How to become a real estate agent in Connecticut

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the DCP pages are the versions read on the date shown and PSI's bulletin is its November 13, 2025 update; the DCP's CE page already describes the March 2026 to February 2028 cycle), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the DCP's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1Connecticut real estate licence requirements

• Age: at least 18 years of age.
• Course: the Connecticut pre-licence 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course, from the DCP's list of approved courses, with the completion certificate filed with the application.
• Application: DCP approval of the examination application before you can register with PSI; broker supervision is not required to sit the exam.
• Exam: a pass on both portions of the PSI exam within one year of eligibility; if not, you reapply for another year.
• Activation: within two years of the most recently passed portion, supervision by a Connecticut-licensed broker and payment of the licence fee.
• Background: the DCP pages read for this guide state no fingerprint or criminal history check for salesperson applicants, so none is listed here.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam application page, read September 9, 2026.

2Steps to get your Connecticut real estate licence, in order

1. Complete the 60-hour course

   Only a DCP-approved Real Estate Principles and Practices course counts; the DCP notes that the pre-licensing course requirements changed and links the current list from the salesperson licence page.

2. Apply to the DCP online with the $80 application fee

   File the examination application with the course certificate through the DCP's online licensing account; once approved you receive instructions to register with PSI, and the fee is non-refundable.

3. Pass both portions of the PSI exam for $59

   The general portion is 80 questions in 120 minutes and the state portion 35 questions in 45 minutes; 70% passes, the exam can be taken on an unlimited basis for a year, and a retake of both portions is $51.

4. Activate under a Connecticut broker and pay the $590 licence fee

   Within two years of the last passed portion, submit the original PSI score reports signed by you and your supervising broker with the licence fee; salesperson licences then expire May 31 of every even-numbered year.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson (licence page), read September 9, 2026; Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam application page, read September 9, 2026; PSI, Connecticut Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated November 13, 2025), read September 9, 2026; Connecticut DCP, Real Estate: Non-Reciprocal application, read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Connecticut real estate licence costs

The DCP publishes its fees on the application pages and PSI's in its bulletin; tuition for the 60 hours is set by the schools.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam application page, read September 9, 2026; PSI, Connecticut Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated November 13, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

4How long it takes to become a real estate agent in Connecticut

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, the DCP's approval of the application, one PSI sitting of 165 minutes, and activation within two years of passing; the DCP publishes no typical application review time on the pages read for this guide. Those parts come from the DCP's own pages and the exam vendor's bulletin, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 60 hours at a DCP-approved school, at its pace.
• Application: reviewed and approved by the DCP before exam registration; no review time is published.
• Exam: 120 minutes for the general portion and 45 for the state portion at a PSI centre; eligibility lasts one year.
• Activation: any time within two years of the last passed portion, once a Connecticut broker agrees to supervise you.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam application page, read September 9, 2026; PSI, Connecticut Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated November 13, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

5The Connecticut real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 115 questions in 2.75 hours, two portions, general (120 minutes) and Connecticut state (45 minutes), multiple choice at a PSI test centre. You need a score of at least 70% on each portion to pass. The score report is emailed; a fail comes with a diagnostic report by topic. Retakes: unlimited attempts for one year from eligibility; a retake of both portions costs $51, and if both portions are not passed within the year a new application and fee are needed.

Pass rate

Neither the DCP nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the Connecticut salesperson exam on the pages or bulletin read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: PSI, Connecticut Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated November 13, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

Yes, with many states. The DCP holds mutual recognition agreements with a list of states published on its reciprocity page (Alabama and Colorado head the list; New York's agreement has been terminated). A salesperson licensed by examination in a reciprocal state applies with licence histories and $670 ($80 application, $570 licence, $20 guaranty fund), under a Connecticut-licensed supervising broker; applicants from Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, and anyone not licensed by examination, sit the state portion of the PSI exam. Licensees of non-reciprocal states apply under the non-reciprocal route and sit the state portion.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate: Reciprocal application, read September 9, 2026; Connecticut DCP, License Reciprocity for Real Estate Salesperson and Broker Licensing (list of states), read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs two years, with every salesperson licence expiring May 31 of even-numbered years. To renew you complete 12 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period and pay $578 on time, or $578 plus a $57 late fee if the renewal fee is not received by the expiry date; an inactive salesperson cannot renew without a sponsoring broker late.

First renewal: the full renewal fee is due at the first renewal cycle after the licence issues, but no continuing education is due for anyone who passed the Connecticut exam between March 1, 2026 and February 28, 2028.

Later renewals: 12 credit hours per two-year cycle, being the mandatory three-hour Connecticut Real Estate License Law course plus nine hours of electives, completed by the end of February before the May 31 expiry; licensees may instead pass PSI's 40-question Connecticut CE examination.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Broker and Salesperson Renewal, read September 9, 2026; Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Continuing Education (2026-2028 cycle), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Connecticut

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Connecticut, release May 2025:

BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home. BLS suppressed Connecticut's employment count in this release.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents (41-9022), Connecticut, read September 8, 2026.

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in Connecticut

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 6,325 Connecticut agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Coldwell Banker Realty with 1,942 of them, and the largest brand was Coldwell Banker with 1,997. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new Connecticut agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which Connecticut brokerages publish their pay plan.

Source: Realty Census, Connecticut count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/connecticut/), read September 9, 2026.

10Pre-licence schools in Connecticut

The DCP approves the schools and courses; only a Connecticut-approved 60-hour Principles and Practices course qualifies, and only DCP-approved courses count toward continuing education. The list is at the DCP's salesperson exam application page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for Connecticut is added with affiliate links, it will say so at the top, and schools will be ordered by what the state publishes or alphabetically, never by commission.

Source: Connecticut DCP, Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam application page, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Connecticut

How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Connecticut?

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, the DCP's approval of the application, one PSI sitting of 165 minutes, and activation within two years of passing; the DCP publishes no typical application review time on the pages read for this guide. The course is 60 hours at the school's pace; the DCP must approve the application before PSI will book you; the exam is one sitting of 120 plus 45 minutes, repeatable for a year; and the licence can be activated up to two years after passing. The DCP publishes no typical review time.

How much does it cost to get a real estate licence in Connecticut?

$729 to the state and its vendors ($80 application, $59 exam, $590 licence), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, tuition for the 60-hour course, which the approved schools set.

What is the pass rate for the Connecticut real estate exam?

Neither the DCP nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the Connecticut salesperson exam on the pages or bulletin read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in Connecticut?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Connecticut is $46,770 a year, with the middle half earning between $42,850 and $67,710. BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home. BLS suppressed Connecticut's employment count in this release.

Does Connecticut have real estate licence reciprocity?

Yes. Connecticut has mutual recognition agreements with a published list of states; a licensee from one applies with licence histories and the fees, and from four of those states, or from any non-reciprocal state, sits only the state portion of the exam.

Sources and dates