Tennessee Affiliate Broker License requirements

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

1. 1

   Complete 60-hour principles/fundamentals at a TREC-approved school

   The school posts your eligibility to PSI and gives you a certificate for CORE. You may not register yourself first (TREC Affiliate Broker page and bulletin 511).

2. 2

   Pass the PSI exam ($63): national 80 questions in 160 minutes (pass 56) and Tennessee 40 questions in 80 minutes (pass 28), or $37 / $26 by portion

   You need 70% on each portion (bulletin 511, Updated 7/1/2025). Do not pay the $39 some school flyers list. A passed portion stays valid for two retakes or one year.

3. 3

   Complete the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates, IdentoGO fingerprints (28TZ99, ORI TN920784Z), E&O, and your Principal Broker's signature

   The 30-hour course comes before issuance, not after. All of these are CORE exhibits, and missing any one delays your license.

4. 4

   Apply at core.tn.gov within one year of passing (bulletin 511), $91

   After licensing, complete 16 hours of CE each two-year renewal (6-hour TREC CORE + 10 elective), reported through CE Broker. Renewal is $75. Late fees are $50/month for the first 120 days, then $100/month to 365 days. After one year expired, you must retest and reapply.

Minimum age

18 years old

Identification

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

Residency and identification

The bulletin's qualifying questions include "Are you at least 18 years of age?" Tennessee residency is not independently required. Nonresident candidates seeking a Tennessee resident license must meet the same educational criteria as residents and must be affiliated with a firm licensed to operate in Tennessee with a principal broker licensed in TN (bulletin). Commission staff enter out-of-state candidates into PSI after a CORE request (TREC PSI page; [email protected]); the school cannot always post them. Proof of high school graduation or equivalent is a TREC exhibit. Currently licensed out-of-state candidates with proof of passing a national testing-company written exam may have the national section waived (bulletin Worksheet A path).

Qualifying education

TREC's Affiliate Broker page and PSI bulletin 511: individuals seeking an affiliate broker license must complete a total of 90 hours of real estate education. Sixty (60) of those hours must cover real estate principles/fundamentals and must be completed in order to qualify to take the licensing exam with PSI. The remaining 30-hour Course for New Affiliates must be completed before a license will be issued (T.C.A. §62-13-303(b)(2); Rule 1260-05-.03). The school sends your eligibility electronically to PSI and gives you a certificate for your CORE application. The 30-hour course must be finished before issuance; it is not like Virginia's first-term post-license education, and it does not replace the later 16-hour, 2-year CE (6-hour TREC CORE + 10 elective via CE Broker). Pre-license courses shall not be used for continuing education (TREC Education Courses page). A Virginia 60-hour Principles certificate does not count toward these 60 hours unless TREC's out-of-state worksheet says so.

Education or filing deadline

Bulletin 511: apply at core.tn.gov within one year of passing; the application is only valid for 12 months from the exam date. The exam fee itself is valid one year from payment. A passed portion is valid for two retakes of the failed section or one year, whichever comes first (TREC PSI page and bulletin). If either deadline passes, you must test again. After issuance, you complete 16 hours of CE each two-year renewal, including the 6-hour TREC CORE course.

Character review

The bulletin's qualifying questions plus Rule 1260-01-.01(4): no person shall be eligible for examination or be considered for licensure unless two (2) years have passed from the date of expiration of probation, parole or conviction, or from the date of release from incarceration, whichever is later. This restriction applies to all felonies, and to misdemeanors which involve the theft of money, services, or property. Disclose convictions; failing to disclose is disqualifying on its own. Disciplinary sanctions by any occupational licensing body are also a qualifying question. Send documentation to TREC with your application, not to PSI or the test center.

Background process

IdentoGO service code 28TZ99 / ORI TN920784Z. Submit the receipt with the CORE application. The out-of-state card-scan is the published alternative, not a waiver. Fingerprints are not required to sit for PSI but are required for issuance. Currently active Tennessee affiliates upgrading to broker do not need new prints (bulletin).

Experience

No licensed experience is required for the affiliate-broker license, but you must have a Principal Broker to practice. The broker license is a separate, later application: 36 months actively licensed if you became an affiliate after May 12, 1988 (24 months if licensed on or before that date, or 24 months with a baccalaureate major in real estate), plus 120 hours including 30-hour Office/Broker Management, with TREC pre-approval before PSI.

Broker affiliation

An affiliate broker practices under a Principal Broker. Per TREC's Affiliate Broker page, the PSI Examination Application obtained at the testing center must be signed by that Principal Broker. Firm licensure is a separate TREC license ($90 initial firm on the Fees page). Transfer to a new firm costs $25. A Principal Broker's release of an affiliated licensee has no fee. E&O is required for issuance. Unlicensed assistants and team advertising are tested on the state exam.

PSI Services LLC (test-takers.psiexams.com/tnre; (855) 340-3710; CIB bulletin 511, Updated 7/1/2025). Your school uploads your eligibility. Each portion is scored independently, and you need 70% on each. Per TREC's PSI page and the bulletin: full $63, state-only $26 (80 min), national-only $37 (160 min). · Fee: $63

Per TREC's PSI page and bulletin 511: full $63, state-only $26 (80 mins.), national-only $37 (160 mins.). The exam fee is valid one year and is not refundable or transferable. A passing score on one section is valid for two (2) retakes of the failed section or one (1) year, whichever comes first. After a first fail, you may retake as soon as you want (you cannot schedule until the next day). After the second attempt, wait 30 days between subsequent failed exams. Apply at CORE within one year of passing (bulletin 511). Some schools quote $39, but that is not the Commission's fee. Cancel at least 2 days ahead or forfeit the fee (TREC PSI page).

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

TREC Fees page: Initial Affiliate $91; Broker upgrade from Affiliate $91; Licensee & Firm Renewal every 2 years $75; Initial Firm $90; Transfer to New Firm $25; Change of Status Retired to Active or Active to Retired $25; License History $25; Late Renewal $50/month first 120 days, $100/month 121 to 365 days; Continuing Education Penalty $50/month; E&O lapse penalty minimum $200. The application and initialLicense amounts here are the same single $91 CORE fee, not two charges. PSI: full $63 / state $26 / national $37 (TREC PSI page and bulletin 511). IdentoGO's vendor charge is separate and not listed on the Fees page. The E&O premium is a policy you buy, not a TREC fee. Timeshare licenses have different fees ($91 salesperson / $750 firm / $500 renewal).

• !

  Calling it a salesperson license

  Tennessee's entry title is affiliate broker. Using neighboring states' titles will send you to the wrong CORE application.

• !

  Sitting for PSI before the school posts your 60 hours

  TREC's Affiliate Broker page: you may not register until the provider has given PSI proof of principles completion.

• !

  Treating the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates as first-year CE

  It is required before issuance. CE is 16 hours, including the 6-hour TREC CORE, after you are licensed. Virginia's post-license education is under a different statute.

• !

  Paying $39 because a school flyer said so

  TREC's fee table is $63 / $26 / $37, and bulletin 511 matches.

• !

  Following a six-month apply window from an old blog when bulletin 511 says one year

  This guide follows the bulletin TREC currently links (Updated 7/1/2025): one year, or 12 months from the exam date. Check CORE in case TREC later adds a shorter deadline to the Affiliate Broker page.

• !

  Skipping E&O because the recovery account exists

  TREC requires an E&O policy for issuance. The lapse penalty is a minimum of $200. The Education and Recovery Account is a separate statutory fund.

• !

  Using the wrong IdentoGO code

  Use 28TZ99 and ORI TN920784Z. Kentucky and Georgia codes will not post to TREC.

• !

  Forgetting the Principal Broker signature on the PSI application from the test center

  TREC's Affiliate Broker page lists it as a required exhibit, and CORE will not process your application without it.

• !

  Treating designated agency, facilitator, or gifts-and-prizes as minor topics

  They are scored Tennessee state items, and the rules differ from Virginia and Kentucky.

• !

  Contacting Pearson, or sitting a Kentucky sales-associate exam, for a Tennessee score

  Tennessee real estate exams are given by PSI under bulletin 511 at $63. TREC staff enter out-of-state candidates.

• !

  Trying to retake the next day after a second fail

  Per the bulletin, after the second attempt you must wait 30 days. After a first fail, you can retake right away (scheduling opens the next day).

Per the bulletin, candidates currently licensed in another jurisdiction seeking a Tennessee resident license MUST meet the same educational criteria as residents. Nonresidents must affiliate with a Tennessee-licensed firm and a TN-licensed principal broker. Before making an examination reservation, send course certificates, license certifications from each state, proof of a national testing-company exam if requesting a waiver of the national section, and a completed Worksheet A. Per TREC's PSI page, Commission staff enter out-of-state candidates into PSI after a CORE request ([email protected]), so do not assume the school can post you. TREC's Worksheet A requires 90 hours, including at least 30 hours of principles, the 30-hour CNA (Course for New Affiliates), and the remaining 30 hours in electives accepted by the resident state, plus a passing score of 70% on the Tennessee-law section. A Kentucky salesperson certificate is not an affiliate-broker license.

Tennessee 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 Tennessee issue a salesperson license?

No. The official entry title is affiliate broker (TREC Affiliate Broker page), and CORE has no salesperson application. The broker license is a later step requiring 120 hours and 36 months.

How many prelicense hours?

Ninety total, split: 60 hours of principles/fundamentals before PSI, and the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates before issuance. Sources: TREC's Affiliate Broker page, T.C.A. §62-13-303(b)(2), Rule 1260-05-.03, and bulletin 511.

What is the exam like?

PSI gives the exam. Per bulletin 511: national 80 items (80 points) in 160 minutes, pass 56 (70%); state 40 items (40 points) in 80 minutes, pass 28 (70%). Full $63; national-only $37; state-only $26. TREC's PSI page lists the same fees and time limits. Some school flyers list $39, but that is not the Commission's fee.

Is the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates after I get the license?

No. TREC's Affiliate Broker page says to complete the 30 hours and include the certificate with your application, so it must be done before issuance. CE later is a separate 16 hours: the 6-hour TREC CORE course plus 10 electives, tracked in CE Broker.

How long do I have to apply after passing?

Bulletin 511 (Updated 7/1/2025, the version TREC's PSI page currently links) says to apply within one year of passing, and the application is valid 12 months from the exam date. TREC's Broker page uses the same one-year language; the Affiliate Broker page does not state a deadline. Older blogs that cite six months are out of date; this guide follows bulletin 511.

Do I need E&O as an affiliate?

Yes. Proof of an errors-and-omissions policy is a required CORE exhibit, separate from the Education and Recovery Account. TREC's Fees page sets the E&O lapse penalty at a minimum of $200. IdentoGO fingerprinting (code 28TZ99) is also a CORE exhibit and is not done at PSI.

What CE applies after issuance?

16 hours per two-year renewal: the 6-hour TREC CORE course plus 10 elective hours, which the course sponsor reports to CE Broker (sponsors have 10 business days). Per TREC's Education Courses page, the TREC Core Course is mandatory to renew; Code of Ethics is a REALTOR®-board requirement, not a TREC one. You do not need the 16 hours to renew in retired status, but you do need them to return to active. Renewal is $75.

Licensed in another state — do I still take the 90?

The bulletin requires the same educational criteria as residents. Worksheet A requires 90 hours, including 30 principles, 30 CNA (Course for New Affiliates), and 30 electives accepted by your resident state, plus the Tennessee-law section at 70% if the national section is waived. TREC staff, not your school, enter out-of-state candidates into PSI, and a Kentucky salesperson certificate is not an affiliate-broker license.

Where is the Commission and who gives the exam?

The Commission is at 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243; (615) 741-2273; [email protected]. PSI gives the exam: (855) 340-3710, test-takers.psiexams.com/tnre. Fingerprints: IdentoGO (855) 266-2937, service code 28TZ99, ORI TN920784Z.

Which Tennessee-specific topics are on the state exam?

E&O as a licensing requirement, designated agency / facilitator / dual agency, team and internet advertising, gifts and prizes, trust-account timing, and the Education and Recovery Account. This material differs from Virginia's Principles 60 and Kentucky's 96-hour sales-associate course.

If I fail twice, can I retake the next day?

No. Per the bulletin, after the first fail you may retake as soon as you want (scheduling opens the next day). After the second attempt, you must wait 30 days between subsequent failed exams. A passed portion still expires after two retakes or one year, whichever comes first.

What does renewal cost if I am late?

TREC's Fees page: $75 on time. Late renewal is $50/month for the first 120 days, then $100/month from day 121 to 365. The CE penalty is $50/month. TREC's broker-renewal support article describes a 60-day expired grace period; after one year, you must retest and reapply.