Colorado real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Colorado Division of Real Estate.
To get a real estate license in Colorado (the broker license): Pre-licensing education: 168 hours of qualifying education: Real Estate Law and Practice (48 hours), Colorado Contracts and Regulations (48), Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping (8), Current Legal Issues (8), Real Estate Closings (24) and Practical Applications (32); a degree with a real estate major can substitute. Licensing exam: Both the national and state portions of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam, given by PSI; each passing score is good for one year. Your licensing authority is the Colorado Division of Real Estate.
Requirements for the Colorado broker license
| Requirement | Colorado |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Colorado real estate broker license; with less than two years of active broker experience you qualify for the associate broker credential. |
| E&O insurance | A current errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy before you get an active license. |
| Reciprocity | Colorado accepts reciprocity from all U.S. states and territories: with a non-expired license held at least two years elsewhere, you pass the state portion of the exam and complete the fingerprint check. |
| Minimum age | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado Division of Real Estate. |
| Pre-licensing education | 168 hours of qualifying education: Real Estate Law and Practice (48 hours), Colorado Contracts and Regulations (48), Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping (8), Current Legal Issues (8), Real Estate Closings (24) and Practical Applications (32); a degree with a real estate major can substitute. |
| Post-licensing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado Division of Real Estate. |
| Licensing exam | Both the national and state portions of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam, given by PSI; each passing score is good for one year. |
| Background check | A fingerprint background check. |
| Sponsoring broker | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado Division of Real Estate. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado Division of Real Estate. |
| License term | Your first license expires on December 31 of the year it is issued; after that, licenses run on a three-year cycle. |
| Continuing education | 24 hours each three-year cycle, including three versions of the 4-hour Annual Commission Update Course; none during the initial license period. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
How to get licensed in Colorado
- Complete all the required coursework and get a certificate of completion from the school.
- Schedule your exam with PSI; finish all coursework before taking either portion.
- Complete the background check requirement.
- Get errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.
- Review the application instructions to confirm you have every document required.
- Complete the online application form.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a real estate agentThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayReal estate agent salary in ColoradoWhat agents earn there.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Colorado Division of Real Estate, read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Colorado Division of Real Estate's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
- This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.
- Colorado Division of Real Estate, Broker License Application Requirements, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Colorado Division of Real Estate, Broker Qualifying Education, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Colorado Division of Real Estate, Broker Steps for Initial Licensure, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Colorado Division of Real Estate, Broker Continuing Education, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.