOPA and tenant's right to purchase are on the state outline.

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  Renewing a salesperson license on the broker February 28 deadline

  Salespersons expire August 31 of odd years. Brokers, companies, and property managers expire February 28 of odd years. Different CE: brokers have 15 mandatory hours including 3-hour Broker Supervision and no electives.

Everyone else applies by endorsement: prelicense education in the other jurisdiction that meets or exceeds the District's 60 hours (salesperson) or 135 hours (broker), 3-hour DCREC Fair Housing, the DLCP-listed 3-hour Property Management course, the DC portion at 75 percent, and a 90-day sealed certification. Reciprocity CE for 2023–2025 was 3 Fair Housing + 3 Property Management. DC does not offer 50-state mutual recognition.

District of Columbia 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.

How many pre-license hours does DC require for a salesperson?

Sixty clock hours from a DCREC-approved Principles and Practices of Real Estate course (17 DCMR 2602.3). Endorsement applicants must meet or exceed that 60 in the other jurisdiction, then complete a 3-hour DCREC Fair Housing course and, on DLCP's checklist, a 3-hour DCREC Property Management course.

What is the DC salesperson exam format and fee?

PSI bulletin updated 6/3/2026: $79 for one portion or both. National 80 items in 120 minutes; DC 30 items in 90 minutes; combo 110 items in 210 minutes. Endorsement/reciprocity applicants take the DC portion at 75 percent. Original applicants take both portions. Apply within six months of passing.

Does DC have reciprocity with Maryland and Virginia?

Yes, for the licensees named in the PSI bulletin: Virginia brokers and salespersons; Maryland brokers; and Maryland salespersons licensed from 1996 to present. Maryland salespersons licensed before 1996 apply by endorsement. Both routes still require the DC portion of the exam, still take 3-hour DCREC Fair Housing, and still send a 90-day sealed certification letter. Pocket cards are not accepted.

What is the Guaranty and Education Fund?

A $60 assessment submitted with the licensee fees (DLCP). The DC exam portion tests Fund administration. It is not E&O. Application fees are non-refundable under D.C. Code § 47-2853.10.

When does a DC salesperson license expire, and what CE is required?

August 31 of odd years. Brokers expire February 28 of odd years, so do not confuse the two deadlines. 2023–2025 salesperson CE is 15 hours: 3 Fair Housing, 3 Ethics, 3 Legislative Update, 3 Property Management, 3 electives. New licensees are CE-exempt for the remainder of the cycle of first issuance but still renew. Late renewal $50.

Why does DC test the Human Rights Act if I already know federal Fair Housing?

Because 17 DCMR 2609.1 incorporates the Human Rights Act of 1977, which adds District-only protected classes (personal appearance, family responsibilities, source of income, matriculation, political affiliation, place of residence or business, and others) on top of the federal list. Knowing federal Fair Housing law is necessary but not enough.

Where are deeds recorded in DC?

The District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds. There is no county recorder. The District is not subdivided into counties, and the DC exam portion can test whether you know that DC closings are not recorded like Maryland county recordations.

Do I need a sponsoring broker before DLCP will issue the salesperson license?

You must be affiliated with a DC-licensed broker to perform licensed acts. The PSI bulletin states that all DC licensed salespersons must be affiliated with a DC licensed broker. Transfer/status change is $30.