Texas requires all licensed real estate professionals to take Texas continuing education courses each time they renew their Texas real estate license. The requirements vary based on what type of license you want to renew and whether your license is active at the time of renewal.
This page will outline the requirements you must meet to renew your real estate license, including what classes you are required to complete and the topics those courses will cover. Note that some courses (such as TREC Legal Update) are required by all real estate professionals, while other hours may be met by choosing from a list of approved continuing education courses.
Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate Sales Apprentices in Texas
To renew your sales apprentice license for the first time, Texas requires that you have a total of 270 qualifying real estate hours. This total includes the 180 qualifying hours you completed to obtain your license. Therefore, you may need an additional 98 hours of SAE (sales apprentice education.) These requirements may not be deferred and must be completed before a new license will be issued.
Two courses are required for SAE: TREC Legal Update 1 and TREC Legal Update II. These courses will help you understand changes in regulations, rules, and statutes that impact real estate, property management, and disclosures. You must also complete the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course to renew if you have been made a supervisor by your broker. Additionally, as of October 1, 2023, TREC will require a 30 hour Real Estate Brokerage Course to renew. The rest of the required SAE hours may be chosen from TREC's list of qualifying real estate courses, which cover topics such as:
Real estate finance
Real estate marketing
Real estate appraisal
Property management
Property inspection for real estate agents
To count towards your CE requirements, courses may not be repeated in the same two-year cycle.
When do I need to complete Texas SAE requirements? You must submit proof of course completion at least ten days before renewing your sales apprentice license, so plan to take courses several weeks before your license expires.
Continuing Education Requirement for Real Estate Sales Agents in Texas
Once you are a licensed real estate agent, the continuing education requirements are drastically reduced. Unlike a sales apprentice, real estate agents must only complete 18 hours of continuing education courses each time they renew their license, which occurs every two years, according to the Texas Real Estate Commission.
As a real estate agent, you are required to take TREC Legal Update I and II, plus an additional ten hours in continuing education (CE) real estate courses. If you have been made a supervisor by your broker, you must take the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course must be included. Any remaining hours can be taken in CE elective courses. These courses cover many topics of interest to real estate professionals, such as real estate contracts, real estate finance, property management, real estate investments, and real estate appraisals. Courses can only be taken once every two years.
Do I have to take CE courses to renew my real estate license as inactive? No, TREC does not require real estate agents who wish to renew a license as inactive to take continuing education courses. You cannot, however, work as a real estate license or broker with an inactive license.
Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate Brokers in Texas
If you are a broker or have been made a supervisor of other real estate agents by your broker, there are additional CE requirements. Texas real estate brokers are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education, including TREC Legal Updates I and II, and the 6-hour Broker responsibility course. The remaining four hours of required CE may be chosen from TREC-approved CE courses.
What happens if my real estate license expires before I complete the required CE? If your license expires before you complete your continuing education requirements, you may pay a $200 CE deferral fee, which allows your license to remain active for an additional 60 days. You must complete your CE requirements during this time.