# Real Estate License Guide

> Straight-answer guides to getting and renewing a U.S. real estate license, written and reviewed by a licensed broker since 2004.

Real Estate License Guide covers pre-licensing requirements for all 50 states plus D.C., exam prep, salary and take-home data, continuing education, and how to choose a first brokerage.

## State guides

- [All state license requirements](/): Compare hours, cost, timeline, and exam for every U.S. state.
- [Ohio real estate license](/ohio): Hours, cost, exam, and steps for Ohio.
- [Texas real estate license](/texas): Hours, cost, exam, and steps for Texas.
- [Florida real estate license](/florida): Hours, cost, exam, and steps for Florida.
- [California real estate license](/california): Hours, cost, exam, and steps for California.
- [New York real estate license](/new-york): Hours, cost, exam, and steps for New York.

## Comparison hubs

- [Cheapest states to get licensed](/cheapest-states-real-estate-license): Ranked by total pre-licensing cost.
- [Fastest states to get licensed](/fastest-states-real-estate-license): Ranked by weeks to license.
- [Broker-entry states](/broker-entry-states): States that license new agents directly as brokers.
- [License reciprocity by state](/real-estate-license-reciprocity): Full, partial, recognition, or none — for every state.
- [Agent salary by state](/real-estate-agent-salary-by-state): BLS median and mean pay for every state.

## Tools and prep

- [Take-home income calculator](/real-estate-agent-income-calculator): Estimate net commission after splits, fees, and taxes.
- [Practice exam](/real-estate-practice-exam): Free national-portion practice questions with explanations.
- [How hard is the exam?](/how-hard-is-the-real-estate-exam): State-by-state pass rates and what to expect.
- [Study guide](/study-guide): National exam study guide covering every tested topic.
- [License renewal & CE by state](/real-estate-license-renewal): Renewal cycles and CE hours for every jurisdiction.

## For new agents

- [Choosing a brokerage](/choosing-a-brokerage): The four brokerage models and what to ask before signing.
- [Schools we've reviewed](/schools): Online pre-licensing school comparisons.
- [The CE Shop review](/schools/the-ce-shop): Detailed review of the largest online real estate school.
- [Articles](/articles): Longer editorial pieces on getting licensed and starting out.

## About

- [About](/about): Who writes this site.
- [Affiliate disclosure](/disclosure): How we make money.
- [Privacy policy](/privacy): What we collect and how we use it.