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Earning & Maintaining a Real Estate License in North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA REAL ESTATE COMMISSION (NCREC)
Visit NCREC Website
Mailing Address :
P.O. Box 17100
Raleigh, NC 27619-7100
Physical Address:
1313 Navaho Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609-7460
Main Number:
(919) 875-3700
Office Hours:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
(Monday thru Friday)
NCREC on Facebook
Mailing Address :
P.O. Box 17100
Raleigh, NC 27619-7100
Physical Address:
1313 Navaho Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609-7460
Main Number:
(919) 875-3700
Office Hours:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
(Monday thru Friday)
NCREC on Facebook
North Carolina Real Estate Commission
(NCREC)
(NCREC)
The North Carolina Real Estate Commission is an independent state
governmental agency. It should not be confused with the North Carolina
Association of REALTORS® (or its local Boards) which is a trade
organization whose members are known as "REALTORS®".
The Commission’s primary function is to license and regulate real estate agents (persons and firms who sell, lease, etc. real estate for others). North Carolina’s 80,000-plus real estate agents are licensed as brokers.
The Commission’s primary function is to license and regulate real estate agents (persons and firms who sell, lease, etc. real estate for others). North Carolina’s 80,000-plus real estate agents are licensed as brokers.
How to Obtain a Real Estate License in North Carolina
the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) exam. North Carolina law requires you to take the Pre-Licensing course in a classroom. Correspondence and online courses are not available in this state. Once you successfully complete the course and pass the NCREC exam, you'll pay your license fees and become a Provisional Broker. Your license can be activated by the Broker-in-Charge at a North Carolina real estate firm. Over the next three years, you are required to complete three Post-Licensing Broker courses. You may take these three courses in any order, as long as they are completed within three years and you take at least one course per year. Once these three Post-Licensing courses are completed, you will earn your full Broker License and will no longer be on provisional status.
All NC real estate brokers (both full and provisional status) are required to take two Continuing Education courses each year. The first is a Mandatory Update, comprised of annual changes to the law established by the NCREC. The second is an Elective of your choice, providing it is approved by the NCREC.
North Carolina Real Estate License Requirements
- Be at least 18 years old, and a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien under federal law; You are not required to be a resident of North Carolina.
- Attend a Pre-licensing course at a NCREC approved school with an 80%
attendance rate, then pass the Pre-licensing final exam with a minimum
score of 80% to earn a certificate of completion for the course.
- Complete NCREC application and submit with application fee of $30, a criminal background check from an approved agency and certificate of completion for Pre-licensing course.
- NCREC will review your application, then advise when you may take the state exam.
- Schedule your test at a certified testing center, then pass the state exam with a minimum score of 75%; The NCREC will then mail you a Provisional Broker’s License.
- You will now be eligible to work for any real estate firm in North Carolina, and must do so in order to perform real estate activities and earn money (until you are no longer on provisional broker status).
- Take three Post-licensing courses within the next three years.
- Each year, prior to June 30, you must pay a license renewal fee of $40 to renew your license.
- Complete eight (8) hours of Continuing Education (CE) each year after your first annual license renewal to continue active status of your license.
Active Versus Inactive Status of A NC Broker's License
Your NC real estate license must be on active status in order to receive
compensation for 
brokerage services (this includes referrals for which
you receive payment). You must complete all annual Continuing Education
(CE) courses to remain on active status. If you do not plan to use your license in the near future, you may renew your license annually on inactive status by paying your annual licensing fee. You may continue to renew on inactive status indefinitely without completing CE courses. However, you will need to attend some CE courses in order to reactivate your license. If you renew your license without satisfying the CE requirement, your license will automatically be placed on inactive status.
NC broker licenses expire each June 30 unless properly renewed. After a license has been expired for 6 months or more, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission may require you to retake the state exam.