How to become a real estate agent in Pennsylvania

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the exam fees and question counts are from the March 2026 candidate handbook and the Commission's fees from its licensure snapshot, both of which are revised from time to time), 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.

1Pennsylvania real estate licence requirements

• Age: 18 years of age or older.
• Education: a high school graduate or equivalent.
• Courses: 75 hours (5 credits) of basic real estate courses from an accredited college or an approved education provider: Real Estate Fundamentals (30 hours, 2 credits) and Real Estate Practice (45 hours, 3 credits), completed within five years before passing the exam.
• Exam: a passing grade on each part of the salesperson exam, National and PA State, within three years before a properly completed licence application is submitted.
• Background: a criminal history record check dated within 180 days of the date the application is submitted.
• Experience: none required; the licence is held under the supervision of a licensed real estate broker, and the licence is delivered to the broker's main office.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Education Information, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Licensure Guide, read September 9, 2026.

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

1. Complete Real Estate Fundamentals and Real Estate Practice

   The two courses total 75 hours or 5 credits, from an accredited college or a Commission-approved provider; the Department's PALS verification site lists approved providers.

2. Apply to test and pass both exam parts with Pearson VUE

   Authorization to sit the exams lasts five years from passing the first course. The National part is 80 questions in 150 minutes for $52 and the PA State part 40 questions in 60 minutes for $49, each with a scaled passing score of 75; a failed part is retaken alone.

3. Get a criminal history record check

   The report must be dated within 180 days of the date you submit the application.

4. Apply in PALS with the $97 fee within three years of passing

   The initial fee is $97, a $72 licensure fee plus a $25 application fee, and exam results are only valid for three years. The licence is sent to your broker's main office 7 to 10 business days after issue.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Education Information, read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook, March 2026, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Licensure Guide, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot, read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Pennsylvania real estate licence costs

The Commission publishes its own fees on the licensure snapshot and Pearson VUE its exam fees in the handbook; tuition for the two courses is set by the providers.

Source: Pearson VUE, Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook, March 2026, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Licensure Guide, read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 75 course hours, two exam parts that can be taken in one visit, and the Commission's review; the Department's guide gives no review time, only that the licence reaches your broker's office 7 to 10 business days after it is issued. Those parts come from the Department's own pages and the exam vendor's handbook, not a school's marketing:

• Courses: Real Estate Fundamentals (30 hours) and Real Estate Practice (45 hours), at the provider's pace.
• Exams: 150 minutes for the National part and 60 minutes for the PA State part at a Pearson VUE centre; only a failed part is retaken.
• Application: filed in PALS with the record check and passing score reports, within three years of passing; no typical review time is published.
• Licence: delivered to the broker's main office 7 to 10 business days after the date of issue.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Education Information, read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook, March 2026, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Licensure Guide, read September 9, 2026.

5The Pennsylvania real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 120 questions in 3.5 hours, two separately scored parts, National (150 minutes) and PA State-specific (60 minutes), multiple choice at a Pearson VUE test centre. You need a scaled score of 75 on each part to pass. Passing candidates submit their score reports to the Commission with the application; failing candidates receive a numeric scaled score and diagnostic information by section. Retakes: only the failed part is retaken, within the five-year authorization period, at the same fee; a passed part cannot be retaken, and results are good for three years.

Pass rate

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

Source: Pearson VUE, Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook, March 2026, read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

Partial. A licensee of a jurisdiction with which Pennsylvania has a signed reciprocal licence agreement, who keeps that licence active, is exempt from the Pennsylvania exam and applies for a reciprocal salesperson licence; the Commission's website lists the states. Converting a reciprocal licence to a standard one later requires passing the PA State-specific exam.

Source: Pearson VUE, Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Candidate Handbook, March 2026, read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs two years, expiring May 31 of every even-numbered year. To renew you complete 14 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period and pay $96.

First renewal: a specific set of continuing education modules set by the Commission for standard licensees renewing for the first time, taken through an approved provider, in place of the general 14 hours.

Later renewals: 14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education in each two-year period under section 404.1(a) of the Act, with mandatory topics announced per cycle; renewal is $96 and there is no grace period.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Renewal Information, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot, read September 9, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Education Information, read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Pennsylvania

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

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

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in Pennsylvania

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 16,891 Pennsylvania agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices with 4,048 of them, and the largest brand was Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices with 4,048. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new Pennsylvania agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which Pennsylvania brokerages publish their pay plan.

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

10Pre-licence schools in Pennsylvania

The Commission approves the education providers and courses; accredited colleges may also teach the two courses. The Department points applicants to its PALS verification site to find an approved provider. The list is at the Commission's education information page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for Pennsylvania 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: Pennsylvania Department of State, Real Estate Commission Education Information, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Pennsylvania

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

The fixed parts are 75 course hours, two exam parts that can be taken in one visit, and the Commission's review; the Department's guide gives no review time, only that the licence reaches your broker's office 7 to 10 business days after it is issued. The two courses are 75 hours at the provider's pace, the exams are 150 and 60 minutes, and the licence is sent to your broker's main office 7 to 10 business days after issue; the Department publishes no application review time. Exam results stay valid for three years and the courses for five.

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

$198 to the state and its vendors ($52 national exam, $49 state exam, $97 licence and application), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, the criminal history record check and tuition for the two courses, which the providers set.

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

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

How much do real estate agents make in Pennsylvania?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Pennsylvania is $56,040 a year, with the middle half earning between $46,500 and $78,840. 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 Pennsylvania have real estate licence reciprocity?

Partly. If your state has a signed reciprocal agreement with the Pennsylvania Commission and you keep that licence active, you skip the exam and hold a reciprocal licence; the Commission's site lists the states. Everyone else takes both exam parts.

Sources and dates