How to Lookup Your Texas Real Estate License With TREC

The Texas Real Estate Commission maintains a public directory of every license holder in the state, including sales agents, brokers, inspectors, appraisers, and more. Whether you want to check your own license status, verify a colleague's credentials, or see what clients can find when they search your name, the TREC license lookup tool has all of it in one place.

What Is TREC?

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC)Texas What Is Trec Career Center is the state agency that licenses and regulates real estate professionals in Texas. TREC approves license applications and renewals, sets the rules license holders must follow, and handles disciplinary investigations when those rules are broken. It oversees the following license categories:

Sales agent
Broker
Inspector
Appraiser
Easement and right-of-way agent
Appraisal management company

How to Do a TREC License Search

The TREC license search tool is public and requires no login. Here's how to use it:

Go to the TREC License Holder Search?industry=Real+Estate License Search.
Enter the name or license number of the person you're searching for.
Click "Search."

Results will show the licensee's name, license number, contact information, current status, and education history.

Understanding License Status in Texas

Texas real estate licenses carry one of three statuses: active, inactive, or expired. Here's what each one means and what to do if yours isn't where it should be.

Active

An active license means the holder is registered with a sponsoring broker and is current on all required continuing education. Only agents with an active license can legally practice real estate in Texas. If your license shows active in the TREC database, you're good to go.

Inactive

A newly issued license starts out inactive. To activate it, the license holder must register their association with a sponsoring broker through the Sales Agent Sponsorship FormSales Agent Sponsorship Form 1 Forms or by completing the process online through TREC's licensing portal. The broker confirms the sponsorship, and TREC updates the status to active.

Some agents choose to keep their license inactive intentionally. They don't practice real estate but want to maintain their license. Inactive license holders don't need to complete continuing education, but they still owe a renewal fee every two years. To reactivate, they'll need to complete any CE that would have been required during the inactive period and register with a sponsoring broker.

Expired

An expired license means the holder missed their renewal deadline. Either they didn't complete their required CE, didn't pay the renewal fee, or both. An expired license holder cannot practice real estate.

Here's how reinstatement works depending on how long it's been:

Up to six months past expiration: You can still renew, though late fees will apply.
Six months to two years and six months past expiration: You can apply for reinstatement.
More than two years and six months past expiration: You'll need to retake the full pre-licensing education and pass the state exam again.

For more on the renewal process, see our guide on how to renew your Texas real estate licenseTexas Renew Texas Real Estate License Career Center.

Check Your Continuing Education Records

The TREC search tool also shows what continuing education courses a license holder has completed according to TREC's records. It's worth checking yours periodically, not just at renewal time, to make sure their records match what you've actually completed. A discrepancy you catch early is much easier to resolve than one you find out about when your renewal is due.

What Can Clients Find Out About You?

Real estate is a profession with fiduciary responsibilities, and part of that is public accountability. Anyone can search your name in the TREC database and see the following:

Name
Email address
Phone number
Sponsoring broker's name and office address
License number and current status
License history
Educational history, including which courses you completed, through which school, and when

For most agents this isn't a concern, but it's worth knowing what's visible before a client looks you up. Keeping your license active, your CE current, and your contact information up to date is the simplest way to make sure what they find reflects well on you.

Still Working Toward Your Texas License?

AceableAgent offers all six TREC-required pre-licensing courses online, fully self-paced, on any device. Learn more about the Texas real estate licensing processTexas Real Estate License and what it takes to get started. (Provider #701048-QP)