How to become a real estate agent in Iowa

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the DIAL pages are the versions read on the date shown (the 2026 pages moved from plb.iowa.gov to dial.iowa.gov) and PSI's bulletin is the 2024 edition DIAL publishes; the licence and renewal fees are shown only inside the My Iowa PLB portal and were not read), 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.

1Iowa real estate licence requirements

• Age: 18 years of age when the application is submitted; there are no residency or citizenship requirements, though lawful presence is verified through SAVE.
• Courses: a 60-hour pre-licence course in real estate principles and practices, live or online, plus three 12-hour live courses: Buying Practices, Listing Practices, and Developing Professionalism and Ethical Practices; all taken less than one year before the Commission receives the complete application.
• Exam: a pass on the state and national portions after the 60-hour course, with the course under a year old at the exam; each pass is valid until the last working day of the sixth month after the pass date.
• Background: a national criminal history check through the FBI, requested through the My Iowa PLB portal with a $51 fee, fingerprint card and waiver; it can take four weeks or more, averages five to six weeks once complete, and is valid for 210 calendar days.
• Insurance: uninterrupted errors and omissions insurance for every active licensee, with proof at the initial application; the Commission's group policy is through Rice Insurance Services Center.
• Application: submitted electronically through My Iowa PLB, where a broker signs and staff review can take up to 14 business days.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Criminal History Background, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Errors and Omission Insurance, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Application Statuses, read September 9, 2026.

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

1. Start the FBI background check early

   Request the fingerprint packet through the RE - Background Request application in My Iowa PLB with the $51 fee; do not send prints to the FBI or the Division of Criminal Investigation yourself.

2. Complete the 60-hour course and the three 12-hour live courses

   From approved providers, in any order, all within a year of the application; only the 60-hour course is needed before the exam.

3. Pass both portions of the PSI exam for $95

   The national portion is 80 questions in 120 minutes with 56 to pass and the state portion 40 questions in 60 minutes with 28, or both in 180 minutes; PSI tests in West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs, and a registration expires 90 days after it is made.

4. Buy errors and omissions insurance and apply in My Iowa PLB

   Upload the certificates, score report and proof of insurance; the application passes to your broker for signature and to the background coordinator, and staff review takes up to 14 business days, with the licence fee paid at the final step.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Criminal History Background, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026; PSI, Licensing Information Bulletin, Iowa Real Estate Commission (2024 edition, published by DIAL), read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Application Statuses, read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Iowa real estate licence costs

DIAL states PSI's exam fee and the background-check fee on its pages; the licence fee appears only in the portal at the payment step and was not read, and tuition is set by the approved providers.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Criminal History Background, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Application Statuses, read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 96 course hours, a background check DIAL says takes four weeks or more and averages five to six weeks, one PSI sitting of up to 180 minutes, and an online application reviewed within 14 business days; everything must fit inside the one-year life of the courses and the six-month life of the exam. Those parts come from DIAL's own pages and the exam vendor's bulletin, not a school's marketing:

• Background check: four weeks or more, averaging five to six weeks; valid 210 days.
• Courses: 60 hours plus three 12-hour live courses, at the providers' pace, within a year of applying.
• Exam: 120 minutes national and 60 minutes state at a PSI centre; valid to the end of the sixth month.
• Application: online; staff review up to 14 business days, broker signature and background review, then payment.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Criminal History Background, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026; PSI, Licensing Information Bulletin, Iowa Real Estate Commission (2024 edition, published by DIAL), read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Application Statuses, read September 9, 2026.

5The Iowa real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 120 questions in 3 hours, two portions, national (120 minutes) and Iowa state (60 minutes), or both in one 180-minute sitting at a PSI test centre. You need 56 of 80 on the national portion and 28 of 40 on the state portion, which is 70% of each to pass. A passed portion is valid until the last working day of the sixth month after the pass date, and both must be valid when the application is submitted. Retakes: a failed portion is retaken by paying PSI again and rebooking; each registration must be used within 90 days, and the pass must still be under six months old at application.

Pass rate

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

Source: PSI, Licensing Information Bulletin, Iowa Real Estate Commission (2024 edition, published by DIAL), read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

With seven states, by residency. A resident of Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi or North Dakota who received their original licence there can be licensed by reciprocity, assigned to the same company that holds that licence, after the Iowa background check and with a certificate of licence history and Iowa errors and omissions insurance. Others licensed elsewhere may qualify under Administrative Rule 5.3.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Reciprocity Licensing, read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs three years, expiring December 31, with renewals opening November 16. To renew you complete 36 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period.

First renewal: the same 36 hours as every cycle; there is no separate post-licence course beyond the three 12-hour courses taken before licensing.

Later renewals: 36 hours per three-year cycle by December 31 of the renewal year: 8 hours of Law Update, 4 of Ethics and 24 of approved electives, at least 12 by live instruction and at most 24 by distance learning, with up to 18 unused elective hours carried forward; there is no grace period, an inactive renewal needs no CE, and the renewal fee is paid in the portal.

Source: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate FAQs, read September 9, 2026; Iowa DIAL, IREC Continuing Education Requirements, read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Iowa

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Iowa, 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 the Iowa wage figures for this occupation in the May 2025 release and published only the employment count.

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

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in Iowa

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 2,203 Iowa agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was RE/MAX with 1,074 of them, and the largest brand was RE/MAX with 1,074. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new Iowa agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which Iowa brokerages publish their pay plan.

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

10Pre-licence schools in Iowa

All schools, courses and instructors for pre-licence and continuing education must be approved in advance by the Commission under IAC 481 chapter 2017, after Iowa College Aid approval; the provider list and course search are on DIAL's education page. The list is at DIAL's real estate licensing education page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for Iowa 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: Iowa DIAL, Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Iowa

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

The fixed parts are 96 course hours, a background check DIAL says takes four weeks or more and averages five to six weeks, one PSI sitting of up to 180 minutes, and an online application reviewed within 14 business days; everything must fit inside the one-year life of the courses and the six-month life of the exam. The courses are 96 hours at the providers' pace; the background check averages five to six weeks and can be started any time; the exam is one three-hour sitting; and the application is reviewed within 14 business days. The courses must be under a year old and the exam under six months old when the application arrives.

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

$146 to the state and its vendors ($95 exam, $51 background check), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, the licence fee charged in the portal, errors and omissions insurance, and tuition for the 96 hours of courses, which the providers set.

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

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

How much do real estate agents make in Iowa?

BLS did not publish a wage figure for real estate sales agents in Iowa in its May 2025 release. 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 the Iowa wage figures for this occupation in the May 2025 release and published only the employment count.

Does Iowa have real estate licence reciprocity?

Yes, for residents of seven states who were first licensed there and stay with the same company; everyone else looks to the Commission's Rule 5.3 route.

Sources and dates