Washington real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Washington State Department of Licensing.
To get a real estate license in Washington (the broker license): Minimum age: At least 18, with a high school diploma or equivalent. Pre-licensing education: 90 hours of approved real estate education: a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course. Licensing exam: The broker's state and national exams through PSI, passed within 6 months of each other and within 2 years of finishing your education; apply within 1 year of the final pass. Sponsoring broker: A broker performs brokerage services for a real estate firm under the supervision of a managing broker. Your licensing authority is the Washington State Department of Licensing.
Requirements for the Washington broker license
| Requirement | Washington |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Washington real estate broker license, for anyone who performs brokerage services for a firm under a managing broker's supervision. |
| Minimum age | At least 18, with a high school diploma or equivalent. |
| Pre-licensing education | 90 hours of approved real estate education: a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course. |
| Post-licensing education | At your first active renewal: at least 90 hours of continuing education, including a 30-hour Advanced Practices course and a 30-hour Real Estate Law course, all started after you are first licensed. |
| Licensing exam | The broker's state and national exams through PSI, passed within 6 months of each other and within 2 years of finishing your education; apply within 1 year of the final pass. |
| Background check | A fingerprint-based background check (IdentoGo inside Washington), submitted after you pass the exams; the results must be renewed every 6 years. |
| Sponsoring broker | A broker performs brokerage services for a real estate firm under the supervision of a managing broker. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Washington State Department of Licensing. |
| License term | Two years, counted from the date your first license is issued. |
| Continuing education | After the first renewal: at least 30 hours each renewal, including the 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate course and the 3-hour fair housing course (after the initial 6-hour fair housing course). |
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 Washington
- Meet the requirements, including the 90 hours of approved education.
- Register for a PSI account once your school has sent your course records to PSI.
- Schedule and pass the state and national exams.
- Submit your fingerprints for the background check.
- Submit your application and fees, online (from the email DOL sends) or by mail.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a real estate agentThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayReal estate agent salary in WashingtonWhat agents earn there.
Open →CareerReal estate agent career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →CareerReal estate brokerThe next license up.
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Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Washington State Department of Licensing, read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Washington State Department of Licensing'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.
- Washington State Department of Licensing, Get your license: Real estate brokers, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Washington State Department of Licensing, Renew or reinstate your license: Real estate brokers, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.