How to become a real estate agent in Louisiana

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the LREC pages are the versions read on the date shown, the fee schedule is the one enacted by Act 193 of 2021, and Pearson VUE's handbook is its July 2024 edition), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the LREC's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1Louisiana real estate license requirements

• Age: at least 18 years of age.
• Education: a high school diploma or equivalency certificate (GED).
• Courses: 90 hours of real estate education in LREC-approved courses covering principles and practices, the Louisiana Real Estate License Law, Commission rules, the law of agency and civil law on real estate, from a state-certified school; college courses can be credited on review, and courses more than five years old may earn only partial credit.
• Exam: a pass on the real estate salesperson licensing examination, given by Pearson VUE only after the LREC has processed your application and authorized you to test.
• Background: a fingerprint-based criminal history review by the Louisiana State Police and the FBI, required of every initial applicant under Act 553 of 2022 and taken at an IdentoGO location since November 6, 2023.
• Sponsor and insurance: supervision by a licensed Louisiana broker and proof of errors and omissions insurance before the license is issued; every active licensee must carry it under R.S. 37:1466.

See how Louisiana compares with every other state on the requirements by state table.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Become Licensed: Salesperson, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Salesperson Pre-licensing Education, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Salesperson Pre-Licensing Checklist (November 2023 revision, fingerprinting via IdentoGO), read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Fingerprint Criminal History Review, and the fingerprinting answer in its FAQs, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Errors and Omissions, read September 9, 2026.

2Steps to get your Louisiana real estate license, in order

1. Complete the 90-hour Real Estate 101 course

   Online or in a live classroom at an LREC state-certified school; the completion certificate goes in with the application.

2. Mail the Initial Salesperson License Application, Part A, with the fee

   The LREC accepts applications only by mail or in person, with the course certificate and the required fee; do not pay the errors and omissions premium at this stage. The statutory salesperson license fee is $45 and the processing fee $25.

3. Book and pass the Pearson VUE exam for $81

   Pearson VUE emails you to schedule once the LREC processes the application; the combined exam is 135 questions in 240 minutes, scored on a scale where 70 passes each portion, and the authorization allows unlimited attempts for one year.

4. Get fingerprinted through IdentoGO

   Book a Livescan appointment at any IdentoGO location, or mail a fingerprint card from local law enforcement; the digital submission costs $60.75 ($95.74 for out-of-state applicants at an IdentoGO office, $55.75 for mailed cards).

5. File Part B with your broker and errors and omissions insurance

   After passing both portions, submit the Initial Real Estate License Application, Part B, with proof of insurance: either the LREC group policy at the prorated premium in the form, or an independent policy with its declarations page. You may instead ask for the license in inactive status if you have no sponsoring broker yet.

6. Complete 45 hours of post-licensing education within 180 days

   A one-time requirement with its own examination, taken from an LREC-certified school; it is separate from the annual continuing education, though the hours may count toward the first year's 12.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Salesperson Pre-Licensing Checklist (November 2023 revision, fingerprinting via IdentoGO), read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate License Law as published by the LREC: R.S. 37:1437, 1442 and 1443 (fees as amended by Act 193 of 2021, effective April 1, 2022), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Louisiana Appraisers Board Candidate Handbook, July 2024, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Post Licensing Education Requirements, read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Louisiana real estate license costs

The LREC's fees are set in the license law and Pearson VUE's in its handbook; the fingerprint fee is in the LREC's FAQ, the errors and omissions premium in the Part B form, and tuition is set by the schools.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate License Law as published by the LREC: R.S. 37:1437, 1442 and 1443 (fees as amended by Act 193 of 2021, effective April 1, 2022), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Louisiana Appraisers Board Candidate Handbook, July 2024, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Errors and Omissions, read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 90 course hours, a mailed application the LREC must process before Pearson VUE will book you, one sitting of up to 240 minutes, fingerprinting, and the Part B filing with a broker and insurance; the LREC publishes no typical processing time on the pages read for this guide, and the exam authorization lasts one year. Those parts come from the LREC's own pages and checklist and the exam vendor's handbook, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 90 hours at a state-certified school, at its pace.
• Application, Part A: mailed or dropped off with the certificate and fee; no processing time is published.
• Exam: 240 minutes for the combined exam at a Pearson VUE center; the authorization and a passed portion each last one year.
• License and post-licensing: Part B with broker and insurance, then 45 hours of post-licensing education within 180 days.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Salesperson Pre-licensing Education, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Salesperson Pre-Licensing Checklist (November 2023 revision, fingerprinting via IdentoGO), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Louisiana Appraisers Board Candidate Handbook, July 2024, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Post Licensing Education Requirements, read September 9, 2026.

5The Louisiana real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 135 questions in 4 hours, two portions, national (80 questions, 150 minutes) and Louisiana state (55 questions, 90 minutes), bookable together in one 240-minute sitting at a Pearson VUE center. You need a scaled score of 70 on each portion; numeric scores are reported only to failing candidates to pass. Results are given at the test center; a passed portion is good for one year, and only the failed portion is retaken. Retakes: unlimited attempts within the one-year authorization without going back to the LREC; a repeat of both portions costs $96, one portion $42 or $39. If the authorization year ends with one portion passed, a new application and fee are needed, and the passed portion still counts for one year.

Pass rate

Neither the LREC nor Pearson VUE publishes a pass rate for the Louisiana salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: Pearson VUE, Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Louisiana Appraisers Board Candidate Handbook, July 2024, read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

Yes, with nine states, plus endorsement for residents. A current legal resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma or Pennsylvania who holds a license there can apply for the same license type by reciprocity, keeping it only while resident in that state. Since Act 253 of 2024, a Louisiana resident licensed at least one year in any state can apply by endorsement under the Welcome Home Act, passing only the Louisiana state exam and completing the 45-hour post-licensing course. Anyone else licensed elsewhere can ask the LREC to credit their coursework and, if they passed an equivalent exam within five years, to waive the national portion.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Become Licensed: Reciprocal, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Welcome Home Act: Licensure by Endorsement (Act 253 of 2024), read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The license runs one year: every license expires December 31 and renews by September 30. To renew you complete 12 clock hours of approved continuing education within the license period and pay $35 on time, or $35 plus a $50 delinquent fee from October 1 to November 15, or $200 for an active licensee from November 16 to December 31; after December 31 the license is forfeited and you apply again as a new applicant late.

First renewal: 45 hours of post-licensing education with an examination within 180 days of the initial license, unless the license goes inactive within that time; a license issued January to August must still be renewed by September 30 of the same year, and one issued from September 1 by December 31 without delinquent fees.

Later renewals: 12 hours of approved continuing education each year by December 31, including the LREC's mandatory topic for the year (for 2026, Transparency, Technology and Trust, or the commercial alternate), through an LREC-certified vendor; missing it is a rule violation subject to a fine.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate License Law as published by the LREC: R.S. 37:1437, 1442 and 1443 (fees as amended by Act 193 of 2021, effective April 1, 2022), read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Post Licensing Education Requirements, read September 9, 2026; Louisiana Real Estate Commission, Continuing Education Requirements (2026 mandatory topics), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Louisiana

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Louisiana, 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.

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), Louisiana, read September 8, 2026.

9After the license: choosing a brokerage in Louisiana

A new salesperson license is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 4,575 Louisiana agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Keller Williams with 1,140 of them, and the largest brand was Keller Williams with 1,140. Ask each brokerage for its commission split and fees in writing before you sign.

Source: Realty Census, Louisiana count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/louisiana/), 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

The LREC certifies the pre-licensing schools ($650 to certify), post-licensing vendors and continuing education vendors, and publishes each list on its site; only their courses count. The list is at the LREC's pre-licensing education page.

The full list, alphabetical with what the LREC publishes about each provider, is on the Louisiana real estate schools page.

This page carries no affiliate links. The Louisiana schools page says at its top whether it carries any; schools there are alphabetical, never ordered by commission.

Source: Louisiana Real Estate License Law as published by the LREC: R.S. 37:1437, 1442 and 1443 (fees as amended by Act 193 of 2021, effective April 1, 2022), read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Louisiana

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

The fixed parts are 90 course hours, a mailed application the LREC must process before Pearson VUE will book you, one sitting of up to 240 minutes, fingerprinting, and the Part B filing with a broker and insurance; the LREC publishes no typical processing time on the pages read for this guide, and the exam authorization lasts one year. The course is 90 hours at the school's pace; the application is mailed and processed before Pearson VUE will schedule you; the exam is one sitting of up to four hours with unlimited attempts for a year; fingerprints and the Part B filing follow; and 45 hours of post-licensing education are due within 180 days of the license. The LREC publishes no typical processing time.

How much does it cost to get a real estate license in Louisiana?

$211.75 to the state and its vendors ($45 license, $25 processing, $81 exam, $60.75 fingerprints), plus tuition for the pre-license course, the errors and omissions premium, set by the LREC group policy chart or your own insurer, and tuition for the 90 hours plus the 45-hour post-licensing course, which the schools set.

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

Neither the LREC nor Pearson VUE publishes a pass rate for the Louisiana salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in Louisiana?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Louisiana is $45,850 a year, with the middle half earning between $31,110 and $62,350. 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.

Does Louisiana have real estate license reciprocity?

Partly. Residents of nine reciprocal states can hold a Louisiana license by reciprocity; a Louisiana resident licensed elsewhere for a year can apply by endorsement and sit only the state exam; others can ask the LREC to credit their coursework and national exam.

Sources and dates