Does the salesperson 60 count as the broker 60?

No. Broker is nine named courses totaling 60 hours (193E—16.3), including a 12-hour office-organization course and a 6-hour Iowa trust-account course. The salesperson 60 plus three live 12s is the base license.

24 months of active salesperson experience (DIAL). Not two calendar years on inactive.

What is the broker cut score?

PSI: 60 of 80 national points (75 items, some worth 2) and 30 of 40 state points. Salesperson is 56 and 28. Do not study the salesperson cut for this paper.

Same sixth-month score fuse?

Yes. Last working day of the sixth month following the pass date. Same 210-day FBI clock. Same mandatory E&O.

What does the original broker license cost?

193E—9.1: $170. Firm license is a separate $170. Branch / trade name / additional officer $50. Certification of license $25. PSI is $95. Late January 1–30 is $195. Application and initialLicense in this object are the same $170 original, not stacked.

Do I bring nine certificates to PSI?

Yes. Bulletin: brokers must present nine certificates (the named 6+6+6+6+6+6+12+6+6 grid). One recycled salesperson 60 will not open the door. Fail to produce them and the sitting is a missed appointment.

Does passing the broker exam wipe salesperson CE?

193E—16.9(1)(b): a salesperson otherwise qualified to be a broker who passes the broker examination is not needed to furnish evidence of CE earned as a salesperson. 16.10(3): a newly licensed broker cannot then recycle those qualifying broker courses as first-renewal CE.

Can a firm license go inactive?

No. DIAL E&O page: a license issued to a firm, partnership, or LLC cannot be placed on inactive status. Individual brokers and salespersons can. Uninterrupted E&O is required of every active license including the firm.

Trust account paperwork?

Proprietor, partner, or officer originals that will accept earnest money attach a Consent to Examine and Audit Trust Account. If they will not hold earnest money, a Trust Account Status Affidavit. Both forms live on the Commission site. The 6-hour Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts course exists because 193E will hold the broker, not the salesperson.

Iowa Broker License Requirements

Required education: 60 named hours within 24 months of passing the exams (6+6+6+6+6+6+12+6+6)
Exam fee: $95
Published fees: $95 PSI + $170 original + $51 FBI + 60-hour named-course tuition + E&O
Typical timeline: 24 months of active salesperson experience is the long pole

What to know first

An Iowa broker license is 24 months of active salesperson experience plus 60 clock hours of named broker prelicense completed within the 24 months preceding the passing of the examinations (DIAL broker-by-exam page; 193E—16.3). Those 60 hours are not a blob and are not the salesperson 60: Contract Law and Contract Writing 6, Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts 6, Principles of Appraising and Market Analysis 6, Real Estate Law and Agency Law 6, Real Estate Finance 6, Federal and State Laws Affecting Iowa Practice 6, Real Estate Office Organization, Administration and Human Resources 12, Real Estate Technology and Data Security 6, Ethics and Safety Issues for Brokers 6. Substitution of substantially similar courses is a written Commission product; anything older than 24 months does not substitute (16.3(3)).

PSI is still the vendor and still $95. The bulletin's broker paper is not the salesperson paper: national 75 items scored as 80 points in 120 minutes, passing score 60; state 40 items in 60 minutes, passing score 30; combined 115 items / 120 points / 180 minutes, passing score 90. Scenario-based national items can score up to two points; pick the BEST option among more than four. Five to ten experimental items may be added. Both portions must still be valid — last working day of the sixth month following the pass date — when the Commission receives the application. Same FBI 210-day packet ($51), same mandatory E&O, same My Iowa PLB filing. Broker license fee $170 (193E—9.1). Nebraska's extra-60-on-top-of-96 and Kansas broker transaction points will not post as these nine named Iowa courses.

Your path to the license

Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.

Document 24 months of active salesperson experience

Do this before paying for the nine named courses. Out-of-state months only count if IREC says so in writing.
Complete the nine named 60 hours inside 24 months of the passing

Trust accounts, office organization (12), ethics and safety, technology/data security — not a recycled salesperson 60.
FBI packet + PSI $95 (75 items / 60 points national, 40 / 30 state)

Sixth-month score fuse. 210-day background fuse. E&O before issuance. $170 license fee.

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: 24 months of active Iowa (or Commission-recognized) salesperson experience before you apply. Confirm any out-of-state salesperson years in writing with IREC before paying for the 60 hours. Same SAVE lawful-presence verification as salesperson.
Qualifying education: 193E—16.3(1) and the DIAL broker-by-exam list: Contract Law and Contract Writing 6; Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts 6; Principles of Appraising and Market Analysis 6; Real Estate Law and Agency Law 6; Real Estate Finance 6; Federal and State Laws Affecting Iowa Practice 6; Real Estate Office Organization, Administration and Human Resources 12; Real Estate Technology and Data Security 6; Ethics and Safety Issues for Brokers 6. The salesperson 60 plus three live 12s is the base license, not a substitute for these nine courses. Provider finals count as hours. Substitution of substantially similar courses is written; courses older than 24 months do not substitute.
Education or filing deadline: Complete the 60 hours within the 24 months preceding the passing of the examinations. PSI scores then die the last working day of the sixth month. Background dies at 210 days.
Character review: Same § 543B.15 conviction clocks and 12-month-rejected / 2-year-revoked bars. Broker files additionally pick up trust-account and supervision fitness.
Background process: FBI packet through My Iowa PLB, $51, 210 days, 5–6 weeks. Start it before the last broker course ends.
Experience: 24 months of active salesperson experience before you can apply (DIAL broker-by-exam). Not calendar years on a shelf; active.
Broker affiliation: A broker may qualify a firm ($170 firm license) or hang as a broker-associate under another broker. Firm, partnership, and LLC licenses cannot be placed inactive. Trust-account and office-organization hours exist because the broker is the one 193E will hold.

Documents to prepare

24 months active salesperson
Nine named broker courses totaling 60 hours, completed within 24 months of passing PSI
PSI broker passing scores (60 national / 30 state) still valid under the sixth-month fuse
FBI background within 210 days
E&O meeting 193E ch. 19

The licensing exam

PSI bulletin Examination Summary Table. Broker National: 75 items, 80 points, 120 minutes, passing score 60. Scenario-based national items can score 0, 1, or 2 points; more than four options; pick the BEST answer, not merely an acceptable one. Broker State (Iowa): 40 items, 40 points, 60 minutes, passing score 30. Combined: 115 items, 120 points, 180 minutes, passing score 90. Five to ten experimental items may be added. National broker weights shift versus salesperson: property ownership 10%, financing 8%, agency 11%, contracts 18%, practice of real estate 14%, calculations 8% plus broker-only capitalization / GRM / NOI items. Iowa state broker buckets: licensing requirements 2, license maintenance 4, disciplinary actions 4, real estate education 2, trust accounts 4, contracts 5, agency 4, property disclosure 3, Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 1, unlicensed assistants 2, broker responsibilities 6, property management 3. Bring nine named-course certificates. Fee $95. Iowa-portion-only requires prior written IREC authorization. Sixth-month score fuse still applies. Trust-account consent-to-audit or a Trust Account Status Affidavit travels with a proprietor/partner/officer original that will hold earnest money.

PSI Services LLC (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/iare; (855) 898-0712). Bulletin effective 2/8/2024. · Fee: $95

Part	Questions	Minutes	Pass
Broker National	75	120	60 of 80 points; scenario items scored up to 2 points; 5–10 experimental
Broker State (Iowa)	40	60	30 of 40 points; heavier broker-responsibility and trust-account buckets

$95 per sitting. Fail one portion: retake the failed portion. Both portions must still be valid (last working day of the sixth month) when the application is received. Iowa-portion-only needs prior written IREC authorization.

What to study

Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts (6 hours) and Office Organization (12 hours)

IREC-approved provider

Named broker courses. Not electives from the salesperson 60.
PSI Iowa bulletin — broker outlines and scenario instructions

PSI / IREC

75 items / 80 points national; BEST-ANSWER scenarios; state 40 at 30.

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	$170
Examination	$95
Initial license	$170
Renewal (every 3 years)	$170
Fingerprints / background check	$51

193E—9.1: broker original or renewal $170; firm $170; late January 1–30 $195. PSI $95. FBI $51. Application and initialLicense are the same $170 original, not stacked.

Commission	Iowa Real Estate Commission (Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing) (515) 725-9022 x7 Iowa Code Chapter 543B; Iowa Administrative Code 193E (esp. chs. 4, 9, 16, 19); IAC 481 as applicable
Pre-licensing	60 named hours within 24 months of passing the exams (6+6+6+6+6+6+12+6+6) 193E—16.3(1) and the DIAL broker-by-exam list: Contract Law and Contract Writing 6; Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts 6; Principles of Appraising and Market Analysis 6; Real Estate Law and Agency Law 6; Real Estate Finance 6; Federal and State Laws Affecting Iowa Practice 6; Real Estate Office Organization, Administration and Human Resources 12; Real Estate Technology and Data Security 6; Ethics and Safety Issues for Brokers 6. The salesperson 60 plus three live 12s is the base license, not a substitute for these nine courses. Provider finals count as hours. Substitution of substantially similar courses is written; courses older than 24 months do not substitute. Complete the 60 hours within the 24 months preceding the passing of the examinations. PSI scores then die the last working day of the sixth month. Background dies at 210 days.
Sponsoring broker	A broker may qualify a firm ($170 firm license) or hang as a broker-associate under another broker. Firm, partnership, and LLC licenses cannot be placed inactive. Trust-account and office-organization hours exist because the broker is the one 193E will hold.
Fingerprints	Same Commission FBI packet as salesperson. $51. 210-day fuse. 5–6 weeks typical after the card returns. A salesperson print that has aged past 210 days will not carry; request a new packet.
CE / renewal	Same 36-hour CE grid as salesperson (8 Law Update, 4 Ethics, 24 electives; max 24 distance). Fee $170. Late January 1–30: $195. January 1–30: $170 + $25 = $195. After January 30, reinstatement under 193E—4.6.
Recovery fund	No recovery fund. Mandatory E&O under § 543B.47 / 193E ch. 19, including for the firm. Proof on original, reactivation after 20 days, transfer, and random audit.

Mistakes that delay applicants

Recycling the salesperson 60 as the broker 60

Nine named courses. Trust accounts and office organization are not optional.
Counting inactive months toward the 24

DIAL wants 24 months of active salesperson experience.
Letting broker prelicense age past 24 months

16.3(3): substitution and the DIAL 24-month-before-passing clock both die. Salesperson education was 12 months; this one is 24.
Studying a 56/28 salesperson cut

Broker is 60/30 on a 75-item national paper with two-point scenarios.
Skipping a new FBI packet

210 days. A salesperson print from last year is dead. Average 5–6 weeks after the card returns — do not sit PSI on day 200 of a dying packet.
Bringing one certificate to a broker sitting

Nine named courses, nine certificates. The salesperson 60 is the base license, not the broker 60. PSI treats a missing certificate as a missed appointment and keeps the $95.
Treating BEST-ANSWER scenarios as ordinary multiple choice

Broker national items can score 0/1/2. An acceptable option is not the BEST option. Studying a 56/28 salesperson cut will not produce 60 of 80 points on this paper.
Qualifying a firm without the trust-account form

Earnest-money holders file Consent to Examine and Audit Trust Account. Non-holders file the Status Affidavit. Firm licenses cannot go inactive. E&O covers the firm too.

Reciprocity and recognition

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

§ 543B.21 recognition is an IREC product. The 24-month experience clock and the nine named courses are original Iowa requirements unless the live recognition page waives them. Nebraska's two extra 30-hour broker courses are not this 60.

Renewal and staying active

Same 36-hour CE grid as salesperson (8 Law Update, 4 Ethics, 24 electives; max 24 distance). Fee $170. Late January 1–30: $195.

Late renewal: January 1–30: $170 + $25 = $195. After January 30, reinstatement under 193E—4.6.

Applicant checklist

24 months active salesperson
Nine named broker courses totaling 60 hours inside 24 months of passing
FBI packet within 210 days ($51)
PSI $95 at 60/30
E&O + $170 license fee (firm $170 extra if you qualify a firm)

How Iowa is different

Nebraska broker: two years plus 60 hours in two courses on top of the salesperson 96, Course #0003, Pearson 75%. Minnesota broker: additional hours plus experience. Illinois managing broker: 45-hour course plus 20 of the last 24 months licensed. Iowa broker: 24 months active salesperson plus nine named courses totaling 60 hours inside 24 months of the passing, PSI 75/40 at 60/30, $170 original.

Frequently asked questions

Does the salesperson 60 count as the broker 60?: No. Broker is nine named courses totaling 60 hours (193E—16.3), including a 12-hour office-organization course and a 6-hour Iowa trust-account course. The salesperson 60 plus three live 12s is the base license.
How much experience?: 24 months of active salesperson experience (DIAL). Not two calendar years on inactive.
What is the broker cut score?: PSI: 60 of 80 national points (75 items, some worth 2) and 30 of 40 state points. Salesperson is 56 and 28. Do not study the salesperson cut for this paper.
Same sixth-month score fuse?: Yes. Last working day of the sixth month following the pass date. Same 210-day FBI clock. Same mandatory E&O.
What does the original broker license cost?: 193E—9.1: $170. Firm license is a separate $170. Branch / trade name / additional officer $50. Certification of license $25. PSI is $95. Late January 1–30 is $195. Application and initialLicense in this object are the same $170 original, not stacked.
Do I bring nine certificates to PSI?: Yes. Bulletin: brokers must present nine certificates (the named 6+6+6+6+6+6+12+6+6 grid). One recycled salesperson 60 will not open the door. Fail to produce them and the sitting is a missed appointment.
Does passing the broker exam wipe salesperson CE?: 193E—16.9(1)(b): a salesperson otherwise qualified to be a broker who passes the broker examination is not needed to furnish evidence of CE earned as a salesperson. 16.10(3): a newly licensed broker cannot then recycle those qualifying broker courses as first-renewal CE.
Can a firm license go inactive?: No. DIAL E&O page: a license issued to a firm, partnership, or LLC cannot be placed on inactive status. Individual brokers and salespersons can. Uninterrupted E&O is required of every active license including the firm.
Trust account paperwork?: Proprietor, partner, or officer originals that will accept earnest money attach a Consent to Examine and Audit Trust Account. If they will not hold earnest money, a Trust Account Status Affidavit. Both forms live on the Commission site. The 6-hour Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts course exists because 193E will hold the broker, not the salesperson.

Primary Sources

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

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