New York real estate licensing
New York 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
- 152 hours (77-hour salesperson qualifying course plus 75-hour broker course)
- Exam fee
- $15
- Published fees
- $200
- Typical timeline
- Two years of salesperson experience is the usual binding constraint
What to know first
A New York broker license is a DOS credential, not a NAR designation and not an automatic upgrade from salesperson. You must be 20 years old — two years older than the salesperson minimum — have a current NYS photo ID, complete 152 hours of approved qualifying education (the 77-hour salesperson course plus a 75-hour broker course), meet the experience-point test, pass the DOS broker exam, and pay $185. DOS will not currently reciprocate a California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina broker license. The December 21, 2022 education changes that ended salesperson reciprocity also ended broker reciprocity.
Experience is either two years as a licensed real estate salesperson or at least three years in the general real estate field, or a combination, and you must meet the minimum points DOS publishes for the experience type (buying and selling your own property and managing property for an employer are scored, not merely listed). That point sheet is closer in spirit to Texas Supplement A than to Florida's 24-month active-status printout, except DOS still does not publish a 720-point 2026 table. Proposed business names must be approved by the Division in writing before you file, then registered with the county clerk or the Division of Corporations — a New York corporate-filing step that TREC's REALM portal does not duplicate.
The broker exam is multiple choice based on the full 152-hour curriculum, 2.5 hours, scheduled in eAccessNY, pass/fail with no numerical score, results valid two years. Exam fee remains $15. Initial application, branch office, and renewal are $185 each. A change of principal office is $10 plus $10 per associated license. Fingerprinting follows the DOS application, not a DRE Live Scan form. Once licensed, the same 22.5-hour CE mix that binds salespersons binds brokers, with the agency and fair-housing hours still mandatory. Associate broker is a status under a principal broker, not a third license type DOS sells separately from the broker exam.
Your path to the license
Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.
-
Finish 152 hours (77 + 75) or obtain a DOS education waiver
Do not start the 75-hour broker course until the salesperson qualifying course is done, which is how New York sequences it.
-
Document two years of salesperson experience or three years general real estate with points
Use the experience type DOS asks for on the application.
-
Get proposed business names approved in writing, then make corporate filings if needed
County clerk or Division of Corporations after DOS name approval.
-
Schedule the 2.5-hour DOS broker exam in eAccessNY ($15)
Pass/fail, two-year validity.
-
File the broker application and $185, complete fingerprints
Then calendar 22.5-hour CE and $185 renewals.
How long the 152-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
- 16 weeksabout 10 hrs/week
- Steady
- 8 weeksabout 20 hrs/week
- Full-time
- 4 weeksabout 40 hrs/week
Overall estimate from our source review: Two years of salesperson experience is the usual binding constraint; the 75-hour course and exam fit in one additional quarter
Education and eligibility
- Minimum age
- 20 years old
- Identification
- A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
- Residency and identification
- Not required, but a current NYS photo driver license or non-driver ID (or DOS photo-image request) is required for the license card. Exams are at DOS sites.
- Qualifying education
- Both courses must be DOS-approved. Applicants who completed older 45-hour broker courses may need the 32-hour supplemental curriculum DOS still publishes. A bachelor's degree with a concentration in real estate may support a 152-hour waiver request with an official transcript.
- Character review
- Article 12-A character review, including criminal-history fingerprints.
- Background process
- Follow the fingerprint instructions on the current DOS broker application (DCJS channel).
- Experience
- at least two years as a licensed real estate salesperson, or at least three years in the general real estate field, or a combination, meeting DOS minimum points for the experience type
- Broker affiliation
- A New York broker license authorizes independent practice and sponsorship of salespersons. Associate brokers still work under a principal broker.
Documents to prepare
- Experience point sheets as required on the broker application
- 152-hour education certificates or waiver
- Business-name approval letter if operating under a trade name
The licensing exam
DOS's broker exam is written to the combined 152-hour outline (salesperson 77 plus broker 75). Time is two and a half hours after instructions. Topics add office management, real estate finance and investment, business law, conveyance, and taxes on top of the salesperson curriculum. Results are pass/fail only. There is no national simulation like some PSI broker exams (Illinois managing broker historically used simulations) and no Pearson VUE state portion.
New York Department of State (eAccessNY) · Fee: $15
| Part | Questions | Minutes | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS Real Estate Broker examination | — | 150 | See note |
Scoring details from the candidate handbook
- NYS Real Estate Broker examination: Pass/fail only — DOS does not publish a numerical score
Reschedule in eAccessNY for $15. Passes expire after two years.
What to study
-
Real Estate Broker 75 Hour Curriculum
NY Department of State
The add-on outline. The exam is written to 152 hours total.
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 | $185 |
| Examination | $15 |
| Initial license | $185 |
| Renewal (every 2 years) | $185 |
DOS broker fees: $185 initial, $185 renewal, $185 branch office, $15 exam. Change of association $20. Duplicate license $10.
Published state fees
$385
Application, exam, initial-license, and fingerprint amounts cited above. Excludes school tuition.
| Commission | New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (518) 474-4429 New York Real Property Law Article 12-A |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing | 152 hours (77-hour salesperson qualifying course plus 75-hour broker course) Both courses must be DOS-approved. Applicants who completed older 45-hour broker courses may need the 32-hour supplemental curriculum DOS still publishes. A bachelor's degree with a concentration in real estate may support a 152-hour waiver request with an official transcript. |
| Sponsoring broker | A New York broker license authorizes independent practice and sponsorship of salespersons. Associate brokers still work under a principal broker. |
| Fingerprints | DOS broker application fingerprint / DCJS process. Not TREC IdentoGO, not DRE Live Scan. |
| CE / renewal | Same 22.5-hour CE mix DOS requires of salespersons, including fair housing, implicit bias, cultural competency, and ethics hours. |
| Recovery fund | No Consumer Recovery Account line appears on the DOS broker fee table. Discipline and civil judgments are the consumer path. |
Mistakes that delay applicants
-
Age 20, not 18
A 19-year-old with a salesperson license still cannot file the broker application.
-
Name approval before corporate filing
DOS wants the proposed brokerage name approved in writing before you file with the county clerk or corporations division.
-
Reciprocity charts from 2021
Those charts are historical. DOS currently reciprocates with no state.
Reciprocity and recognition
| Partner / path | Accepted exam | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential. | ||
DOS currently has no reciprocity with any other state. Out-of-state broker education is a waiver request, not a compact.
Renewal and staying active
Same 22.5-hour CE mix DOS requires of salespersons, including fair housing, implicit bias, cultural competency, and ethics hours.
Applicant checklist
- Complete 77 + 75 DOS-approved hours
- Fill the experience-point sheet for two years or three years general
- Clear the business name with DOS if you will open your own brokerage
- Pass the 2.5-hour exam
- Pay $185 and fingerprints
How New York is different
New York's age-20 floor is unusual; Pennsylvania's broker minimum is 21, most others 18. Education at 152 hours sits between Florida's 72-hour FREC II (plus prior 63) and Texas's 900-hour structure. Experience at two years as a salesperson is the same length as California's two years but uses DOS points rather than DRE full-time affidavits. Pennsylvania, next door, still offers reciprocal licenses and a state-portion-only exam for recently active out-of-state brokers; New York offers neither. Illinois calls the supervisor managing broker and moved out-of-state applicants to endorsement in 2026. New York just says: take our course or win a waiver, then take our exam.
New York vs neighboring states
| Jurisdiction | License title | Pre-license hours | Exam vendor | Exam questions | Exam fee | Published state fees | Renewal cycle | Min. age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (this guide) | Broker | 152 | New York DOS | Not published | $15 | $385 | 2 yr | 20 |
| Connecticut | Broker | 120 | PSI | 120 | $59 | $1,329 | 2 yr | 18 |
| Massachusetts | Broker | 40 | PSI | 115 | $106 | $158 | 2 yr | 18 |
| New Jersey | Broker | 150 | PSI | 115 | $38 | $354.05 | 2 yr | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | Broker | 240 | Pearson VUE | 120 | $52 | $261.50 | 2 yr | 21 |
| Vermont | Broker | 40 | PSI | 140 | $110 | $310 | 2 yr | 18 |
| Florida | Broker | 72 | Pearson VUE | 100 | $36.75 | $200.50 | 2 yr | 18 |
| California | Broker | 360 | California DRE | 200 | $150 | $799 | 4 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
- Is the New York broker exam given by Pearson VUE?
- No. It is a DOS exam scheduled in eAccessNY, 2.5 hours, pass/fail.
- Can I skip the salesperson license?
- Only if you document three years of general real estate experience (or a combination) that meets DOS points and you still complete 152 hours or a waiver. Most candidates hold the salesperson license first.
Related reading
- Transferring a Real Estate License Across These States
There is no title transfer among California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. There are waivers, and most pairs have none.
- The Cheapest Real Estate License Among These Markets
New York’s $15 exam and $65 license look cheap until you count 77 hours. Georgia doubles after three months. Board fees are not the real bill.
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
- 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.
Spotted something out of date? Send a correction.