Exam Requirements and Fees
All applicants for DC real estate licensure must take the DC law exam (national exam applies in certain instances). To schedule an exam, call (800) 274-2602. Exam fees are $61, payable to ASI by money order or certified check. The licensing fee for brokers, property managers, and salespersons is $240 (includes Guaranty Fund payment). Candidates must bring to the testing site:
- Proof of pre-licensing education, which is a Certificate of Completion, or an examination authorization letter (a letter issued by the Board in response to an applicant's Waiver request)
- An original Letter of Certification (obtain from your licensing board)
Call (888) 204-6192, or review the Board website for approved pre-licensing and CE schools and applications (Waiver, Dual Licensure, Reinstatement, Sponsoring Broker Change, Broker Company License). Call (888) 204-6192 for DC Real Estate Rules and Regulations or Property Manager Study Guide.
Call (888) 204-6192, or review the Board website for approved Prelicensing and CE schools, and applications (Waiver, Dual Licensure, Reinstatement, Sponsoring Broker Change, Broker Company License). Call (888) 204-6192 for DC Real Estate Rules and Regulations or Property Manager Study Guide.
Licensure by Reciprocity/Endorsement
Salespersons licensed in Maryland or Virginia under their 60- or 90-hour pre-licensing requirement, or brokers licensed in these states are required by law to take a Board-approved Fair Housing course, then take the DC licensing law examination. A DC Legislative Update & Ethics course is recommended, but not required. Maryland salesperson licensees who completed the 45-hour pre-licensing course must first apply for licensure by waiver (see below). An original Letter of Certification from your licensing jurisdiction(s) is required at the test site and upon application for licensure. Call Assessment Systems Inc. (ASI) at (800) 274-2602 for test reservations. Test reservations can be made three business days prior to examination (cancellation restrictions apply). Examinations are available Tuesday through Saturday. The license application form will be printed at the ASI test site as part of the passing score report.
Licensure by Waiver
If you are currently licensed as a salesperson or broker in jurisdictions other than Maryland or Virginia, you must submit to the Board: a notarized Waiver Application. You will be required to submit an original Letter of Certification from your licensing jurisdictions (obtain two-one for Waiver Application, one for Examination entry), [use commas] copies of CE certificates, and a "Clean Hands Act" form. All approved waiver applicants must take a Board-approved Fair Housing course. Waiver applicants must meet the minimum pre-licensing requirements established by the Board. Maryland salesperson licensees who completed the 45-hour pre-licensing course must first apply for licensure by Waiver. A $50 application fee applies.
Pre-licensing Education
There is a distinction between real estate pre-licensing requirements for DC salespersons and brokers.
- To obtain licensure as a DC real estate salesperson, you must complete a DC Board-approved 60-hour pre-licensing course prior to taking the national and the DC law examinations.
- To obtain a DC Real Estate broker license, you must have practiced two consecutive years as a licensed real estate salesperson and complete a Board-approved 135-hour pre-licensing course prior to taking the broker's examination.
The instructor of either program will issue a Certificate of Completion, which must be used as entry to taking the examinations. Property managers have no pre-licensing requirements, but are required to have licensure.
Property Manager Licensure
Currently licensed DC salespersons or brokers can obtain a Property Manager's license by completing an ASI-issued Dual License Application ($240 fee includes Guaranty Fund payment). If you are not a currently licensed DC salesperson or broker, you are required to take the Property Manager's exam only; there are no pre-licensing requirements for property managers, but prep courses are available (visit our website). Call (888) 204-6192-to obtain the Dual Licensure Application, or Property Manager's Study Guide. Call (800) 274-2602 to schedule exam.
Reinstatement Applications
If your broker, salesperson, or property manager license expired after April 20, 1999, you have five years to reinstate (see Omnibus Act). ASI provides License Reinstatement applications on request. Applications should include CE certificates for cycles of unlicensure, original Letters of Certification (from DC and other licensing states, if applicable), and other documents as required. Applicants whose licenses expired after five years are not eligible for reinstatement and will be required to take the national and DC law exams for relicensure; these applicants should have no outstanding licensure law violations. If your first license to practice in the District was issued before August 24, 1984, law requires you to also take a DC Board-approved pre-licensing course prior to examination (Salespersons=60 hour; Brokers=135 hours).
Renewal Cycle
The renewal cycle for DC real estate licensees spans every two years on the odd years. Broker and property manager licenses expire on February 28 of the odd year. Salespersons licenses expire August 31 of the odd year (e.g., brokers and property managers expire February 28, 2001; sales expire August 31, 2001). Effective for the 2001-2003 licensing cycle, licensees will be required to take 15 clock hours of CE coursework, a change from some previous cycles that required 18 clock hours. Licensees are required to take 18 hours of CE coursework within each two-year licensing cycle. Visit the Board's website to review the CE requirements for the 1999-2001 cycle. Brokers who obtain licenses between March 1, 2002 and February 28, 2003, or salespersons who obtain licenses between September 1, 2002 and August 31, 2003, are exempt from taking CE courses for the remainder of that licensing cycle, but you are required to renew your license when that cycle ends. Prohibitions for working after license expiration include fines and other reprimands. All salespersons must be affiliated with a broker.
Resident Managers
Effective April 20, 1999, through the enactment of the "Second Omnibus Regulatory Reform Amendment Act of 1998" effective 4-20-99, DC Law 12-261, resident managers are no longer required to obtain certification and will not be required to renew certification in February 2001.
