Kentucky State Requirements

Kentucky Real Estate Commission

500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-564-7760
Toll-Free: 888-373-3300
Website: https://krec.ky.gov/

Salesperson Pre Licensing Education Requirements

  • Be 18 years old
  • Provide proof a High School Diploma or equivalent
  • Complete FBI background check and submit for fingerprinting, to find information on cost, location, how to set up visit website here: https://krec.ky.gov/newstatic_info.aspx?static_id=209
  • Complete 96 academic credit hours and obtain a certificate of completion 
  • Provide proof of post-secondary education completion of:
    • 6 academic credit hours in real estate courses
  • Proof of Errors and Omissions insurance
  • Pass the State and National Exam; within 60 days of passing the exam apply for license
  • Pay applicable Fees
  • Use the Pre-Licensing Tracking Chart provided HERE

Broker Pre Licensing Education Requirements

  • Be 18 years old
  • Have two years of experience working at least 20 hours a week as a licensee. Provide an experience verification affidavit is provided with the application by the testing service once the exam has been passed.
  • Complete 21 credit hours with 12 in Real Estate from an accredited college with 3 hours in Brokerage Management or 336 classroom hours in real estate from an approved proprietary school with 48 hours in Brokerage Management
    • The typical Broker applicants education is made up of the following courses:
      • Real Estate Principles- 96 hours **This is the course most individuals complete to obtain their salesperson license***
      • Brokerage Management- 48 hours- This is a mandatory course for broker applicants. This course must have been completed on or after September of 2000.
      • Real Estate Law- 48 hours- This is the course most licensees complete, but is not required.
      • Nine college elective credit hours. This is the equivalent of 144 classroom  hours and is the highest number of electives accepted by the Commission (if licensee has not complete college elective, must complete 144 hours in real estate courses)
  • Submit for FBI background check
  • Pay applicable fees
  • Pass State and National portion of exam
  • For more information: https://krec.ky.gov/newstatic_info.aspx?static_id=201

Salesperson Post-Licensing Education Requirements

  • As of March 30th, 2015 HB 149 (KRS 324.085) became law stating that new sales associate licensees will be required to complete 48 hours of post-license education within the first 2 years of obtaining a license. Went into effect 1/1/2016.
  • Each licensee must complete 48 hours of education to consist of:
    • 32 hours of Mandatory hours
      • Commission Compliance Course- 3 hours
      • Agency- 6 hours
      • Contracts- 6 hours
      • Finance-3 hours
      • Advertising- 3 hours
      • Disclosure- 3 hours
      • Fair Housing- 3 hours
      • Technology & Data Security- 3 hours
      • Risk Management- 2 hours
    • 16 hours of electives
    • Courses cannot be taken twice to use as credit
    • Use the PLE (Post License Education) tracking chart provided here: https://krec.ky.gov/Documents/KREC_PLECourseTrackingChart.pdf

Salesperson and Broker Continuing Education Requirements

  • All actively licensed agents shall be required to attend 6 hours of CE courses by December 31st of each calendar year.
  • Licensees are not required to attend continuing education courses during the first two calendar years of initial license issuance in Kentucky.
  • Once every 4 years licensees shall attend a commission-approved core course
  • Continuing Education hours exceeding the amount required shall not be carried forward to the next year’s requirements or use to reactivate a license in the next calendar year.
  • For further information, please refer to the state’s ruling here: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/201/011/230/
  • Effective January 1, 2020: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=49549 
    • All actively licensed agents, except those licensees exempt under KRS 324.046(5) and those licensees satisfying the educational requirement in subsection (2) of this section, shall successfully complete 12 classroom or online hours of continuing education for the biennial license period. 6 of the 12 hours shall be completed in the first year of the biennial license period or the license shall be automatically cancelled.
    • 6 of the 12 hours of continuing education shall be in Real Estate law, of which 3 hours must be taken each year regarding law.
    • A licensee may accumulate additional continuing education hours for the biennial period in the first year of the biennial term.
    • 6 of the 12 hours of continuing education may be in real estate-related courses approved by the commission and other real estate property boards pursuant to KRS Chapters 324A and 330 and KRS 198B.700 to 198B.738

Exam Provider Information