Real estate license in Pennsylvania: cost, hours and steps
Pennsylvania's salesperson license costs $149 in fees and 75 hours of basic courses, with a reciprocal route for agents licensed in other states.
Real estate license fees in Pennsylvania
$149
paid to the state and its exam and fingerprint vendors
| Application and license | $97 |
| Exams | $52 |
| Training: 75 pre-licensing course hours | about 5 weeks |
| Renewals in 5 years, every 2 years | 2 × $96 = $192 |
Real estate salesperson license. Fees read on official pages, October 20, 2026.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial fee ($72 licensure + $25 application) | $97 |
| Salesperson exam, national + PA state portions combined (Pearson VUE) | $52 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the totals are built · Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission · read October 20, 2026
A Pennsylvania real estate salesperson license costs $149 in fees when the exam is passed at the first sitting. The State Real Estate Commission charges an initial fee of $97, which combines a $72 licensure fee and a $25 application fee, and Pearson VUE charges $52 for the salesperson exam with its national and Pennsylvania portions taken together. 6 of the 20 states priced here are cheaper; the median is $203. The education is 75 hours, or five credits, of basic real estate courses, completed within the five years before you pass the exam. Instead of fingerprints, Pennsylvania asks for a state police criminal history record check dated within 180 days of the application; its fee was not read on an official page. Agents licensed in another state can apply for a reciprocal license. The license renews every 2 years for $96 with 14 hours of continuing education.
Step one: five credits of coursework
Pennsylvania counts its pre-licensing education in credits: 75 hours make five credits of basic real estate courses. The courses have a shelf life. They must fall within the five years before you pass the exam, which is generous compared with states that give one or two years, and useful for a candidate who studies slowly or pauses midway.
Pennsylvania course hours at your weekly pace
Real estate training in Pennsylvania
5 weeks
| Required hours | 75 |
| Months at that pace | 1.2 |
| First-license fees | $149 |
Step two: the Pearson VUE exam
The salesperson exam has a national portion and a Pennsylvania portion. Booked as one combined sitting, it costs $52 according to the October 2026 Pearson VUE handbook. The handbook also prices each portion separately, which matters for a candidate who passes one and has to come back for the other.
Step three: background check, then the application
Pennsylvania does not take fingerprints for this license. It uses the state police criminal history record check, known as PATCH, and the report must be dated within 180 days of the application. The PATCH fee was not on the official pages read, so it is outside the $149 total. The application itself carries the $97 initial fee, which the Commission's licensure snapshot breaks into $72 for licensure and $25 for the application. Once issued, the license is mailed to the main office of your employing broker within seven to ten business days, not to your home.
Reciprocity for out-of-state agents
A salesperson or broker who holds a current license from another state, and whose main place of business is outside Pennsylvania, may receive a reciprocal license. Licensed out-of-state candidates who take the exam sit only the Pennsylvania portion, skipping the national one.
Renewal
The license is biennial: $96 every 2 years, with 14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education. Over six years, that is 3 renewals and $288. Neighbors differ: Ohio renews every 3 years, and New Jersey runs a 2-year term whose renewal fee was not published on the pages read.
Every real estate fee in Pennsylvania, with its source
| Fee | Amount | In the total | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fee ($72 licensure + $25 application) | $97 | counted | source |
| Salesperson exam, national + PA state portions combined (Pearson VUE) | $52 per attempt | counted | source |
| Renewal | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle | every 2 years |
| Fee | $96 |
| Continuing education | 14 hours per cycle |
| Required training | 75 pre-licensing course hours. 75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate courses; courses within 5 years before passing the exam. |