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RE License Guide

Idaho real estate licensing

Idaho Real Estate 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 4 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
90 hours: Brokerage Management 28 + Real Estate Law 30 + two electives; designated adds BCOO unless Management already counts
Exam fee
$83
Published fees
$83
Typical timeline
Named 90 hours (live/Zoom) plus fingerprints up to 12 weeks plus Pearson
01

What to know first

An Idaho associate-broker license is a different 90 hours than salesperson Module 1 + Module 2. DOPL’s live education-applicants page names Brokerage Management (28 hours) and Real Estate Law (30 hours) plus two electives from a closed list: Real Estate Finance 20, Valuation & Analysis 20, Idaho GRI 101/102 as one elective (12+12), GRI 201/202 as one elective, or CCIM CI 101–104 (29/29/32/29; online only if ARELLO-certified; CI 103 and 104 live only — no challenge). All within three years of application. Live or Zoom — not the salesperson self-paced option. 100% attendance, 70% finals.

Designated broker or branch office manager additionally completes Business Conduct & Office Operations (BCOO) within three years and files office paperwork (trust-account notification, company application). Completing Brokerage Management inside the clock fulfills BCOO. Licensed Idaho attorneys currently practicing law may request a waiver of the broker Real Estate Law course; active appraisers currently practicing may request a waiver of Valuation & Analysis — written requests to BCRE-Education@dopl.idaho.gov with proof of active licensure. Pearson is still $83. Broker cut is scaled 75, not 70. State paper is 50 scored items, not 40, with a broker-only 20% brokerage-management bucket. Fingerprints are still required even if you already hold an Idaho salesperson license. Washington broker hours and Nevada broker grids will not post as Brokerage Management 28 + Law 30.

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. Brokerage Management 28 + Law 30 + two electives (live or Zoom)

    Not salesperson Module 1+2. Three-year clock. 70% finals, 100% attendance. CCIM 103/104 live only.

  2. Fresh Pearson fingerprints + Pearson $83 at scaled 75 (80/150 min + 50/90 min)

    Required even if already an Idaho salesperson. Select the broker license type on the fingerprint reservation.

  3. Designated/branch: BCOO (or Management in lieu) and office paperwork

    Trust-account notification, company application, firm E&O if not a sole proprietorship. Within three years of application.

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
Out-of-state active licensees may request the same national-paper-and-education waiver and still sit the Idaho paper. Attorney and appraiser course waivers are written requests to BCRE-Education@dopl.idaho.gov with proof of active practice. The live education-applicants page does not print a salesperson-experience year count for associate vs designated — confirm that clock on the Apply / license-application forms (REE041) rather than inventing a year this page did not see numbered.
Qualifying education
Live IREC education-applicants page: Brokerage Management (28) — how to set up and run a brokerage office under Idaho law; Real Estate Law (30) — interests in real estate and contract law with an Idaho emphasis; plus two electives from Real Estate Finance (20), Valuation & Analysis (20), GRI 101+102 as one elective, GRI 201+202 as one elective, or CCIM CI 101–104 (online only if ARELLO-certified; CI 103 and 104 live only, not by challenge). Live classroom or Zoom — not self-paced. 100% attendance, 70% finals, three-year clock. Salesperson Module 1+2 is not this 90. BCOO (agency, trust accounting, transaction files) is required for designated broker or branch manager within three years unless Brokerage Management already posted inside that clock.
Education or filing deadline
Three years immediately preceding application. BCOO within three years for designated/branch manager.
Character review
Fresh fingerprints plus Commission review.
Background process
Pearson fingerprints required again on upgrade. Six-month result life.
Experience
Live IREC FAQ (Getting a License, fetched 2026-09-02): at least two (2) years full-time, active experience as a licensed real estate salesperson within five (5) years immediately preceding the application. Current commission-approved experience: 15 completed sales and/or listings resulting in at least $2 million in total volume. Written special-consideration request if those numbers are short. Designated/branch additionally files office paperwork and BCOO (or Management in lieu).
Broker affiliation
Associate broker still hangs under a designated broker. Designated broker or branch manager files office paperwork (REE088 trust-account notification; company application REE150 / REE058 / REE147 / REE116 / REE148 / REE149) and BCOO (or Management in lieu). Entities other than sole proprietorships carry separate firm E&O. Assumed business names and out-of-state authority go through the Idaho Secretary of State; IREC wants file-stamped copies.

Documents to prepare

  • Brokerage Management 28 + Law 30 + two electives (≤3 years), 70% finals, 100% attendance, live or Zoom
  • Two years full-time active salesperson in the last five, with 15 completed sales and/or listings totaling at least $2 million (live IREC FAQ), or a written special-consideration file
  • BCOO or Management-in-lieu for designated/branch manager
  • Pearson broker passing results (80/50 scaled 75) or IREC general-portion waiver + Idaho paper
  • Fresh fingerprint approval (6-month life)
  • $135 initial + $20 recovery fund (2026 printed) + E&O; trust-account and company forms if designated
04

The licensing exam

Pearson broker examination, $83, 4 hours (General 150 minutes, State 90 minutes). National: 80 scored + 5 pretest, scaled 75. State: 50 scored + 5–10 pretest (outline effective July 15, 2017), scaled 75. Broker-only bucket VII brokerage management 20% (supervision, maintaining a brokerage license, brokerage operations). Eligible only after the named 90 hours. Same one-year split-retake and one-year-to-apply clocks. Fresh fingerprints required. Waiver of the general portion is the same IREC form as salesperson if you hold an active out-of-state license.

Pearson VUE, $83, 4 hours (150 + 90). Handbook #091300. Scaled 75. · Fee: $83

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Broker General / National 80 150 80 scored + 5 pretest; 150 minutes; scaled 75 (not the salesperson 70). $83 combined. January 2025 broker outline: 10+8+10+15+12+9+8+8
Broker Idaho State Law 50 90 50 scored + 5–10 pretest; 90 minutes; scaled 75. Outline: Commission 4%, licensing 4%, license law 30%, agency 20%, closing costs 10%, Idaho principles 12%, brokerage management 20% (broker only)

Same $83 even for one section. One-year split-retake and one-year-to-apply from the first passed section. Do not sit the 40-item / scaled-70 salesperson paper as a broker candidate.

What to study

  • Brokerage Management (28 hours)

    IREC-approved provider

    Also satisfies BCOO when taken inside the designated-broker clock. Live or Zoom.

  • Idaho Real Estate Law (30 hours)

    IREC-approved provider

    Attorney waiver is a written request with proof of active practice.

  • BCOO course / IREC License Law and Rules booklet

    IREC-approved provider / IREC

    Trust accounting, transaction files, agency. Broker-only 20% of the state paper.

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$135
Examination$83
Initial license$135

Same 2026 fee-holiday caution as salesperson. $20 recovery fund. $83 Pearson. Entity/branch initial $50 / renewal $0. Firm E&O for entities other than sole proprietorships. Confirm live.

Commission

Idaho Real Estate Commission (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)

(208) 334-3233

Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 20 (including § 54-2023 CE, §§ 54-2069–54-2070 recovery fund). Pearson VUE Idaho Real Estate Candidate Handbook #091300 (July 2024). State outline effective July 15, 2017. National salesperson/broker outlines effective January 2025.
Pre-licensing

90 hours: Brokerage Management 28 + Real Estate Law 30 + two electives; designated adds BCOO unless Management already counts

Live IREC education-applicants page: Brokerage Management (28) — how to set up and run a brokerage office under Idaho law; Real Estate Law (30) — interests in real estate and contract law with an Idaho emphasis; plus two electives from Real Estate Finance (20), Valuation & Analysis (20), GRI 101+102 as one elective, GRI 201+202 as one elective, or CCIM CI 101–104 (online only if ARELLO-certified; CI 103 and 104 live only, not by challenge). Live classroom or Zoom — not self-paced. 100% attendance, 70% finals, three-year clock. Salesperson Module 1+2 is not this 90. BCOO (agency, trust accounting, transaction files) is required for designated broker or branch manager within three years unless Brokerage Management already posted inside that clock.

Three years immediately preceding application. BCOO within three years for designated/branch manager.
Sponsoring broker

Associate broker still hangs under a designated broker. Designated broker or branch manager files office paperwork (REE088 trust-account notification; company application REE150 / REE058 / REE147 / REE116 / REE148 / REE149) and BCOO (or Management in lieu). Entities other than sole proprietorships carry separate firm E&O. Assumed business names and out-of-state authority go through the Idaho Secretary of State; IREC wants file-stamped copies.
Fingerprints

Fresh Pearson fingerprints even if you already hold an Idaho salesperson license. 6-month result life. 1–12 weeks. Self-verify approval. Select the correct license type when making the fingerprint reservation — handbook warning.
CE / renewal

Active broker renewal (live education-licensees page): 2 different Core courses which you have not previously taken plus 12 electives. Inactive: no CE at renewal; complete before activation. 2026 holiday may zero the IREC renewal dollar — confirm live.

Reinstatement after a missed deadline is not waived by the holiday. Confirm live.
Recovery fund

Same $20 under § 54-2070 on original and renewal. Same 2026 holiday caution.
06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Taking broker electives as salesperson self-paced modules

    Broker prelicense is live or Zoom. CCIM challenge and non-ARELLO online CCIM do not post. CI 103 and 104 are live only.

  • Skipping fresh fingerprints on upgrade

    Required even if you already hold an Idaho salesperson license. Wrong license type on the fingerprint reservation delays results.

  • Sitting the salesperson scaled-70 / 40-item state paper

    Broker is scaled 75 on 50 state items with a 20% management bucket.

  • Filing as designated broker without BCOO (or Management in lieu) and office paperwork

    Trust-account notification and a company application. Firm E&O if not a sole proprietorship.

  • Skipping the 2-of-5 / 15-deal / $2 million clock because the education page lists hours not experience

    Live IREC FAQ (Getting a License): two years full-time active as a salesperson in the last five, 15 completed sales and/or listings totaling at least $2 million. Special consideration is a written request, not a handshake.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

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

Same waiver form as salesperson for active out-of-state licensees (national paper + education waived; Idaho paper still required). Attorney/appraiser course waivers are separate written requests to BCRE-Education@dopl.idaho.gov with proof of active practice.

08

Renewal and staying active

Active broker renewal (live education-licensees page): 2 different Core courses which you have not previously taken plus 12 electives. Inactive: no CE at renewal; complete before activation. 2026 holiday may zero the IREC renewal dollar — confirm live.

Late renewal: Reinstatement after a missed deadline is not waived by the holiday. Confirm live.

Applicant checklist

  • Brokerage Management 28 + Law 30 + two electives ≤3 years
  • Live or Zoom (not self-paced), 70% finals, 100% attendance
  • Fresh Pearson fingerprints (correct license type)
  • Pearson $83 at scaled 75 (80 national / 150 min + 50 state / 90 min)
  • BCOO or Management-in-lieu if designated/branch manager, plus office paperwork and firm E&O if an entity
09

How Idaho is different

Washington and Oregon brokers sit different named-hour grids. Nevada broker is a different NRED file. Wyoming broker is named Broker I / II / Law plus 8-hour Management. Idaho associate broker is Brokerage Management 28 + Law 30 + two electives; designated adds BCOO (or Management in lieu). Pearson $83 at scaled 75 on 80/50, not Wyoming’s scaled 75 on a $83-per-portion cart.

10

Frequently asked questions

Does salesperson Module 1+2 count as the broker 90?
No. Brokerage Management 28 + Real Estate Law 30 + two listed electives. Live or Zoom, not self-paced.
What is BCOO?
Business Conduct & Office Operations — required for designated broker or branch manager unless Brokerage Management already posted inside the three-year clock. Agency, trust accounting, transaction files.
Is the broker cut 70?
No. Handbook: scaled 75 for broker, 70 for salesperson. State paper is 50 scored items with a 20% brokerage-management bucket, not the 40-item salesperson paper.
Can an attorney skip Real Estate Law?
Written request to BCRE-Education@dopl.idaho.gov with proof of an active law license and current practice. Appraisers may request a Valuation & Analysis waiver the same way. Incomplete requests are not considered.
Do I fingerprint again?
Yes. Even if you already hold an Idaho salesperson license. Select the broker license type on the Pearson fingerprint reservation.

Primary Sources

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

  1. IREC — broker prelicense (Management 28, Law 30, electives, BCOO)
  2. Pearson handbook #091300 (broker 80/50, scaled 75, $83)
  3. IREC Fees / fee holiday
  4. IREC education for licensees (broker CE: 2 Core + 12 elective)

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