New York · NY
New York 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
77-hour qualifying course (raised from 75 hours effective Dec 21, 2022; old 75-hour grads can add a 2-hour fair housing/implicit bias course). School-administered proctored final exam required in addition to the state exam.
- Complete the 77-hour qualifying course at a NY Department of State-approved school
- Pass the school's proctored final exam for your completion certificate
- Create an eAccessNY account and schedule the state exam ($15/attempt)
- Pass the state exam: 75 questions, 90 minutes, 70% to pass (result valid 2 years)
Application & exam
- Secure a sponsoring broker — required before your license can be issued (education and exam can come first)
- Apply through eAccessNY with the $65 fee
- Your sponsoring broker authorizes the application from their own eAccessNY account
- Answer background/legal questions; DOS issues the 2-year license
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing education | $180 – $500 | |
| State exam fee | $15 per attempt | |
| Application fee | $65 | |
| Fingerprinting | Not required for salespersons | |
| Estimated total | $300 – $650 |
Key deadlines
- 2 years; 22.5 hours CE per cycle including fair housing, ethics, agency, and implicit bias topics
- Pass the state exam: 75 questions, 90 minutes, 70% to pass (result valid 2 years)
- Secure a sponsoring broker — required before your license can be issued (education and exam can come first)
- Answer background/legal questions; DOS issues the 2-year license
- About 2–5 months: 2–8 weeks for the 77-hour course, then exam scheduling through eAccessNY and application processing.
- Results are pass/fail and stay valid for 2 years.
- Do I need a sponsoring broker before I apply?
- Generally, NY law bars licensure after a felony conviction unless you have an executive pardon, a certificate of relief from disabilities, or a certificate of good conduct.