Pennsylvania real estate licensing
Pennsylvania 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
- 240 hours / 16 credits within 10 years of passing both exam portions
- Exam fee
- $52
- Published fees
- See fee table
- Typical timeline
- Three years of qualifying salesperson activity is the binding constraint
What to know first
Pennsylvania's broker license is the one you apply for in PALS before Pearson VUE will talk to you. That apply-before-exam sequence is the opposite of the salesperson path, where you educate, test, then PALS. 49 Pa. Code § 35.271 requires age 21, a high-school diploma or equivalent, 16 credits / 240 hours of professional real estate education completed within 10 years of passing both exam portions, and at least three years as a licensed salesperson (or equivalent experience, education, or both the Commission accepts). Two of those 16 credits must be in a Commission-approved real estate office-management course and two in a Commission-approved law course. You may not recycle the credits that qualified you for the salesperson exam.
The Department of State broker snapshot publishes initial fees that vary by how you practice: sole proprietor $169.50, corporation/LLC/partnership $179.50, broker multi-licensee (broker of record) $119.50, associate broker $97.00, plus a $40 broker examination qualification fee on that snapshot (Pearson VUE then charges per the handbook table, currently $52 combined / $49 state). Biennial renewal is $126 for most broker entities and $96 for associate brokers. 14 hours of CE per two-year period still applies; not required on initial issuance. Out-of-state brokers actively licensed within the last five years take only the Pennsylvania portion. Reciprocal licenses and Act 41 remain available on the terms the Commission publishes. Experience is not "three years on a wall calendar": the Commission uses qualification charts (sales, listings, leases, property-management assistance scored separately). Holding a salesperson license for three years without the point-level activity the charts want is how files die — Bhala v. State Real Estate Commission is the reported reminder that mere possession of the license is not enough. Neighboring New York will not reciprocate that broker file; DOS closed reciprocity after December 21, 2022. A Pennsylvania broker who wants to practice in Manhattan still sits the DOS 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.
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Build 240 hours that do not reuse salesperson credits, inside 10 years
Include office management and law.
-
Document three years on the Commission experience charts
Anniversary dates without points are not enough.
-
File PALS for exam eligibility and pay the qualification fee
Wait for the Pearson VUE authorization email.
-
Pass both portions at 75 percent (or PA-only if eligible)
Then complete the license application with the entity-type fee that matches how you will practice ($169.50 sole proprietor on the snapshot).
-
Renew biennially with 14 hours CE ($126 for most broker types)
Associate broker renewal is $96.
Education and eligibility
- Minimum age
- 21 years old
- Identification
- A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
- Residency and identification
- Not required. Reciprocal broker licenses are for out-of-Commonwealth principal offices. Act 41 is the endorsement-style alternative.
- Qualifying education
- Must include 2 credits office management and 2 credits law, plus at least 6 of the remaining 12 in listed Commission courses. Salesperson exam credits do not transfer. J.D. or bachelor's in real estate can satisfy education. Two credits may be allowed per year of active out-of-state broker practice in the prior 10 years.
- Character review
- Criminal-history review in PALS.
- Background process
- PALS checklist documentation. Not a GCIC-at-the-door process.
- Experience
- three years as a licensed salesperson with qualifications the Commission considers adequate, or three years of equivalent experience, education, or both — documented on the Commission's broker experience charts, not by license anniversary alone
- Broker affiliation
- A standard broker license can be sole proprietor, entity broker of record, or associate broker. Associate brokers still work under another broker. Entity fees differ on the snapshot.
Documents to prepare
- PALS broker-exam eligibility application with experience charts
- 240-hour transcripts inside the 10-year window
- Out-of-state certifications if claiming equivalent practice
The licensing exam
Pearson VUE broker exam uses the same 80/40 scored split, 150/60 minutes, 75 percent, as the salesperson exam, with broker-level state items. Combined $52. PALS eligibility must be in hand before you schedule. Scores last three years. State topics add office management and the broker-level Recovery Fund and escrow duties.
Pearson VUE (after PALS eligibility) · Fee: $52
| Part | Questions | Minutes | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| National / general | 80 | 150 | 75% |
| Pennsylvania state | 40 | 60 | 75% |
Retake failed portions only. Three-year score life. Qualification fee on the snapshot is $40 in addition to Pearson's sitting fee — pay both if both still appear on the live forms.
What to study
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49 Pa. Code § 35.271
Pennsylvania Code
240 hours, three years, no recycled salesperson credits.
-
Pearson VUE PA handbook
Pearson VUE
80/40, 75 percent, $52 combined.
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 | $40 |
| Examination | $52 |
| Initial license | $169.5 |
| Renewal (every 2 years) | $126 |
Snapshot: sole-proprietor initial $169.50; entity $179.50; broker of record $119.50; associate broker $97; qualification/exam fee $40 listed separately from Pearson's $52/$49. Renewal $126 most broker types, $96 associate. Pay the live PALS + Pearson invoices.
| Commission | Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission (Department of State, BPOA) Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act; 49 Pa. Code § 35.271 |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing | 240 hours / 16 credits within 10 years of passing both exam portions Must include 2 credits office management and 2 credits law, plus at least 6 of the remaining 12 in listed Commission courses. Salesperson exam credits do not transfer. J.D. or bachelor's in real estate can satisfy education. Two credits may be allowed per year of active out-of-state broker practice in the prior 10 years. |
| Sponsoring broker | A standard broker license can be sole proprietor, entity broker of record, or associate broker. Associate brokers still work under another broker. Entity fees differ on the snapshot. |
| Fingerprints | PALS criminal-history instructions for broker applicants. |
| CE / renewal | 14 hours per two-year period for a standard broker license. Not required at initial issuance. Associate broker renewal fee is $96 on the snapshot. |
| Recovery fund | Same Recovery Fund as salespersons. Brokers who handle escrow are the typical claim targets. |
Mistakes that delay applicants
-
Recycling salesperson credits
The regulation forbids it. A school that "rolls" the 75 into the 240 is building a denial.
-
Three years of inactive time
The Commission wants qualifying activity on the charts. Bhala is the reported case that a salesperson license on the wall is not automatically three years of broker-qualifying experience.
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Testing before PALS eligibility
Pearson VUE will not treat you as a broker candidate until the Commission says so.
Reciprocity and recognition
| Partner / path | Accepted exam | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| New York | PA state portion only if actively licensed as a broker in NY within five years | Pennsylvania inbound rule. New York currently offers no reciprocal broker license the other way. |
Reciprocal broker licenses and Act 41 endorsement are available under published conditions. Converting a reciprocal license to a standard broker license requires the state portion.
Renewal and staying active
14 hours per two-year period for a standard broker license. Not required at initial issuance. Associate broker renewal fee is $96 on the snapshot.
Applicant checklist
- Map 16 credits including office management and law, no recycled salesperson credits
- Fill the three-year experience charts
- PALS eligibility, then Pearson VUE
- Choose sole proprietor vs entity vs associate broker fees
How Pennsylvania is different
Pennsylvania's 240 hours that cannot recycle salesperson credits are heavier broker education than Georgia's 60, Florida's 72, and Illinois's extra 45, and lighter than Texas's 900-hour structure. Three years matches Georgia's three-of-five and is shorter than Texas 2026's four years. New York, the neighbor, wants age 20, 152 hours, and two years — and will not reciprocate. Pennsylvania will let a recently active New York broker sit only the PA portion; that courtesy is one-way.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use my 75 salesperson hours toward the 240?
- No. Section 35.271 says you may not apply credits used to qualify for the salesperson examination toward the broker education requirement.
- Do I test before I apply?
- No. Broker candidates apply in PALS first. Salesperson candidates educate and test first. Do not mix the sequences.
Primary Sources
Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.
- PA DOS — Broker Standard Licensure Snapshot
- 49 Pa. Code § 35.271
- Pearson VUE — Pennsylvania Real Estate Candidate Handbook
- PA DOS — Licensure Guide
Verified 2026-09-02 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-01