You’ve passed your test and earned your Georgia real estate license — congratulations! While you’ll want to take some time to celebrate, it’s important to note that your learning doesn’t stop there. The Georgia Real Estate Commission & Appraisers Board (GREC) requires all licensed real estate agents to complete continuing education, and there are special requirements for agents renewing their license for the first time.
Ensuring you understand all the requirements can help you avoid an unintentional lapse and late fees. This will also allow you to give yourself plenty of time to complete all the required steps. Here’s a quick look at what you need to know.
When to Renew Your Georgia Real Estate License
The state of Georgia requires you to renew your real estate license once every four years by the last day of your birthday month. For example, if your birthday was on November 14th, you would have until November 30th to complete your license renewal.
If you want to get it done early, you can process your renewal up to four months before your license expiration date. However, you must have met all of your continuing education requirements before you can process your renewal.
Special Requirements for New License Holders
It’s important to note that all new license holders must complete a required 25-hour post-license course within the first year of acquiring their license. The course must be specifically approved by the GREC as a “Sales Post-License course,” and you must pass the accompanying exam with a score of 70% or higher.
What Happens if You Fail to Take Your Post-License Course?
If you weren’t aware of your first-year requirement or it slipped through the cracks, your license will be considered “lapsed,” and you’ll have to take some steps to reinstate it.
The good news is, you can reinstate your license without a fee if you’ve enrolled in your post-license course on or before the due date and you complete it within six months of the due date. In this case, you can simply submit a Post-License Course Reinstatement Application and wait for the commission to process your request.
However, if these conditions were not met, you’ll need to pay a reinstatement fee. The cost is $100 if your application is submitted within the first four months after lapse and an additional $25 for each month thereafter.
Continuing Education Requirements
Each four-year period, Georgia law requires licensed real estate agents to complete 36 credit hours of continuing education (CE), three of which must be on the topic of license law. All CE credits must be done through a school that is approved by the GREC.
If you’re renewing for the first time, nine of the 25 hours included in your post-license course will count towards your 36-hour requirement. For the rest of your CE hours, you can choose to enroll in courses one at a time or choose a pre-approved Georgia CE package, which allows you to purchase all the courses you need at once.
Once you’ve completed your 25-hour post-license course and your continuing education requirements, you can either renew your license online or through the mail. The standard renewal fee is $125, but you’ll save $25 if you submit your renewal online.
That’s it! Your license will be renewed, and you’ll be good for another four years.
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