This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the DLCP page is the version read on the date shown and PSI's bulletin is its June 3, 2026 update; the DLCP's fee schedule for real estate licenses could not be located on its site, so no application or license fee is stated here), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the Commission's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.
1District of Columbia real estate license requirements
- Age: identification confirming an age of at least 18, presented at the test center.
- Course: the 60-hour salesperson pre-licensing course from a DC Real Estate Commission-approved educational provider.
- Exam: passing scores on both the national and DC portions of the salesperson exam; a failed portion must be passed within six months of the first attempt.
- Deadline: a license application to the Commission, with the required fees, within six months of passing the examination.
- Documents: a 2-inch passport-style photo in .jpeg format, an unexpired government-issued ID and a debit or credit card for the application, exam and license fees.
- Broker: affiliation with a DC-licensed broker; every DC salesperson must be affiliated with one.
See how District of Columbia compares with every other state on the requirements by state table.
Source: PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026; DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026.
2Steps to get your District of Columbia real estate license, in order
Complete the 60-hour course with an approved provider
The Commission publishes its list of approved pre-license education providers on the DLCP page.
Schedule and pass the PSI exam
Book online or by phone with PSI as a salesperson candidate, bring proof of the 60-hour course and identification showing you are 18 or over, and pass both the national and DC portions; a failed portion is retaken alone within six months.
Apply online within six months of passing
Through the DLCP's online licensing portal, with the photo, ID and card for the fees; applications go to the Commission, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month except August, fifteen business days after filing.
Affiliate with a DC-licensed broker
Every licensed salesperson must be affiliated with a DC-licensed broker; the license then runs to August 31 of the next odd-numbered year.
Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026; PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026.
3How much a District of Columbia real estate license costs
The DLCP page says the application, exam and license fees are paid by card in its portal but does not print the amounts, and the bulletin read gives no exam fee, so no figures are stated; tuition for the 60 hours is set by the providers.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application, exam and license fees the exam fee is valid for one year from payment | paid by debit or credit card through the DLCP portal and PSI; the amounts were not on the documents read for this guide |
| Paid to PSI and the DLCP no fee amounts were printed on the documents read | $0 |
Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026.
4How long it takes to become a real estate agent in District of Columbia
The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one PSI sitting with any failed portion retaken within six months of the first attempt, an online application within six months of passing, and the Commission's monthly meeting; the DLCP asks for applications fifteen business days before a meeting. Those parts come from the DLCP's own page and the exam vendor's bulletin, not a school's marketing:
- Course: 60 hours at an approved provider, at its pace.
- Exam: national and DC portions at a PSI center; six months to pass a failed portion.
- Application: online within six months of passing; fifteen business days before a monthly Commission meeting.
- License: runs to August 31 of the next odd-numbered year.
Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026; PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026.
5The District of Columbia real estate exam
The salesperson exam is a national portion and a DC portion; the bulletin read gives no question counts for the salesperson exam, national and DC law portions given by PSI at its test centers, booked online or by phone. You need passing scores on both portions; the DLCP page sets 75 percent for the DC portion taken by endorsement applicants to pass. A candidate who fails one portion retakes only that portion, within six months of the first attempt. Retakes: only the failed portion is retaken, within six months of the first examination attempt; the exam fee is valid for one year from payment.
Pass rate
Neither the Commission nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the DC salesperson exam on the page or bulletin read for this guide, so none is shown here.
Source: PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026; DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026.
Practice for the District of Columbia exam: the free national practice test, and the District of Columbia Exam Prep Pass with timed exams in the District of Columbia Real Estate Commission format and questions on District of Columbia law.
6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?
By endorsement. A salesperson licensed elsewhere with pre-licensing education meeting or exceeding the District's 60 hours completes a 3-hour Commission-approved fair housing course and a 3-hour property management course, passes the DC portion of the salesperson exam with at least 75 percent, and files an original letter of license certification dated within 90 days with the official seal.
Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026.
7Renewal and continuing education
The license runs two years, with salesperson licenses expiring August 31 of odd-numbered years. To renew you complete 15 clock hours of approved continuing education within the license period.
First renewal: no continuing education for the rest of the cycle in which the license is first issued, though the license must still be renewed when that cycle ends.
Later renewals: 15 hours of continuing education in each two-year licensing cycle; the renewal fee was not on the documents read for this guide.
Source: PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026.
8How much real estate agents make in District of Columbia
The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For District of Columbia, release May 2025:
| District of Columbia, real estate sales agents | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $44,180 |
| Median | $123,770 |
| 75th percentile | $123,770 |
| Agents counted by BLS in the state | 590 |
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 reports the same figure for the District's median and 75th percentile, which happens when the wage distribution is capped in its survey.
Every state is ranked on the same survey on the salary by state page.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents (41-9022), District of Columbia, read September 8, 2026.
9After the license: choosing a brokerage in District of Columbia
A new salesperson license is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 1,168 District of Columbia agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Compass with 364 of them, and the largest brand was Compass with 364. Ask each brokerage for its commission split and fees in writing before you sign.
Source: Realty Census, District of Columbia count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/district-of-columbia/), read September 9, 2026.
One thing worth knowing before your profile goes live: a brokerage profile page is public, and the contact details on it get collected and sold as marketing lists, such as the District of Columbia list from US Realtor List, which is why vendor email tends to start the week an agent's profile first appears. Any list of this kind should tell you how to come off it, and a reputable one acts on that request.
10Pre-license schools in District of Columbia
The Commission approves the pre-license education providers and publishes the list as a PDF on the DLCP page; only an approved provider's 60-hour course qualifies. The list is at the DLCP's Real Estate Commission page.
The full list, alphabetical with what the Commission publishes about each provider, is on the District of Columbia real estate schools page.
This page carries no affiliate links. The District of Columbia schools page says at its top whether it carries any; schools there are alphabetical, never ordered by commission.
Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026.
Questions people ask about becoming an agent in District of Columbia
- How long does it take to become a real estate agent in District of Columbia?
- The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one PSI sitting with any failed portion retaken within six months of the first attempt, an online application within six months of passing, and the Commission's monthly meeting; the DLCP asks for applications fifteen business days before a meeting. The course is 60 hours at the provider's pace; the exam is booked with PSI and a failed portion must be passed within six months of the first attempt; the application is filed online within six months of passing; and the Commission meets monthly except August, with applications due fifteen business days ahead.
- How much does it cost to get a real estate license in District of Columbia?
- $0 to the state and its vendors (), plus tuition for the pre-license course, the application, exam and license fees charged in the DLCP portal and by PSI, and tuition for the 60-hour course, which the providers set.
- What is the pass rate for the District of Columbia real estate exam?
- Neither the Commission nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the DC salesperson exam on the page or bulletin read for this guide, so none is shown here.
- How much do real estate agents make in District of Columbia?
- The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in District of Columbia is $123,770 a year, with the middle half earning between $44,180 and $123,770. 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 reports the same figure for the District's median and 75th percentile, which happens when the wage distribution is capped in its survey.
- Does District of Columbia have real estate license reciprocity?
- By endorsement: an out-of-state salesperson with 60 hours of education takes two 3-hour DC courses, passes the DC portion of the exam at 75 percent and files a recent license certification.
Sources and dates
Every figure above links to one of these. Dotted underlines mark sourced figures.
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Real Estate Commission (applicant requirements), read September 9, 2026
- PSI, District of Columbia Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 3, 2026), read September 9, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents (41-9022), District of Columbia, read September 8, 2026
- Realty Census, District of Columbia count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/district-of-columbia/), read September 9, 2026