How to get your Iowa real estate license

You must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or GED to apply for an Iowa real estate license. A criminal background check is required — most non-violent offenses are reviewed case-by-case.

Note: Iowa requires 96 total hours: a 60-hour pre-license course in real estate principles and practices (online or live — and it's the only course required before you can sit for the exam), plus three 12-hour courses — Buying Practices, Listing Practices, and Developing Professionalism & Ethical Practices — which must be live instruction and can be taken in any order, before or after the exam. All courses must be less than one year old when the Commission receives your completed application.

• Complete the 60-hour pre-license course in real estate principles and practices from an Iowa-approved provider (online or live) — this is your ticket to the exam.
• Start your FBI criminal history background check early through your My Iowa PLB account — it takes 4-8+ weeks on its own and can run while you study (results are valid 210 days).
• Complete the three 12-hour courses — Buying Practices, Listing Practices, and Developing Professionalism & Ethical Practices — which must be live instruction (classroom or live webinar), in any order.
• Keep an eye on the calendar: every course must be less than one year old when the Iowa Real Estate Commission receives your completed application.
• Register with PSI and pass both the national and state portions of the salesperson exam.

Iowa uses PSI to administer the licensing exam. You'll need a passing score of 70% on each portion — 56 of 80 national questions and 28 of 40 state questions. The exam fee is $95. Expect roughly 100 national questions and 40–50 state-specific questions. Format: 120 scored multiple-choice questions (80 national + 40 Iowa state), computer-based at PSI test centers in West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Council Bluffs, by appointment.

• Create a My Iowa PLB account at plb.iowa.gov and request your fingerprint packet through 'General - Background Packet Request' — the FBI background check costs $51, takes 4-8+ weeks, and results are valid for 210 calendar days, so start early.
• Pass both portions of the PSI exam ($95); exam results are valid until the last working day of the sixth month after your pass date.
• Obtain an errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy — Iowa requires proof of E&O coverage with your application (group rates run roughly $120 per year).
• Line up your sponsoring broker before you apply — Iowa does NOT allow an original salesperson application on inactive status. A sponsoring broker must sign the Broker Certification section of the application before your license can issue. (Inactive status is only available after you've been licensed.)
• Submit the license application electronically through My Iowa PLB with the $125 initial salesperson license fee, completed background check, exam results, course certificates, and E&O proof.

Your Iowa license stays inactive until a licensed broker sponsors you. Interview at least 2–3 brokerages, compare commission splits, training, and lead sources, and pick the one that fits your career goals — not just the highest split.