Connecticut · CT
Connecticut Real Estate License Checklist (2026)
Every step, fee, and deadline on one page — designed to print cleanly to PDF and check off as you go.
Before you start
- You are at least 18 years old
- You hold a high school diploma or GED
- You can pass a criminal background check / fingerprinting
Education
One 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course from a Connecticut DCP-approved provider. That's it — no separate elective courses, making CT one of the lighter education lifts in the Northeast.
- Enroll in the state-approved 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course (online or classroom) — expect to pay roughly $300-$700 depending on the school and format.
- Complete the course and keep your completion certificate; you'll need to submit it with your exam application.
- Submit the Real Estate Salesperson Examination Application to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) with the $80 application fee, either online via eLicense.ct.gov or by paper form.
- Once DCP approves your application, you'll receive instructions to register and schedule the exam with PSI. Your exam eligibility lasts one year, with unlimited attempts during that window.
Application & exam
- Apply to DCP for exam eligibility ($80 application fee) after finishing the 60-hour course — broker supervision is NOT required just to sit for the exam.
- Pass both portions of the PSI exam ($59 per attempt, paid to PSI at scheduling) within one year of eligibility; if you miss the window, you must reapply for another year.
- No fingerprinting or FBI background check is required for a Connecticut salesperson license — you answer character/criminal-history questions on the application instead.
- Find a sponsoring Connecticut-licensed broker. You cannot activate the license without one — CT does not issue salesperson licenses on inactive status at initial licensure.
- Activate your license within 2 years of your most recent passing exam score by paying the $590 license fee to DCP (official DCP figure — many prep sites still quote the old $285 annual fee, which is outdated; CT moved to a biennial cycle).
- Your license expires May 31 of every even-numbered year, so depending on when you activate, your first period may be shorter than two years — the full $578 renewal fee applies at your first renewal cycle.
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 60-hour pre-licensing course | $450 | |
| DCP exam application fee | $80 | |
| PSI exam fee (per attempt) | $59 | |
| Initial license fee (paid at activation) | $590 | |
| Estimated total | $1,179 |
Key deadlines
- Biennial — all salesperson licenses expire May 31 of even-numbered years; $578 renewal fee plus 12 hours of CE per cycle
- Your exam eligibility lasts one year, with unlimited attempts during that window.
- Apply to DCP for exam eligibility ($80 application fee) after finishing the 60-hour course — broker supervision is NOT required just to sit for the exam.
- Pass both portions of the PSI exam ($59 per attempt, paid to PSI at scheduling) within one year of eligibility; if you miss the window, you must reapply for another year.
- Activate your license within 2 years of your most recent passing exam score by paying the $590 license fee to DCP (official DCP figure — many prep sites still quote the old $285 annual fee, which is outdated; CT moved to a biennial cycle).
- Your license expires May 31 of every even-numbered year, so depending on when you activate, your first period may be shorter than two years — the full $578 renewal fee applies at your first renewal cycle.
- The portions are scored independently — if you pass one and fail the other, you only retake the failed section, and you get unlimited attempts within your one-year eligibility window.
- Do I need a sponsoring broker before taking the Connecticut exam?