PA real estate license requirements: the 75 hours, the exam, and the 3-year clock

Pennsylvania's path to a salesperson license is one of the more streamlined in the country — 75 education hours where Texas asks 180 — but it hides a few deadlines that regularly cost people money. Here's the whole path, in order.

1. Be eligible

• At least 18 years old.
• Complete 75 hours of Commission-approved pre-licensing education: Real Estate Fundamentals and Real Estate Practice.

2. Pass both exam portions at Pearson VUE

• National: 80 scored questions, 150 minutes, pass 60 (75%).
• State: 40 scored questions, 60 minutes, pass 30 (75%).
• Portions are independent — pass one, keep it, re-sit only the other.
• Fees: $52 national, $49 state, per attempt.

3. Find an employing broker

A PA salesperson works under — and is compensated only by — an employing broker. Your application to the Commission is tied to that broker, and if you later change firms, your license must transfer before you can act for the new one.

4. Apply inside the deadlines

• Exam authorization: good for 5 years after your first education course.
• Passing exam results: valid for 3 years — your license application must be received inside that window or you retest.
• Renewal: licenses renew every two years with continuing education.

The efficient order of operations

Finish the 75 hours, then book the exam while the coursework is fresh — candidates who test within a month of finishing class outperform those who wait. Line up your employing broker while you study, so the application goes in the week you pass. The 3-year clock is generous; momentum is still your friend.