What are the requirements to be a real estate agent in Alabama?
To be a real estate agent in Alabama, you will need to meet the following qualification:
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien or legally present in the U.S;
- Be at least 19 years old;
- Show proof of genuine residency in any state within the US.
- Show proof of high school graduation or the equivalent;
- Not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;
- Not have had a real estate application or license rejected or revoked in any state within the past two years.
- Take and pass the licensing examination
What is the required licensing course to be a real estate agent in Alabam?
To be a real estate agent in Alabam you need to complete a 60-clock-hour course approved by the Commission and must take and pass the salesperson’s examination within 6 months of course completion. If these deadlines are not met, the course must be retaken.
After you have passed this prelicensing exam, you’ll have your temporary real estate license. Once you got this license, you will then need to complete a 30-hour post-license training course within the first twelve months of licensure in order to be issued a permanent license.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Every two years a total of fifteen (15) clock hours of continuing education prescribed by the Commission is required for renewal of an active license. These hours must be completed by September 30 of every even year. The fifteen hour continuing education course requirement is as follows:
- (a) Three (3) clock hours in the Commission-approved Risk Management course.
- (b) Twelve (12) clock hours in Commission approved courses.
Alabama’s Real Estate Commission Address and Contact Info
1201 Carmichael Way
Montgomery, AL 36106
Tel (334) 242-5544
Fax (334) 270-9118
arec@arec.alabama.gov
Alabama’s Exam Schedule and Location
To find license examination locations and schedule the license examination, please visit Pearson VUE at home.pearsonvue.com/al/realestate or call 888-926-9488.
PRELICENSE
- Salesperson Requirements -Completion of a 60 clock hour course approved by the Commission. Applicants must take and pass the salesperson’s examination within 6 months of course completion.
- Broker Requirements -Completion of a 60 clock hour course approved by the Commission plus holding an active salesperson’s license for 24 of the 36 months prior to application. Applicants must take and pass the Broker’s examination within 6 months of course completion.
- Reciprocal Salesperson Requirements-Completion of the Commission-approved 6 hour Reciprocal Salesperson Prelicense course covering Alabama License Law. Applicants must take and pass the Reciprocal Salesperson’s examination on Alabama License Law within 6 months of course completion.
- Reciprocal Broker Requirements -Completion of the Commission-approved 6 hour Reciprocal Broker Prelicense course covering Alabama License Law. Applicants must take and pass the Reciprocal Broker’s examination on Alabama License Law within 6 months of course completion.
POST LICENSE
Completion of the 30 hour post license course for salespersons within the first six months of licensure for active licensees and within one year for inactive licensees.
Note: There is no post license requirement for brokers.
ELECTRONIC COURSE EVALUATION
Licensee must log in to access the electronic course evaluation available in CMap. A course evaluation option will be available by each course listed and will be available for 30 days after course completion.
Courses with top passers:
- 360 Training (online): https://www.360training.com/
- Academy of Real Estate (online and classroom): http://www.academyre.com/
- Alabama Real Estate Institute (online and classroom: https://alabamarealestateinstitute.com/
REAL DATA OF EXAMINERS:
Total Passed Percentage Passed Total Passed Percentage Passed
34 22 64.7% 54 30 55.6%
70 47 67.1% 114 63 55.3%
71 46 64.8% 117 65 55.6%
License Application Instructions
- IMPORTANT: The following information is necessary to complete the application instructions that are given with the applicant’s score report. Failure to utilize this information in pursuing the licensing application process may result in delays due to incomplete application materials or inadequate documents. Such delays will not waive the 90-day deadline.
- 90-Day Deadline: The completed applications, all additional materials and fees MUST be complete and submitted to the Alabama Real Estate Commission within 90 days of your examination date. The 90-day timeframe is measured from examination date to postmark for those applications mailed into the Commission. Failure to meet this deadline will mean your exam score is null and void.
- A complete application consists of the following:
- Application for Real Estate License: which is accessible using the website link provided in the passing examination score report.
- Fees: Fees vary depending upon the license-type you are seeking. Refer to the license application for an accurate accounting of the fees owed.
- Fingerprint-Based Background Check: Applicants must submit to a fingerprint-based federal and state criminal background check, mandated by 34-27-32 Code of Alabama, by working with the Commission’s processing company, Gemalto.
- IMPORTANT: License issuance will not proceed until the Commission has received and reviewed the criminal history record information (CHRI) along with your application. The criminal record information will come to the Commission directly from Gemalto and will only be available to the Commission for 30 days; therefore, we recommend that applicants submit this form (by mail or in-person) to the Real Estate Commission on the same day that they go to a fingerprinting site to be scanned.
Exam Locations
Real Estate Licensing Examinations are administered by computer at PSI Assessment Centers in Alabama. Assessment Center locations in other states may be made available if requested. Please visit PSI for a complete listing of Assessment Center locations. The examinations are administered by appointment only at the following Alabama locations. No walk-in testing allowed.
EXAM CENTERS
Birmingham
PSI
100 Centerview Dr., Suite 100
Vestavia, AL 35216
Dothan
Dothan-A+ Academic Services
3245 Montgomery Hwy.
Dogwood Court, Suite 7
Dothan, AL 36303
Huntsville
PSI
4900 University Square, Suite 4
Huntsville, AL 35816
Mobile
PSI
Dorsey Center
6051-B Airport Blvd.
Mobile, AL 36608
Montgomery
PSI
500 Interstate Park Dr., Suite 530
Montgomery, AL 36109
EXAM FEE
$73 -Pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover), cashier’s check or money order made payable to PSI.
SCHEDULE EXAM
- Online PSI
- Phone 1.888.818.5824
- Mail PSI registration form
Applicants must fill out a registration form found on Gemalto’s website at www.aps.gemalto.com. AGAIN, when registering with Gemalto, your name should appear as it does on your driver’s license. If your name is hyphenated use a hyphen in your registration BUT if your name ordinarily has a space in it DO NOT LEAVE A SPACE IN YOUR NAME. A space in the name field will delay your fingerprint processing. Gemalto’s registration form requires the applicant’s User Identification Number assigned by the Commission. Gemalto will then assign their own registration i.d. number (REG ID) to the applicant who must submit the REG ID when they appear at the fingerprinting/scanning site of their choosing. An extensive list of all fingerprinting sites and hours of availability is kept current on Gemalto’s website.
The applicant will be asked to pay a fee for the background check. Follow the instructions on Gemalto’s website www.aps.gemalto.com for proper forms of payment.
At the scanning site, applicants will be required to supply proper I.D. See instructions on Gemalto’s website www.aps.gemalto.com in this regard.
Occasionally, there is trouble with the fingerprint image, should that occur you will be contacted by Gemalto and required to submit another set of prints. One re-scan is done free of charge.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have been convicted of a felony, you will be required to submit court documents concerning your conviction. These are in addition to the FBI report that we will get. These are your responsibility. We recommend that you expedite your application process by proceeding to obtain these court documents as early as possible.
Proof of age: Applicant must be at least 19 years old and must document with a legible copy of both sides of ONE of the following:
- a copy of a valid driver’s license; or
- a U.S. passport; or
- a birth certificate; or
- any other documentation acceptable to the Alabama Real Estate Commission.
Proof of U.S. citizenship, permanent resident alien, or legal presence in the United States: Acceptable documentation is a legible copy of both sides of ONE of the following:
- Driver’s license or non-driver identification issued by any state of the United States; or
- Birth certificate issued by any state in the United States; or
- Permanent Resident Card; commonly known as a “green card”; or
- Any visa issued by the United States; or
- Any other documentation issued by the United States indicating legal presence in the United States.
Proof of residency in your state of domicile, document with a copy of both sides of ONE of the following:
- driver’s license; or
- car tag receipt; or
- deed to home; or
- lease agreement on a home or residential apartment; or
- property tax bill; or
- voter’s registration card
*If you are NOT a resident of Alabama, you must also complete the Consent to Jurisdiction Form.
Certification of Licensure: This is required of those seeking a reciprocal license. Please see information on the application instructions that accompany your passing examination score report. All other applicants who hold or have held a real estate license in another state within the last 3 years must also supply this document. The document must not be more than 120 days old. COPIES OF LICENSES will NOT substitute.
Proof of successful completion of high school or the equivalent: This is NOT required of those seeking a reciprocal license. If you have submitted this to the Commission before, you may check to see if the Commission has retained it or if you will need to supply it again. To document proof of high school graduation, attach a copy of one of the following:
- high school diploma
- college transcript or diploma
- GED certificate
- teaching certificate
- DD-214 indicating verification of high school completion
- HiSet or a TASC certificate
ALABAMA REAL ESTATE APPLICANTS, SALESPERSONS OR ASSOCIATE BROKERS MAY NOT ENGAGE IN REAL ESTATE BUSINESS UNTIL THEIR LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED TO THEIR QUALIFYING BROKER.
QUALIFYING BROKERS SEE BELOW.
Broker license applicants must also:
- If you currently hold an active salesperson license, have your qualifying broker return it to the Commission when these application materials are ready to be submitted.
- If you will be the qualifying broker for a company or branch, the appropriate application for such license may be obtained HERE and must be submitted with the application for license and the appropriate fees.
- If you will replace a qualifying broker for an existing company please include a Change of Qualifying Broker form with the appropriate fees.
IF YOUR BROKER’S LICENSE WILL BE ISSUED TO THE SAME COMPANY THAT HOLDS YOUR SALESPERSON’S LICENSE, YOU MAY CONTINUE TO WORK. IF YOUR BROKER’S LICENSE WILL BE ISSUED TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY, YOU MAY NOT ENGAGE IN BUSINESS UNTIL YOUR BROKER’S LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED. SENDING THIS APPLICATION CERTIFIED MAIL WILL NOT PERMIT YOU TO WORK PRIOR TO THE TIME THE LICENSE IS ISSUED.
