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Start free diagnostic →You cannot submit a Texas real estate license application until you have completed all 180 hours of TREC-approved pre-license education — see the full license requirements for details on each course. The 180 hours consist of six 30-hour courses:
Most candidates complete the 180 hours in 4 to 12 weeks depending on their pace — full-time students can finish in as little as four weeks, while part-time candidates typically take two to three months.
All six courses must be completed through a TREC-approved education provider before you submit your application. In most cases, TREC receives your course completions electronically from your provider. Confirm with your school whether any additional documentation is required and how long their reporting process takes before you submit your application.
Texas real estate license applications are submitted through TREC's realm Portal (Real Estate and Appraiser License Management Portal) at trec.texas.gov. If you do not already have a TREC online account, you will need to create one before you can access the application.
Once logged in, navigate to the salesperson license application. You will be asked to certify that you meet the eligibility requirements — including age (18 or older), legal presence, and honesty and integrity standards — and to disclose any criminal history. Pay the application fee at the time of submission — see our full cost breakdown for all fees involved. Current fee amounts are listed on the TREC website, as fees are subject to change.
After submitting, TREC will review your application. For straightforward applications, review typically takes several business days to a few weeks. Applications involving criminal history disclosures typically require additional review time.
Fingerprinting is a required part of the Texas real estate license application process. TREC uses your fingerprints to conduct a criminal background check through the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
You must be fingerprinted through an approved vendor — IdentoGO (idemia) is the approved fingerprinting vendor for Texas real estate applicants. Schedule your fingerprint appointment through the TREC website or directly through the IdentoGO site. There is a separate fingerprinting fee charged by the vendor.
You can complete fingerprinting before, during, or after submitting your realm Portal application. You can also sit for the licensing exam before your background check is complete. However, TREC will not issue your license until the background check has been cleared.
Once TREC approves your application, they will send you an eligibility notice. Review our exam day guide so you know exactly what to expect at the Pearson VUE test center. This notice contains your TREC ID number, which you need to schedule your licensing exam through Pearson VUE. Keep this notice — you cannot register for the exam without your TREC ID.
Your eligibility to sit for the exam is valid for one year from the date TREC approves your application. If you do not pass both portions of the exam within that one-year window, you will need to reapply.
With your TREC eligibility notice in hand, schedule your exam through Pearson VUE at pearsonvue.com/trec. The Texas real estate salesperson exam consists of two separately scored portions — a national portion and a state portion — which you can take on the same day or on different days.
You must pass both portions independently. The passing score is 56 out of 80 on the national portion and 28 out of 40 on the state portion. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you only need to retake the failed portion — your passing score on the other portion remains valid for one year.
Pay the Pearson VUE exam fee when you schedule. Current fees are listed on the Pearson VUE TREC candidate page.
A Texas real estate salesperson license cannot be activated without a sponsoring broker. Once you have passed both exam portions and your background check has cleared, TREC will issue your license in inactive status. You cannot conduct real estate transactions under an inactive license.
To activate your license, a licensed Texas real estate broker must agree to sponsor you and submit a sponsorship request through the realm Portal. The activation happens on TREC's end once the broker submits the request — there is no additional fee for activation.
You do not need to have a sponsoring broker before you take the exam. However, begin researching brokerages during your exam preparation so you can activate quickly after passing. See our step-by-step licensing guide for the full process from application to active license.
If you have a criminal history, TREC evaluates each application individually. You are not automatically disqualified — TREC considers the nature and severity of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and evidence of rehabilitation.
TREC offers a Fitness Determination process that allows applicants with criminal history to request an advance ruling on whether their background would bar them from licensure — before completing the 180 hours of education. This costs a non-refundable fee (current amount at trec.texas.gov) and takes up to 30 days for TREC to review. If you have any criminal history, using this process first can save significant time and money.
The government fees involved in the application process are relatively fixed. As of 2026, the costs are approximately:
These fees total approximately $266 for a first-time candidate who passes on their first attempt. Fees are subject to change — confirm current amounts at trec.texas.gov and the Pearson VUE TREC candidate page before applying. This estimate does not include the cost of your 180-hour pre-license education, which varies by provider and typically ranges from $300 to $1,000.
The timeline from application submission to active license varies by candidate. TREC application review typically takes a few business days to a few weeks for straightforward applications. Fingerprint processing adds another one to three weeks in most cases. Candidates who move efficiently through the process — scheduling fingerprinting promptly, using our study guide to prepare during the review period, and having a sponsoring broker lined up — can receive an active license within six to ten weeks of submitting their application.
The one-year eligibility window gives you plenty of time to pass the exam and complete the process, but do not let the window expire — reapplying requires paying the application fee again.
Source: Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Handbook · Texas Real Estate Commission (trec.texas.gov)
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