How to become a real estate agent in New Hampshire

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the OPLC pages are the versions read on the date shown and the candidate handbook is PSI's October 30, 2024 update; gencourt.state.nh.us refuses automated readers, so the statute sections come from Internet Archive captures), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the OPLC's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1New Hampshire real estate license requirements

• Age: has attained the age of 18.
• Course: 40 hours of approved study completed before the exam date: at least 32 hours of classroom attendance and no more than 8 hours of distance education, finished within six months, covering 34 hours of national material and 6 hours of New Hampshire material.
• Exam: a pass on both the national and state portions of the Commission's exam, taken within three months of registering; a candidate who has not passed both within six months of the first sitting, or after eight attempts, repeats the pre-license course.
• Character: no record of unprofessional conduct, evidence of a good reputation for honesty, trustworthiness and integrity, and affidavits from three character references who are not relatives.
• Background: a notarized criminal record release to the Department of Safety, Division of State Police, under RSA 331-A:10-a, plus a criminal history report from any other state where you have an unannulled conviction, all dated within six months of the application.
• Non-residents: the same conditions as residents, plus an irrevocable consent to service of process in New Hampshire.

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

Source: RSA 331-A:10, Qualifications for Licensure (New Hampshire General Court; Internet Archive capture of August 19, 2025), read September 9, 2026; PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026; OPLC, Real Estate Commission salesperson application checklist (PDF), read September 9, 2026.

2Steps to get your New Hampshire real estate license, in order

1. Complete 40 hours of approved study

   At an accredited school, with at least 32 hours in a classroom; candidates who pass any part of the exam without having met the education requirement first must retake the whole exam.

2. Register with PSI and pass both portions

   The national portion is 80 items in 150 minutes with 56 points to pass and the state portion 40 items in 90 minutes with 28 points, or both together in 240 minutes; registration is online with PSI, which no longer takes paper forms, and the exam must be taken within three months of registering.

3. Send the criminal record release to the State Police

   The notarized release goes to the Division of State Police with its fee; reports are valid for six months, so time them against the application.

4. Apply to the OPLC with $99, three references and the score sheets

   Through the Commission's new Salesforce licensing portal, with the original passing score sheets, the character affidavits and answers to the six background questions; the license issues on approval and expires two years from the date of issue.

Source: PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026; RSA 331-A:15, Issuance of License (Internet Archive capture), read September 9, 2026.

3How much a New Hampshire real estate license costs

The OPLC publishes its fees on one page; PSI's exam fee is set at registration and was not printed in the handbook read, and the State Police and the schools set the rest.

Source: OPLC, Real Estate License Fees, read September 9, 2026; OPLC, Real Estate Examination Information, read September 9, 2026; PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 40 course hours finished within six months, a PSI sitting within three months of registering, a criminal record release that lasts six months, and the OPLC application; the OPLC publishes no typical processing time on the pages read for this guide. Those parts come from the statute, the OPLC's pages and the Commission's own candidate handbook, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 40 hours, 32 in a classroom, completed within six months.
• Exam: 150 minutes for the national portion and 90 for the state portion at a PSI center, within three months of registering.
• Record check: notarized release to the State Police; valid six months.
• Application: online with the OPLC; no processing time is published, and the license runs two years from issue.

Source: PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026; RSA 331-A:15, Issuance of License (Internet Archive capture), read September 9, 2026.

5The New Hampshire real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 120 questions in 4 hours, two portions, national (150 minutes) and New Hampshire state (90 minutes), or a combined 240-minute sitting, at a PSI test center. You need 56 of 80 points on the national portion and 28 of 40 on the state portion, which is 70% of each to pass. The original passing score sheets are filed with the license application. Retakes: each attempt is paid for separately; a candidate who fails to pass both portions within six months of the first exam, or who reaches eight attempts, must complete an accredited pre-license course again before continuing.

Pass rate

Neither the OPLC nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the New Hampshire salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026; OPLC, Real Estate Commission salesperson application checklist (PDF), read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

With every state, by the Commission's handbook. Candidates holding a valid license from another state may be eligible for a New Hampshire license through reciprocity, and the handbook states that New Hampshire has reciprocity with all 50 states; a reciprocity applicant files a letter of good standing with the exam registration, and the terms of each agreement are set by the OPLC.

Source: PSI, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Examination Candidate Handbook (updated October 30, 2024), published by the OPLC, read September 9, 2026; OPLC, Real Estate Examination Information, read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The license runs two years from the date of issue. To renew you complete 15 clock hours of approved continuing education within the license period and pay $99.

First renewal: the initial 12 hours of continuing education before the first renewal are set by the Commission in specified topics related to a salesperson's practice, alongside the 3-hour core course.

Later renewals: a minimum 3-hour core course for any renewal, active or inactive, plus 12 elective hours for an active renewal, tracked through CE Broker; the renewal fee is $99 and reinstatement $99.

Source: RSA 331-A:15, Issuance of License (Internet Archive capture), read September 9, 2026; OPLC, Real Estate License Fees, read September 9, 2026; RSA 331-A:25, Rulemaking (continuing education) (Internet Archive capture of June 25, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in New Hampshire

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

9After the license: choosing a brokerage in New Hampshire

A new salesperson license is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 2,701 New Hampshire agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Keller Williams with 754 of them, and the largest brand was Keller Williams with 754. Ask each brokerage for its commission split and fees in writing before you sign.

Source: Realty Census, New Hampshire count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/new-hampshire/), 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire

The Commission accredits the pre-license and continuing education courses and instructors under RSA 331-A:25, with course approvals now submitted through CE Broker; only accredited courses count toward the 40 hours. The list is at the OPLC's real estate education requirements page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for New Hampshire 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: RSA 331-A:25, Rulemaking (continuing education) (Internet Archive capture of June 25, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in New Hampshire

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

The fixed parts are 40 course hours finished within six months, a PSI sitting within three months of registering, a criminal record release that lasts six months, and the OPLC application; the OPLC publishes no typical processing time on the pages read for this guide. The course is 40 hours within six months; the exam must be taken within three months of registering and passed within six months of the first sitting; the record check is valid six months; and the OPLC application follows. No typical processing time is published.

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

$99 to the state and its vendors ($99 application), plus tuition for the pre-license course, PSI's exam fee, the State Police record-check fee, and tuition for the 40 hours, which the schools set.

What is the pass rate for the New Hampshire real estate exam?

Neither the OPLC nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the New Hampshire salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in New Hampshire?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in New Hampshire is $57,620 a year, with the middle half earning between $47,020 and $84,990. 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 New Hampshire have real estate license reciprocity?

Yes. The Commission's handbook says New Hampshire has reciprocity with all 50 states; applicants file a letter of good standing from their state with the OPLC.

Sources and dates