NC real estate license requirements: the 75 hours, two exam sections, and the 180-day clock

North Carolina licenses everyone as a broker — you start as a provisional broker and work under a broker-in-charge. The path is straightforward, but it hides a couple of deadlines that regularly cost people money. Here's the whole thing, in order.

1. Complete the 75-hour course

• 75 hours of the NC Broker Prelicensing Course from a Commission-certified education provider.
• You must be at least 18.

2. Pass both exam sections at Pearson VUE

• National: 80 scored questions, ~120 minutes; State: 60 scored questions, ~90 minutes.
• Each requires a scaled score of 75, computed independently.
• ⚠️ Both must be passed within the SAME 180-day eligibility window, or a passed section's credit is lost.
• $53 per single-section attempt.

3. Affiliate under a broker-in-charge

Your license issues as a PROVISIONAL broker, and you must work under a broker-in-charge (BIC). The BIC supervises you, the firm's advertising, and the trust account — and a provisional broker never holds client money personally.

4. Remove provisional status — and renew

• Complete 90 hours of postlicensing education (three 30-hour courses) within 18 months to remove provisional status.
• Licenses renew ANNUALLY, by June 10, with continuing education.

The efficient order of operations

Finish the 75 hours, then book both exam sections while the material is fresh — candidates who test within a month of finishing class outperform those who wait. Line up your broker-in-charge while you study, so your application goes in the week you pass. And respect the 180-day clock: don't pass one section and drift on the other.