New Mexico · NM
New Mexico 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
- Make sure all three certificates are dated within the three years before you apply for the exam, then submit your course completions with your exam application to PSI.
Education
New Mexico's entry-level license is called an Associate Broker license (there is no 'salesperson' license). The 90 hours break into three 30-hour commission-approved courses — Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law, and Broker Basics — all of which must be completed within the three years before you apply to take the exam.
- Complete the 30-hour Real Estate Principles and Practice course from a commission-approved provider.
- Complete the 30-hour Real Estate Law course.
- Complete the 30-hour Broker Basics course — New Mexico's state-specific course that even out-of-state license holders must take.
- Make sure all three certificates are dated within the three years before you apply for the exam, then submit your course completions with your exam application to PSI.
Application & exam
- Apply for exam eligibility directly with PSI (the commission's examination contractor), submitting your three 30-hour course certificates with the registration form and $95 exam fee.
- Pass both the national and state portions with a score of 75+ within 90 days of your first attempt — miss the window and you retake both portions.
- Get fingerprinted through the state's electronic fingerprint vendor for the state and national (FBI) arrest record check — the processing fee is approximately $44. Fingerprints are required for all new applications but not renewals.
- Purchase errors and omissions (E&O) insurance that meets 16.61.5 NMAC — required for all active licensees, and a certificate of insurance goes in with your application (the commission's group carrier runs roughly $200-$350 per year).
- Affiliate with an actively licensed New Mexico qualifying broker — an active associate broker must work under a qualifying broker, so line up your brokerage before applying.
- Submit your license application to the NM Real Estate Commission with your PSI score report, fingerprint documentation, E&O certificate, and the nonrefundable license fee of $270 — and do it within six months of passing, or you'll have to retest.
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 90-hour pre-licensing education (three 30-hour courses) | $550 | |
| Licensing exam (PSI, both portions) | $95 | |
| Fingerprinting and background check | $44 | |
| Errors & omissions insurance (first year, est.) | $300 | |
| Associate broker license fee (3-year license) | $270 | |
| Estimated total | $1,259 |
Key deadlines
- The 90 hours break into three 30-hour commission-approved courses — Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law, and Broker Basics — all of which must be completed within the three years before you apply to take the exam.
- 3 years (36 hours of continuing education per cycle)
- Make sure all three certificates are dated within the three years before you apply for the exam, then submit your course completions with your exam application to PSI.
- Pass both the national and state portions with a score of 75+ within 90 days of your first attempt — miss the window and you retake both portions.
- Purchase errors and omissions (E&O) insurance that meets 16.61.5 NMAC — required for all active licensees, and a certificate of insurance goes in with your application (the commission's group carrier runs roughly $200-$350 per year).
- Affiliate with an actively licensed New Mexico qualifying broker — an active associate broker must work under a qualifying broker, so line up your brokerage before applying.
- Submit your license application to the NM Real Estate Commission with your PSI score report, fingerprint documentation, E&O certificate, and the nonrefundable license fee of $270 — and do it within six months of passing, or you'll have to retest.
- After that, the clock matters: you must pass both exam portions within 90 days of your first attempt, and apply for the license within six months of passing.