How to become a real estate agent in Maryland

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the Commission's fee page carries fees effective April 27, 2026, its CE page the rules effective October 1, 2025, and PSI's bulletin is its August 15, 2024 update), 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.

1Maryland real estate license requirements

• Age and character: at least 18 years old, and of good character and reputation; a felony or misdemeanor conviction is reviewed rather than an automatic bar.
• Course: the 60-hour salesperson pre-licensing course with a Commission-approved education provider; the provider reports your eligibility to PSI electronically and it expires one year to the day from issue.
• Exam: a pass on both the national and state portions with at least 70% each, both within one year of course completion.
• Deadline: an application for licensure within one year of passing both portions, or the score expires.
• License type: a residential license allows both residential and commercial work; a commercial-only license allows only commercial transactions.
• Background: the Commission's pages read for this guide state no fingerprint requirement for salesperson applicants, so none is listed here.

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

Source: PSI, State of Maryland Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (updated August 15, 2024), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Taking the Exam, read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Licensing Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026.

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

1. Complete the 60-hour course with an approved provider

   The provider uploads your exam eligibility to PSI; paper applications are returned, and eligibility runs one year to the day.

2. Book and pass both PSI portions for $44

   The national portion is 80 questions in 90 minutes and the state portion 30 questions in 30 minutes, two hours in all by computer at PSI centers in Baltimore, College Park, Crofton, Hagerstown and Lanham; 70% passes each portion, and a failed portion is retaken alone with no limit on attempts.

3. Wait for the Commission's email with your registration number

   After passing both portions, an email arrives within five to seven business days with your registration or license number and the steps to apply online.

4. Apply online within one year and pay $98

   The original salesperson license fee includes a $20 payment to the Guaranty Fund; the application must be filed within a year of passing or the score expires.

Source: PSI, State of Maryland Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (updated August 15, 2024), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Taking the Exam, read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Licensing Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Forms and Fees (fees effective April 27, 2026), read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Maryland real estate license costs

The Commission publishes its fees on one page and PSI's exam fee on its exam page; tuition for the 60 hours is set by the approved providers.

Source: Maryland Real Estate Commission, Taking the Exam, read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Forms and Fees (fees effective April 27, 2026), read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one two-hour PSI sitting, the Commission's email five to seven business days after the pass, and an online application within a year; the Commission publishes no typical application review time on the pages read for this guide. Those parts come from the Commission's own pages and the exam vendor's bulletin, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 60 hours with an approved provider, at its pace; eligibility then lasts one year.
• Exam: 90 minutes for the national portion and 30 for the state portion, given daily at PSI centers by appointment.
• Registration number: emailed five to seven business days after both portions are passed.
• Application: online, within one year of passing; no review time is published.

Source: PSI, State of Maryland Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (updated August 15, 2024), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Taking the Exam, read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Licensing Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026.

5The Maryland real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 110 questions in 2 hours, two portions, national (90 minutes) and Maryland state (30 minutes), by computer at a PSI test center. You need a grade of at least 70% on each portion to pass. Failing candidates receive a score report with a diagnostic breakdown by topic; a passing score on one portion stays valid until the deadline set by your course completion date. Retakes: only the failed portion is retaken, with a new registration and fee each time and no limit on the number of attempts, as long as both portions are passed within a year of course completion.

Pass rate

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

Source: PSI, State of Maryland Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (updated August 15, 2024), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Taking the Exam, read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

With Pennsylvania and Oklahoma only, under Title 17-3A. A reciprocal licensee files a certified license history, keeps the home license current, and applies under a Maryland-licensed broker whose principal office is outside Maryland; Pennsylvania licensees are excused from the exam and from continuing education, Oklahoma licensees sit the state portion. The reciprocal license runs two years and is void if the home license lapses. Everyone else applies for Out-of-State License Recognition: a certificate of licensure dated within 120 days from the state of first license, reviewed case by case for waivers of education and experience, with a reply in ten to twelve business days.

Source: Maryland Real Estate Commission, Apply for a Reciprocal License (Pennsylvania and Oklahoma), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Out-of-State License Recognition, read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The license runs two years. To renew you complete 15 clock hours of approved continuing education within the license period and pay $78 on time, or $78 plus a $75 late fee for continuing education finished late, or $168 to reinstate an expired license; a license expired more than three years means retesting late.

First renewal: for a salesperson first licensed on or after October 1, 2023, 15 hours in six mandatory topics: Contracts 3, Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure 3, Principles of Real Estate Practice 3, Property Management and Landlord and Tenant Laws 3, Professionalism 1.5 and Real Estate Financing 1.5, which cannot be substituted with other education.

Later renewals: 15 hours per term: Legal and Legislative Update 3, Fair Housing 2 (or the federal ADA course for commercial-only licensees), Ethics 3, Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure 3, and 4 hours of electives, completed during the term and at least 30 days before the renewal application.

Source: Maryland Code, Business Occupations and Professions, section 17-314, Term and renewal of licenses (Maryland General Assembly), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Forms and Fees (fees effective April 27, 2026), read September 9, 2026; Maryland Real Estate Commission, Continuing Education Requirements (effective October 1, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Maryland

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Maryland, 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), Maryland, read September 8, 2026.

9After the license: choosing a brokerage in Maryland

A new salesperson license is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 7,111 Maryland agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Keller Williams with 1,617 of them, and the largest brand was Keller Williams with 1,617. Ask each brokerage for its commission split and fees in writing before you sign.

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

The Commission approves the education providers for pre-licensing and continuing education and lists them on its website; CE course approval costs a provider $25 per course. The list is at the Commission's website.

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

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

Source: Maryland Real Estate Commission, Licensing Frequently Asked Questions, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Maryland

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

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one two-hour PSI sitting, the Commission's email five to seven business days after the pass, and an online application within a year; the Commission publishes no typical application review time on the pages read for this guide. The course is 60 hours at the provider's pace; the exam is one two-hour PSI sitting; the Commission emails your registration number five to seven business days after you pass; and the online application must be filed within a year. The Commission publishes no typical review time.

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

$142 to the state and its vendors ($44 exam, $98 license), plus tuition for the pre-license course, tuition for the 60-hour course, which the approved providers set.

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

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

How much do real estate agents make in Maryland?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Maryland is $52,630 a year, with the middle half earning between $43,070 and $77,990. 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 Maryland have real estate license reciprocity?

Only with Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Other active licensees send a recent certificate of licensure to the Commission's education director for an individual waiver review, then sit whatever exam the review requires.

Sources and dates