How to get your Kansas real estate license

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

Note: Kansas splits its 60 hours around the exam: the 30-hour Principles of Real Estate course must be finished before KREC will authorize you to test (that certificate is good for 12 months), while the 30-hour Kansas Practice Course can be taken before or after the exam — but KREC must receive your license application and Practice Course certificate within 6 months of the course date.

• Confirm you're at least 18 and have a high school diploma or GED — Kansas requires both before you even start pre-license coursework.
• Submit the Salesperson Prelicensure application on KREC's Citizen Access portal ($15 application fee + $70 background fee) to get your PL (prelicense) number.
• Complete the 30-hour Principles of Real Estate course from a KREC-approved provider — this must be done before the exam, and your school reports completion to KREC.
• Complete the 30-hour Kansas Practice Course (allowed before or after the exam, but your application must reach KREC within 6 months of the course date).
• Wait for KREC to authorize your exam with Pearson VUE — you'll get a scheduling email within about 24 hours of authorization.

Kansas uses Pearson VUE to administer the licensing exam. You'll need a passing score of 70% on each portion (national and state). The exam fee is $82. Expect roughly 100 national questions and 40–50 state-specific questions. Format: Two-part computer-based exam: 80 scored national questions (plus 5 unscored pretest) and 30 scored Kansas state questions (plus 10 unscored pretest); both portions must be passed.

• Create a Citizen Access account and submit the Salesperson Prelicensure application with the $15 application fee and $70 background fee.
• Get fingerprinted — livescan at a Pearson VUE center in Overland Park, Topeka, or Wichita ($16 paid to Pearson), at participating Kansas law enforcement agencies, or by mailing traditional fingerprint cards to KREC (livescan must be done in Kansas).
• Pass both portions of the salesperson exam at Pearson VUE before your Principles course certificate expires.
• Line up a supervising Kansas broker — your application must be approved by a supervising or branch broker certifying your honesty, trustworthiness, and good reputation. Kansas will not issue an original license on inactive status.
• Submit the license application online with the $125 license fee, plus any license history certifications or court documents if applicable.
• KREC staff review and process applications within about 7-10 business days; you'll be emailed if anything else is needed.

Your Kansas 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.