Kansas real estate licensing
Kansas Real Estate Broker License requirements
A practical, source-checked guide to qualifying, passing the exam, applying, and keeping this license active.
By Gabriel Giner, Editor · Verified · RE License Guide Editorial Desk
- Required education
- 30-hour Broker Fundamentals + 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Management (out-of-state: 4-hour Kansas Law + 30-hour Management)
- Exam fee
- $70
- Published fees
- See fee table
- Typical timeline
- Two years of documented activity is the longest step
What to know first
The Kansas broker license does not reuse the salesperson's 60 hours. Broker education is two named courses: 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Broker Fundamentals (within one year immediately prior to passing both exam portions) and 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Management (within six months immediately preceding KREC’s receipt of the license application). Out-of-state broker applicants replace Fundamentals with a 4-hour Kansas Law Course within that same six-month application window and still take Management.
Experience is more than simply two years. KREC scores your closed transactions as points within the last three years: 3 points per closed commercial or agricultural deal over $1,000,000; 1 point per other closed transaction; no points for residential property management; and a maximum of 10 points for deals in which you had a personal interest. Staff may approve three or more years with 30+ points, two or more years with 40+ points, or two or more years with 20–39 points as a restricted license that cannot supervise. A recommendation letter is required for Transaction Manager / Administrator / Licensed Assistant / Trainer credit. The Pearson exam is still $70 with a scaled 70 to pass, but the Kansas broker law portion has 40 scored items plus 10 pretest, not the salesperson's 30. According to KREC's FAQ, broker applicants pay $295 to the Commission ($50 application + $70 background + $175 license); an additional $100 Open Company fee may apply. You either affiliate as the supervising broker of a primary or branch office or work under one. KREC's CE page states that salesperson CE taken before the broker license issues will not count toward broker renewal. What sets the broker path apart: transaction points, the named Management course, and the 40-item Kansas exam portion.
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 transaction points for two of the last three years
Review the point table before paying for Fundamentals.
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30-hour Broker Fundamentals (or 4-hour Law if out of state)
Completing it unlocks Pearson for first-time applicants.
-
Pearson $70 combo, then 30-hour Management within six months of application
$175 license. Affiliate with a supervising broker or pay $100 to open a new office.
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: Two years of documented activity is the longest step. After that come the named courses, the Pearson exam, and the six-month application deadline.
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
- Nonresidents must hold a current broker license in their state of residence and file a non-resident form. Experience: you must have been actively engaged in K.S.A. 58-3035(f) activities for at least two years during the three years immediately preceding application, documented as transaction points.
- Qualifying education
- Fundamentals must be within one year before passing both exam portions. Management must be within six months before KREC receives your application. Out-of-state applicants take the 4-hour Kansas Law Course instead of Fundamentals, also within the six-month application window, plus Management. The salesperson 30+30 courses do not satisfy this requirement.
- Education or filing deadline
- The same six-month application, background, and exam deadlines apply as for salesperson.
- Character review
- The same disclosure rules as salesperson apply, plus the experience pages.
- Background process
- KBI/FBI reports are valid six months. Pearson digital fingerprints are available.
- Experience
- At least two years during the three years immediately preceding application, scored on KREC transaction points. 30+ points with 3+ years, 40+ with 2+ years, or 20–39 with 2+ years as a restricted (non-supervising) license.
- Broker affiliation
- Affiliate with a Kansas licensed broker responsible for a primary or branch office, or propose to act as that supervising broker yourself. Opening a new primary or branch office requires a New Company application and a $100 open-office fee.
Documents to prepare
- Experience pages and transaction-point documentation
- Supervising-broker recommendation where required for non-producer roles
- Named broker-course certificates within their deadlines
- Pearson broker exam portions, scaled 70, within six months
- $175 license application
The licensing exam
Pearson charges $70 per portion or $70 combo. General: 80 scored + 5 pretest, 2.5 hours, scaled 70. Kansas broker law: 40 scored + 10 pretest, 1.5 hours, scaled 70. It covers the same topic areas as the salesperson exam with more BRRETA items (15) and a broker-only set (4) covering exemptions, trust funds, and office supervision. You must wait 24 hours to retake. Your application must reach KREC within six months of the earlier pass.
Pearson VUE after Fundamentals (or pre-licensure for out-of-state) posts, $70 · Fee: $70
| Part | Questions | Minutes | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker General / national | 80 | 150 | 70% |
| Broker Kansas / state | 40 | 90 | 70% |
Scoring details from the candidate handbook
- Broker General / national: 80 scored + 5 pretest; 2.5 hours; scaled 70. Uses the same April 24, 2025 national/general outline as salesperson, written to broker-level specifications. $70 alone or $70 combo.
- Broker Kansas / state: 40 scored + 10 pretest; 1.5 hours; scaled 70. Same topic areas as salesperson with more BRRETA (15) and Broker Only Topics (4): exemptions from licensure; qualifications/exams/denial; trust funds and trust accounts; broker supervision of primary and branch offices; commercial sharing of commissions with a person licensed in another state. Not the salesperson 30-item exam.
Same 24-hour wait and six-month application deadline as salesperson.
What to study
-
Kansas Real Estate Management (30 hours)
KREC-approved provider
Must be within six months of your application. Not CE.
-
BRRETA
KREC
15 of 40 Kansas broker items.
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 | $50 |
| Examination | $70 |
| Initial license | $175 |
| Renewal (every 2 years) | $175 |
| Fingerprints / background check | $16 |
According to KREC's FAQ, a broker pays $295 to the Commission: $50 application, $70 background, and $175 license (plus $100 Open Company if applicable). The application and initialLicense amounts here are those Commission charges; the background fee is not added on top of them. Pearson: $70 combo / $70 per portion. Pearson digital fingerprints: $16. Renewal is $175 every 2 years; the late fee is $100. Confirm the amounts in Citizen Access before you pay.
Published state fees
$311
Application, exam, initial-license, and fingerprint amounts cited above. Excludes school tuition.
| Commission | Kansas Real Estate Commission (785) 296-3411 K.S.A. 58-3034 et seq. (Brokers' and Salespersons' License Act, including 58-3043 character, 58-3046a education, 58-3066–3071 Recovery Fund); Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act (BRRETA); K.A.R. 86. Sources: KREC's Pre-License Education, FAQ, Fingerprinting, CE, and Recovery Fund pages; Pearson VUE Kansas Candidate Handbook #091700 (April 2025, rev7/25) and content outlines #091705 (04/2025). |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing | 30-hour Broker Fundamentals + 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Management (out-of-state: 4-hour Kansas Law + 30-hour Management) Fundamentals must be within one year before passing both exam portions. Management must be within six months before KREC receives your application. Out-of-state applicants take the 4-hour Kansas Law Course instead of Fundamentals, also within the six-month application window, plus Management. The salesperson 30+30 courses do not satisfy this requirement. The same six-month application, background, and exam deadlines apply as for salesperson. |
| Sponsoring broker | Affiliate with a Kansas licensed broker responsible for a primary or branch office, or propose to act as that supervising broker yourself. Opening a new primary or branch office requires a New Company application and a $100 open-office fee. |
| Fingerprints | The same KBI/FBI reports apply, valid six months. According to KREC's FAQ, broker applicants pay $50 application + $70 background + $175 license = $295 to the Commission (plus $100 Open Company if applicable). Pearson digital fingerprints remain $16, paid to Pearson, at the three Kansas sites. Background checks are non-transferable — a Kansas salesperson upgrading to broker submits new prints and pays the $70 background fee again. |
| CE / renewal | The same 12 hours including Kansas Required Core. Salesperson CE taken before the broker license issues does not count toward broker renewal. |
| Recovery fund | The same K.S.A. 58-3066 Recovery Fund applies, capped at $15,000 per transaction. |
Mistakes that delay applicants
-
Counting residential property-management deals as points
The handbook gives no points for those. Commercial/agricultural deals over $1,000,000 earn 3 points.
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Landing in the 20–39 point range without reading the restriction
A restricted license prohibits you from supervising any Kansas licensees until you petition with new experience or education.
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Using salesperson CE toward the first broker renewal
KREC's CE page says it will not count. Start the 12 hours, including Kansas Required Core, fresh after the broker license issues.
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Studying for the salesperson 30-item Kansas exam as a broker candidate
The broker Kansas portion has 40 scored items. BRRETA rises to 15, and Broker Only Topics add trust accounts and office supervision.
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Skipping new fingerprints on a salesperson-to-broker upgrade
KREC's FAQ says background checks are non-transferable. You need new prints and another $70 background fee.
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Opening a company without the $100 Open Company filing
Per the handbook, you need a New Company application and $100 open-office fee when you propose to act as supervising broker of a new primary or branch office.
Reciprocity and recognition
| Partner / path | Accepted exam | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential. | ||
Out-of-state brokers complete the 4-hour Kansas Law course and 30-hour Management, the Kansas exam portion, fingerprints, and experience pages. Kansas does not have named reciprocity partners. Military and established-resident waivers follow KREC's requirements page.
Renewal and staying active
The same 12 hours including Kansas Required Core. Salesperson CE taken before the broker license issues does not count toward broker renewal.
Applicant checklist
- Two years in the last three, documented as transaction points
- 30-hour Broker Fundamentals (or 4-hour Law if out of state)
- Pearson general + Kansas broker exam portions, scaled 70
- 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Management ≤6 months before application
- $175 license; supervising-broker affiliation or new-office filing
How Kansas is different
Missouri and Nebraska brokers meet different experience requirements built on different salesperson licenses. Colorado already starts you as an associate broker. The Kansas broker license requires the named Fundamentals and Management courses, transaction points, a 40-item Kansas exam portion, and a $175 license fee.
Kansas vs neighboring states
| Jurisdiction | License title | Pre-license hours | Exam vendor | Exam questions | Exam fee | Published state fees | Renewal cycle | Min. age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (this guide) | Broker | 60 | Pearson VUE | 120 | $70 | $311 | 2 yr | 18 |
| Colorado | Independent / Employing Broker | 168 | PSI | 154 | $49 | $132 | 3 yr | 18 |
| Missouri | Broker | 48 | PSI | 165 | $52 | $242.50 | 2 yr | 18 |
| Nebraska | Broker | 60 | Pearson VUE | 130 | $150 | $435 | 2 yr | 19 |
| Oklahoma | Broker | 90 | Pearson VUE | 130 | $90 | $480 | 3 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 salesperson 30+30 count as broker education?
- No. Per KREC's Pre-License Education page, brokers take Broker Fundamentals (30) plus Kansas Real Estate Management (30). Out-of-state brokers take the 4-hour Kansas Law course plus Management. The Management certificate and application must reach KREC within six months of the course date.
- What are transaction points?
- Per the experience section of Pearson's handbook, points are counted within the last three years: 3 points per closed commercial or agricultural land transaction over $1,000,000; 1 point per other closed transaction; no points for residential property management; a maximum of 10 points for deals in which you had a personal interest; and supervising brokers can earn credit for affiliated licensees' deals if their name is on the purchase contract. Staff may approve 3+ years with 30+ points, 2+ years with 40+ points, or 2+ years with 20–39 points as a restricted (non-supervising) license.
- Is the Kansas broker exam the same 30 items?
- No. It has 40 scored + 10 pretest items, with more BRRETA (15) and Broker Only Topics (4) covering exemptions, trust funds/trust accounts, primary/branch supervision, and commercial commission sharing with an out-of-state licensee.
- How much to the Commission?
- According to KREC's FAQ, $295 ($50 application + $70 background + $175 license), plus $100 Open Company if you open a new primary or branch office. Pearson charges a separate $70.
- Does salesperson CE count after I upgrade?
- No. KREC's CE page states that CE taken as a salesperson prior to the issuance of your Kansas broker license will not count.
Primary Sources
Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.
- KREC salesperson/broker requirements and guidebook
- Pearson VUE Kansas handbook #091700 — broker 40-item Kansas exam portion, transaction-point rules
Verified 2026-09-02 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-01
Update history
- Rewrote the guide text for readability and added state comparison tables. No requirements, fees, or deadlines changed.
- Requirements, fees, and deadlines checked against the primary sources cited on this page.
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