Massachusetts Real Estate Broker License requirements

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

1. 1

   Hold a Massachusetts salesperson license and log 3 years at 25 hours/week under an active MA broker

   Use the original Employing Broker Certification Form (no copies), with dates as month/day/year. The experience must be no more than two years old. There is no grandfathering after June 1, 2011.

2. 2

   Complete 40 additional broker hours and obtain the Educational Certificate; buy the original $5,000 surety bond on the Board form

   The salesperson 40 hours do not count toward this 40. A copy of the bond is not acceptable.

3. 3

   eLIPSE then PSI $106: 75 items/80 points/150 min at 70% of 80 points + 40/90 min pass 28

   Do not take the salesperson exam (80 national items and 40 state items). The national cut is 60 of 80 points, not 56 of 75 items.

4. 4

   Pay the prorated broker license fee within 30 days; renew $142 with 12-hour CE and a current bond

   Inactive brokers still need the bond to reinstate (FAQ). Massachusetts attorney-brokers are exempt from CE.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

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

Residency and identification

Per the Mass.gov prepare page and CIB, you must currently hold a Massachusetts salesperson license (active or inactive at the time of the examination); have three years affiliated with a Massachusetts broker at 25 hours/week, current or no more than two years old; complete 40 additional hours; and submit an original $5,000 bond. Under §87SS, resident broker applicants must meet a one-year Massachusetts abode rule; Massachusetts attorneys are exempt from the exam and that rule. Brokers from states on the 254 CMR 2.00 reciprocity list skip the exam through the reciprocity application but must still post the bond.

Qualifying education

Per the FAQ and CIB, you must complete forty (40) hours of pre-licensure broker education in addition to the salesperson education, at a Board-approved school, and obtain a Board Educational Certificate. Prelicensure hours do not count as CE. You must apply and pass within two years of completing the broker education. The salesperson 40 hours do not count toward this 40.

Education or filing deadline

You have two years from completing the broker course to apply and pass. Your experience must be current or no more than two years old when you take the examination. The same 30-day deadline to pay the license fee after passing applies.

Character review

The same CORI and three endorsements as for salespersons, plus the Board's Good Moral Character policy. Per the CIB, the Board does not currently license applicants who are on probation or parole.

Background process

A notarized CORI through eLIPSE, plus the original bond. The Mass.gov pages do not list a fingerprint fee.

Experience

Per the Mass.gov prepare page, you need at least 3 years working for an active Massachusetts broker at a minimum of 25 hours per week, documented on the Employing Broker Certification Form (original only; copies not permitted; dates as month/day/year; any date after the broker's signature date will not be accepted). Per the FAQ, the experience must be current or completed no more than two years before the exam. Prior salesperson experience may be used as long as it is not over two years old and/or there has not been a two-year gap. If you worked for multiple brokers, submit additional original forms or signed letters on letterhead containing all the information on the Certification. There is no grandfathering for candidates from before June 1, 2011.

Broker affiliation

A Massachusetts broker may run an office and supervise salespersons, and is the only party who may control escrow. The Broker of Record reports affiliations in eLIPSE. A salesperson who buys a bond still cannot do any of this. The Mandatory Consumer Disclosure must still be provided at the first meeting.

PSI Services LLC, after the Board approves your application in eLIPSE (test-takers.psiexams.com/mare; (855) 340-3704; CIB Updated 06/12/2025). Mass.gov lists the broker candidate fee as $106; the CIB breaks that into a $52 application fee plus a $52 exam fee. A retake is $54. · Fee: $106

The same rules apply as for salespersons: the two-year Educational Certificate window, a $54 retake, cancellation at least 2 days ahead, no same-day retakes, and a 30-day deadline to pay the license fee. On a first attempt, the Mass.gov $106 fee is the CIB $52 application plus $52 exam fee. Do not take the salesperson 80-item national exam.

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

The Mass.gov broker candidate fee of $106 equals the CIB application fee of $52 plus the examination fee of $52 on a first attempt; a retake is $54. The Mass.gov renewal page lists the broker renewal at $142. Reciprocal broker applicants pay a $52 application fee plus a prorated initial license of $142–$200 (reciprocity page). The original $5,000 surety bond is purchased from an insurer, not paid to the Board. Check the eLIPSE fee totals before paying. The attorney-broker license is a separate path.

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  Counting the salesperson 40 twice

  The broker license requires 40 additional hours.

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  Taking the salesperson 80-item national exam

  The broker national portion is 75 items worth 80 points. The cut is 60 of 80 points.

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  Submitting a photocopy of the $5,000 bond

  Per the Mass.gov prepare page, a copy is not acceptable.

• !

  A two-year gap in the Massachusetts salesperson clock

  Per the FAQ, experience must be current or no more than two years old; a two-year gap disqualifies the earlier years.

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  Assuming pre-2011 salesperson years skip the three-year affiliation

  Per the FAQ, there are no exceptions and no grandfathering on or after June 1, 2011.

• !

  Skipping the bond on an inactive or reinstatement filing

  Per the FAQ, all brokers, active or inactive, must obtain a bond before submitting the reinstatement application.

The same named list applies as for salespersons. Brokers must still post the original $5,000 bond. Candidates from states not on the list who receive an educational waiver must still take the Massachusetts broker exam. Massachusetts attorneys use the separate attorney-broker license, not this exam path.

Massachusetts 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 the salesperson 40 count as the broker 40?

No. Per the FAQ, you need forty (40) hours of pre-licensure broker education in addition to the salesperson education.

How much experience, and can I use old salesperson years?

You need three years at 25 hours/week under an active Massachusetts broker, current or no more than two years old, documented on the Employing Broker Certification Form. Prior salesperson experience may be used if it is not over two years old and there has not been a two-year gap (FAQ). There is no grandfathering after June 1, 2011.

Is the national exam still 80 items?

No. The broker national portion is 75 items worth 80 points in 150 minutes. The cut is 70% of 80 points (60), not 56 of 75 items. The state portion is still 40 items in 90 minutes at 70%.

Is a copy of the $5,000 bond acceptable?

No. Per the Mass.gov prepare page and CIB, you must submit the original enclosed form, signed by the insurance agent and the candidate, and witnessed. Copies are rejected. All brokers, active or inactive, need a bond to reinstate (FAQ).

Do attorneys skip the exam?

Licensed Massachusetts attorneys in good standing may be licensed without examination through the attorney-broker license (§87SS). That is not reciprocity, and it does not waive the bond. Attorney-brokers are also exempt from CE by statute.

What CE do brokers take?

The same 12 hours as salespersons to renew active (FAQ), unless you are a Massachusetts attorney-broker in good standing. All brokers must still submit a bond to reinstate.