Does the salesperson 60 count as the broker 60?

No. Broker education 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 12-hour courses are for the base license.

24 months of active salesperson experience (DIAL). Two years spent inactive do not count.

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 prepare for the salesperson passing score on this exam.

Is the six-month score deadline the same?

Yes. Scores expire on the last working day of the sixth month following the pass date. The same 210-day FBI limit and the same mandatory E&O apply.

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. The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same $170 original fee, not two charges.

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). A salesperson 60-hour certificate does not count. If you do not bring them, the sitting counts as 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. Under 16.10(3), a newly licensed broker cannot then reuse 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 are on the Commission site. The 6-hour Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts course is required because 193E holds the broker, not the salesperson, responsible.

Iowa Broker License Requirements (2026)

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 longest step

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 made up of specific named courses and are separate from 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. You may request in writing that the Commission accept substantially similar courses; anything older than 24 months does not qualify (16.3(3)).

PSI is still the vendor and still $95. The broker exam differs from the salesperson exam: 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 additional 60 hours on top of 96 and Kansas broker transaction points do not count 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 courses (60 hours) within 24 months of passing the exam

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

Scores expire at the end of the sixth month; the background check is valid 210 days. E&O before issuance. $170 license fee.

How long the 60-hour course takes

Coursework is usually the longest step you control. Weeks below are classroom or online hours only; add application processing, fingerprint clearance, and exam scheduling from the roadmap above.

Part-time: 6 weeksabout 10 hrs/week
Steady: 3 weeksabout 20 hrs/week
Full-time: 2 weeksabout 40 hrs/week

Overall estimate from our source review: 24 months of active salesperson experience is the longest step, then 60 named hours inside 24 months of the passing, then PSI plus a 5–6 week background if the old packet has aged out.

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 12-hour courses are for the base license and do not substitute for these nine courses. Provider finals count as hours. Substitution of substantially similar courses must be requested in writing; courses older than 24 months do not qualify.
Education or filing deadline: Complete the 60 hours within the 24 months preceding the passing of the examinations. PSI scores then expire on the last working day of the sixth month. The background check expires after 210 days.
Character review: Same § 543B.15 conviction waiting periods and the same bars for an application rejected within 12 months or a license revoked within 2 years. Broker applicants are also reviewed for trust-account and supervision fitness.
Background process: FBI packet through My Iowa PLB, $51, valid 210 days, about 5–6 weeks to process. Start it before your last broker course ends.
Experience: 24 months of active salesperson experience before you can apply (DIAL broker-by-exam). Time spent inactive does not count.
Broker affiliation: A broker may qualify a firm ($170 firm license) or work as a broker-associate under another broker. Firm, partnership, and LLC licenses cannot be placed inactive. The trust-account and office-organization hours are required because 193E holds the broker responsible.

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 (through the end of the sixth month)
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. Scores still expire at the end of the sixth month. Trust-account consent-to-audit or a Trust Account Status Affidavit must accompany a proprietor/partner/officer original application 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%
Broker State (Iowa)	40	60	30%

Scoring details from the candidate handbook

Broker National: 60 of 80 points; scenario items scored up to 2 points; 5–10 experimental
Broker State (Iowa): 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. The application and initialLicense amounts are the same $170 original fee, not two charges.

Published state fees

$486

Application, exam, initial-license, and fingerprint amounts cited above. Excludes school tuition.

Estimate your full cost →

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 12-hour courses are for the base license and do not substitute for these nine courses. Provider finals count as hours. Substitution of substantially similar courses must be requested in writing; courses older than 24 months do not qualify. Complete the 60 hours within the 24 months preceding the passing of the examinations. PSI scores then expire on the last working day of the sixth month. The background check expires after 210 days.
Sponsoring broker	A broker may qualify a firm ($170 firm license) or work as a broker-associate under another broker. Firm, partnership, and LLC licenses cannot be placed inactive. The trust-account and office-organization hours are required because 193E holds the broker responsible.
Fingerprints	Same Commission FBI packet as salesperson, $51, valid 210 days. Results typically take 5–6 weeks after the card returns. A salesperson background check older than 210 days will not carry over; request a new packet.
CE / renewal	Same 36-hour CE requirement 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	Iowa has no recovery fund. E&O is mandatory 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

Reusing the salesperson 60 as the broker 60

You need the nine named courses. Trust accounts and office organization are required.
Counting inactive months toward the 24

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

Under 16.3(3) and DIAL's rule, courses older than 24 months before passing no longer count, for substitution or otherwise. Salesperson education had a 12-month limit; broker education has 24.
Studying a 56/28 salesperson cut

Brokers need 60/30, with a 75-item national portion that includes two-point scenarios.
Skipping a new FBI packet

Background checks are valid 210 days, so a salesperson check from last year has expired. Processing averages 5–6 weeks after the card returns; do not sit PSI on day 200 of a check that is about to expire.
Bringing one certificate to a broker sitting

Nine named courses means nine certificates. The salesperson 60 is for 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. Preparing for the 56/28 salesperson cut will not get you 60 of 80 points on this exam.
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 decided by IREC. The 24-month experience requirement and the nine named courses apply to original Iowa applicants unless IREC's recognition rules waive them. Nebraska's two additional 30-hour broker courses do not count toward this 60.

Renewal and staying active

Same 36-hour CE requirement 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 within 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 brokers need two years plus 60 hours in two courses on top of the salesperson 96, Course #0003, and 75% on the Pearson exam. Minnesota brokers need additional hours plus experience. Illinois managing brokers need a 45-hour course and 20 of the last 24 months licensed. Iowa brokers need 24 months as an active salesperson, nine named courses totaling 60 hours within 24 months of passing the exam, a PSI exam (75/40 items, 60/30 to pass), and a $170 original license fee.

Iowa vs neighboring states

Iowa Real Estate Broker License compared with nearby states
Jurisdiction	License title	Pre-license hours	Exam vendor	Exam questions	Exam fee	Published state fees	Renewal cycle	Min. age
Iowa (this guide)	Broker	60	PSI	115	$95	$486	3 yr	18
Illinois	Managing Broker	45	PSI	Not published	$58	$408	2 yr	20
Minnesota	Broker	30	PSI	135	$68	$428	2 yr	18
Missouri	Broker	48	PSI	165	$52	$242.50	2 yr	18
Nebraska	Broker	60	Pearson VUE	130	$150	$435	2 yr	19
South Dakota	Responsible Broker	116	PSI	142	$98	$548	2 yr	18
Wisconsin	Broker	See guide	Pearson VUE	100	$65	$185	2 yr	18

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.

Frequently asked questions

Does the salesperson 60 count as the broker 60?: No. Broker education 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 12-hour courses are for the base license.
How much experience?: 24 months of active salesperson experience (DIAL). Two years spent inactive do not count.
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 prepare for the salesperson passing score on this exam.
Is the six-month score deadline the same?: Yes. Scores expire on the last working day of the sixth month following the pass date. The same 210-day FBI limit and the same mandatory E&O apply.
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. The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same $170 original fee, not two charges.
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). A salesperson 60-hour certificate does not count. If you do not bring them, the sitting counts as 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. Under 16.10(3), a newly licensed broker cannot then reuse 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 are on the Commission site. The 6-hour Iowa Real Estate Trust Accounts course is required because 193E holds the broker, not the salesperson, responsible.

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

Update history

October 8, 2026 Rewrote the guide text for readability and added state comparison tables. No requirements, fees, or deadlines changed.
September 2, 2026 Requirements, fees, and deadlines checked against the primary sources cited on this page.

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