Maine Real Estate Sales Agent License requirements

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

1. 1

   Complete the 55-hour Sales Agent Course at 75%

   Commission outline: 3 quizzes (≥60 questions total) + a final of ≥80 questions. Live courses require 90% attendance. A 40-hour New Hampshire course does not qualify. Mark the one-year deadline to pass Pearson, counted from the certificate date.

2. 2

   Sit Pearson ($88): 80 national / 2.5 hr + 40 Maine law / 1.5 hr, scaled 75

   Bring the original course-completion certificate. Pass both parts within one year of the course. Test at Bangor, Presque Isle, Westbrook, or a Massachusetts Pearson center. Not PSI.

3. 3

   Wait one day for scores to transmit, then apply ($100 + $21) under an agency

   Apply within one year of passing the entire exam. Affiliation with a designated broker is required to practice. The license is non-renewable and lasts two years.

4. 4

   Do not go inactive. Plan the two-year associate-broker upgrade now

   60-hour Associate Broker Course at 75% + Documented Field Experience Form + core course. File no more than 30 days before the sales-agent license expires and within five years of original issuance. The upgrade does not require a second Pearson exam.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

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

Residency and identification

Age 18 at the time of license application, not at course start (OPOR page; handbook). High school diploma or equivalent. Maine residency is not independently required; a nonresident still affiliates with a Maine-licensed agency. Reciprocal applicants take the Maine Law exam ($85, 50 scored, scaled 75) regardless of the license level currently held elsewhere and furnish verification of licensure in good standing from every state, including disciplinary history. Associate brokers / brokers inactive 6+ years must pass the Maine Law exam at scaled 75 and file a new application. That rule applies to associate brokers / brokers; the sales agent license is already non-renewable and is not eligible for the § 13194 reinstatement path.

Qualifying education

Commission Sales Agent qualifying education (QE overview PDF approved 8/15/2013, effective 1/1/2014; Minimum Guidelines approved 1/24/2013). At least 55 hours. Three quizzes totaling a minimum of 60 objective questions, given at intervals, with explanations of wrong answers. A final exam of at least 80 questions weighted to the outline percentages, given at the end. Quiz/final time ≤ 10% of course length. Passing grade 75%. Live delivery: 90% attendance; grade weighting 50% final / 30% quizzes / 20% other (case studies, participation); no open-book quizzes or finals. Distance: ARELLO-certified or meeting the Commission distance guidelines (minimum two case studies). Instruction percentages exclude quiz/exam time: Introduction 1; Industry overview 1; Maine Real Estate Commission 13 (Ch. 400 90-day designated-broker rule, 5-business-day trust deposits, Ch. 410 advertising / net listing / disclosed dual agency / appointed agent / mandated disclosures); Agency relationships 13 (32 M.R.S. §§ 13271–13283, written brokerage agreement required to create agency under § 13177-A, Real Estate Brokerage Relationships Form); Product knowledge 28; Valuation 9; Financing 9; Contracts 14; Closings 8 (Maine transfer tax, nonresident withholding, TRID); Miscellaneous federal and state 4 (fair housing, ADA, antitrust, TILA, FIRPTA, $250k/$500k capital-gains). A New Hampshire or Massachusetts 40-hour course does not satisfy this 55-hour requirement. Take the Pearson exam within one year of passing the course, and bring the original course-completion certificate to the center.

Education or filing deadline

Pearson: pass both parts of the sales-agent exam within one year of the course-completion date on the certificate. Apply for the license within one year of passing the entire exam. The sales-agent license itself is issued for two years and is non-renewable. Submit the associate-broker application no more than 30 days before the sales-agent license expires and within five years of the original sales-agent issuance (handbook).

Character review

According to the handbook, you need a reputation for honesty, truthfulness, fair-dealing, and competency. Expect a criminal-records check plus Commission review. Disclose convictions. Reciprocal verification must indicate whether disciplinary action has been taken.

Background process

The OPOR individual-licenses page lists a $21 criminal-records check, paid with the $100 application/license fee. Check with OPOR whether it is a State Bureau name check or a fingerprint check; the page does not name a fingerprint vendor.

Experience

No licensed experience is required for the sales agent license. Agency affiliation under a designated broker is required to practice. The associate-broker license requires two years of practice as an actively licensed sales agent; inactive time does not count.

Broker affiliation

A sales agent may perform brokerage only in the employ of or on behalf of a licensed real estate agency and under the supervision of that agency’s designated broker (32 M.R.S. § 13200; OPOR individual-licenses page). According to the handbook, you must have arranged to affiliate with a licensed real estate agency before applying. The associate-broker license later requires two years of active affiliation, so do not plan to go inactive. The Chapter 400 90-day designated-broker supervisory rule and 5-business-day trust-deposit rule are designated-broker duties that still govern how a sales agent works.

Pearson VUE, handbook #092000 (December 2025). pearsonvue.com/us/en/me/realestate.html; (877) 543-5220. $88 sales-agent exam. Scaled 75. · Fee: $88

Per the handbook: $88 for the sales-agent exam, $85 for the Maine Law exam (non-resident / renewal / reinstatement). Candidates who fail get a numeric scaled score and diagnostics; retake the failed portion under Pearson's current rules. You must still pass both sales-agent parts within one year of the course date, then apply within one year of passing the entire exam. The Maine Law exam does not substitute for the sales-agent law portion. You cannot file the online application the same day you pass; wait for scores to be transmitted. ESL candidates can get 30 extra minutes per part after Pearson approves the ESL form.

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

OPOR individual-licenses page: application/license $100 plus $21 criminal-records check (sales agent, associate broker, designated broker, reciprocal, reinstatement). The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same $100 original fee, not two charges. Pearson handbook December 2025: Sales Agent Exam $88; Maine Law Exam (non-resident/renewal) $85. The sales-agent license is non-renewable, so there is no renewal fee at this level; your next Commission payment is the associate-broker $100+$21. Associate-broker / broker biennial renewal is $100, with a $50 late fee within 90 calendar days after expiration. After 90 days, you must file a new application and pass the Maine Law exam at scaled 75; late renewal is no longer available. Changing to inactive costs $20, and the $100 renewal is still due if you go inactive at renewal.

• !

  Calling it a salesperson license and expecting a renewal form

  It is a sales agent license, and it is non-renewable. Upgrade to associate broker or your license ends. The § 13194 reinstatement after 90 days applies to associate brokers / brokers, not to expired sales agents.

• !

  Sitting Pearson 13 months after the course

  You have one year from the completion date on the certificate to pass both parts. If you miss it, your 55 hours no longer count.

• !

  Passing Pearson and applying 13 months later

  You have one year from passing to apply. This is a separate deadline from the one-year course-to-exam deadline.

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  Applying the same day you pass

  Per the handbook, the online application cannot be submitted sooner than the day after scores are transmitted. A same-day filing will be rejected.

• !

  Going inactive as a sales agent

  The Commission does not recommend it. Two years of active affiliation are required for associate broker, and inactive time does not count.

• !

  Treating the $85 Maine Law exam as the sales-agent exam

  The Maine Law exam has 50 scored items, costs $85, and is for reciprocity and reinstatement. The sales-agent law portion has 40 scored items and is part of the $88 exam. The handbook says they are not interchangeable.

• !

  Showing up at Pearson without the original course-completion certificate

  Center staff collect the handbook form. A phone photo of a school email is not accepted. You will miss your appointment and lose the $88.

• !

  Using a New Hampshire or Massachusetts 40-hour course as Maine’s 55

  Maine has a different hour count, a 75% course pass, a Pearson (not PSI) exam, and a non-renewable license. Reciprocity requires the Maine Law exam plus verification; a transcript from another state does not substitute.

• !

  Reading scaled 75 as “75 of 80” or as Iowa’s 56/28

  Maine reports a scaled 0–100 score, and 75 is the cut. It is not a raw item count. Candidates who fail see a numeric score; passing candidates see Pass.

• !

  Letting the two-year sales-agent license expire without filing for associate broker

  Per the handbook, file the associate-broker application no more than 30 days before the sales-agent license expires and within five years of original issuance. If you miss the window, the license is gone with no late-renewal option.

• !

  Skipping mandated Maine disclosures because the national portion already covered lead paint

  Maine requires water supply, heating, waste disposal, and hazardous materials disclosures, and the September 1, 2026 outline adds flood risk and access. Shoreland transfers fall under Title 30-A. Fifteen of the forty law items are in “laws and rules governing licensees.”

Per the OPOR Nonresident / Resident Reciprocal Licensing section: an equal license may be issued to a person who holds a current and active real estate license in another jurisdiction after meeting the requirements. All reciprocal candidates must pass the Maine Law examination administered by Pearson VUE (50 scored, 1.5 hours, $85, scaled 75) regardless of the level of license currently held. You must furnish verification of licensure in good standing from any state where a license is held or has been held, including whether disciplinary action was taken. Fees: $100 + $21. A non-resident licensee must be affiliated with a Maine-licensed agency. A New Hampshire salesperson license does not automatically convert to a Maine sales agent license. The sales agent license remains non-renewable unless the reciprocal application issues the license at associate-broker or broker level. Check OPOR directly rather than relying on third-party reciprocity lists.

Maine 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.

Does Maine issue a salesperson license?

No. The official entry title is sales agent (32 M.R.S. § 13200). This guide lists it under "salesperson" so the page address matches other states, but the license itself is called sales agent. New Hampshire and Massachusetts use the salesperson title; Maine does not.

How many prelicense hours?

A 55-hour Sales Agent Course with a 75% course pass (QE overview PDF; Ch. 360). Then pass Pearson at scaled 75 within one year of the course, and apply within one year of the exam. A 40-hour New Hampshire or Massachusetts course does not qualify.

What is the Pearson exam like?

Per handbook #092000 (December 2025): $88. National/general: 80 scored + 5 pretest items in 2.5 hours. Maine law: 40 scored + 5–15 pretest items in 1.5 hours. Scaled 75 on a 0–100 scale, not a raw percentage and not Iowa’s 56/28. Bring the original course-completion certificate. Pass both parts within one year of the course date.

Can I renew a sales-agent license?

No. It is issued for two years and is non-renewable. Upgrade to associate broker (two years active plus a 60-hour course plus the Documented Field Experience Form plus a core course) before it expires. Expired sales agents are not eligible for the Maine Law exam reinstatement that associate brokers and brokers use after 90 days.

What does the original cost?

OPOR: $100 application/license + $21 criminal-records check. Pearson: $88 for the sales-agent exam (handbook December 2025). The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same $100, not two charges. Tuition is extra.

Is there a second exam for associate broker?

Not according to the Commission's associate-broker requirements. You need the 60-hour Associate Broker Course at 75%, the Documented Field Experience Form, and a Commission-approved core course, after two years as a sales agent. File no more than 30 days before the sales-agent license expires and within five years of original issuance. The Maine Law exam applies only to reciprocal applicants, to associate broker/broker licenses expired more than 90 days, and to those inactive 6+ years.

Can I apply the same day I pass Pearson?

No. Per the handbook, an online license application cannot be submitted sooner than the day after the exam is passed and scores have been transmitted to the Commission. You then have one year from the pass date to apply.

What is the Maine Law exam versus the sales-agent law portion?

They are different exams. The sales-agent law portion has 40 scored items, is part of the $88 exam, and is required of original sales-agent candidates. The Maine Law exam has 50 scored items, costs $85, and is used for reciprocity and for associate-broker / broker reinstatement after 90 days expired or 6+ years inactive. Per the handbook, the Maine Law Exam does not satisfy the law portion of the Sales Agent exam.

Do I have to live in Maine?

No. The OPOR page lists no independent residency requirement. Nonresidents still affiliate with a Maine-licensed agency, and reciprocal candidates still take the Maine Law exam.

What CE applies to a sales agent?

None, because the license is non-renewable. Associate brokers and brokers need 21 hours of Commission-approved CE every two years, including the current core course. The Commission runs random monthly audits, and certificates are not submitted at renewal. Renewal is $100, with a $50 late fee within 90 days; after 90 days, you must pass the Maine Law exam and file a new application. Inactive licensees have no CE while inactive; reactivating within 6 years requires 21 / 28 / 36 hours depending on time inactive, including the current core.

When must I be 18?

At application, not at course start. You may finish the 55 hours before your birthday, but you may not apply before it, and the one-year deadline from exam to application still applies.

Can I keep the sales-agent license inactive while I look for a brokerage?

The Commission says inactive status is not recommended at the sales-agent level because the license is non-renewable and two years of affiliation are required for associate broker. Inactive time does not count toward those two years.

Where do I take the exam?

The handbook back cover lists Pearson centers in Bangor, Presque Isle, Westbrook, plus Massachusetts sites (Boston, Concord, Woburn). Confirm current locations with Pearson. It is not a PSI exam, and it is not related to Vermont’s OPR state exam.

What mandated disclosures are Maine-specific?

Per Ch. 410 and the QE outline: private water supply, heating, waste disposal system, and known hazardous materials, plus federal lead-based paint. The September 1, 2026 law outline adds flood risk and access to property under mandated disclosures. Shoreland transfers (30-A M.R.S. § 4216) are a separate land-use topic. Arsenic pamphlets, radon, asbestos, and farmland adjacency are covered in the 13% Commission / disclosure section of the 55-hour course.