North Carolina Real Estate License Requirements

In the state of North Carolina it is required that you get a real estate license before selling or renting properties for a commission.

Step #1: Complete the 75-Hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing Course

Step #2: Submit a License Application and Complete Your Background Check

Step #3: Schedule and Pass Your State Licensing Exam

Step #4: Receive Your Broker’s License

Read On For More Requirements, Success Stories, And FAQs On Getting your North Carolina Real Estate License.

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General Requirements

1) All applicants must be at least 18 years of age.

2) All applicants must be a U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national or a qualified alien under federal law, or have a lawful presence in the U.S. and be authorized to work in the U.S. in the real estate brokerage field.
3) All applicants must have a social security number.

We encourage all students to carefully read through the Real Estate Licensing in North Carolina booklet, which provides a detailed description of the entire licensing process.


Here is a summary of the 4 steps you need to take in order to get your North Carolina Provisional Broker’s license.

Step 1: Complete the 75-Hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing Course

The 75-hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing course must be taken with an approved education provider according to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.


The pre-licensing course must follow the Commission’s required syllabus.

The course can be taken online or in-person. Most students prefer to take the course online as it gives them more flexibility, and they can generally complete the course more quickly.

The course includes a proctored, end-of-course exam.
The end-of-course exam includes 100 multiple-choice questions with a passing grade of 80%.

You will receive your Course Completion Certificate as soon as you pass the end-of-course exam. You will eventually use the information provided on the Course Completion Certificate to complete your license application.

RealEstateU will send your course completion information to the Commission within one week.

Step 2: Submit a License Application and Complete Your Background Check

Once you complete the 75-hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing course, you must create your account through the NC Real Estate Commission’s website.

Before you can submit your license application; however, you must submit a criminal record report, which was generated within 6 months of filing your license application.

A criminal record report must be obtained from CriminalRecordCheck.com. The cost of the report varies depending on the location.

Once you have your criminal record report, you can submit your license application online and pay the $100 application fee using a credit card.

Once your application is processed, the Commission will email you a Notice of Exam Eligibility within 2-3 days. Your Notice of Exam Eligibility is valid for 180 days.

Woman with laptop.

Step 3: Schedule and Pass Your State Licensing Exam

The Commission recommends that you wait at least one business day following receipt of your Exam Eligibility before contacting PSI to schedule your exam. This gives PSI enough time to upload your eligibility record from the Commission.

The state licensing exam is administered by PSI at one of PSI’s testing centers.
You can make your exam appointment online through PSI’s website, or by phone at 800-733-9267.

The state licensing exam consists of a national portion and a state portion.
The national portion consists of 80 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 120 minutes. You must answer at least 57 out of the 80 questions correctly in order to pass.
The state portion consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 90 minutes. You must answer at least 29 out of 40 questions correctly in order to pass.

In addition to the 120 scored questions, the exam will include additional pretest questions (5-10 national questions and 5 state questions), which do not count towards your exam score.
These pretest questions are experimental questions, which are included to help develop future exams.

You must pass both sections of the exam within 180 days in order to pass the overall exam. If you only pass one section of the exam within 180 days, you must reapply to take the exam and pass both sections during the subsequent 180-day exam eligibility period.

You will receive your exam grade immediately after completing the exam.
PSI will send your exam results each time to the Commission, regardless if you passed or failed the exam.

The state licensing exam costs $64 for the first attempt, which is paid directly to PSI.

It is important to note that the $100 application fee PLUS the $64 examination fee will be collected each time an applicant takes one or both sections of the license examination.

Man writing on a notepad.

Step 4: Receive Your Broker’s License

After you pass the exam, character issues, if any, are reviewed by the Commission.

If there are no character issues, and your application is complete along with all supporting documents, your license certificate will be mailed to you within 10 calendar days after passing the state licensing exam.

Congratulations, you are now a licensed North Carolina Provisional Broker!

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NC Pre Licensing Course.

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75-hour North Carolina Real Estate License Course

  • Includes the state-required 75 hours of training
  • Study at your own pace and on the go with on-demand lessons
  • If you're self-motivated, this is all you need to prepare for your exam

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75-hour North Carolina Real Estate License Course

  • Includes the state-required 75 hours of training
  • Study at your own pace and on the go with on-demand lessons
  • If you're self-motivated, this is all you need to prepare for your exam

State Exam Study Guide

  • Reduce study time by up to 90%
  • Focus on the exact information you need to know for the exam
  • Includes sample questions and 8 practice exams
  • Each lesson is connected to the full course for quick reference

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Course + Study Guide + e-Textbook

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75-hour North Carolina Real Estate License Course

  • Includes the state-required 75 hours of training
  • Study at your own pace and on the go with on-demand lessons
  • If you're self-motivated, this is all you need to prepare for your exam

State Exam Study Guide

  • Reduce study time by up to 90%
  • Focus on the exact information you need to know for the exam
  • Includes sample questions and 8 practice exams
  • Each lesson is connected to the full course for quick reference

e-Textbook

The e-textbooks include all course content, infographics, key terms you need to know to pass the exam, and all supporting documents covered in the course.

  • Quickly access any part of the course content, even when you're offline
  • Print and highlight key lessons
  • Review materials easily on the go

Hear About RealEstateU's Recent Success Stories

North Carolina Real Estate License Requirements - The Course

  • The 75-hour North Carolina Broker Pre-Licensing course is broken down into chapters and lessons.
  • At the end of each chapter is a multiple-choice quiz.
  • The course can be accessed 24/7 from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
  • A textbook is not required for the online course; however, a textbook is available to purchase as a downloadable PDF. The textbook is meant to be used as a reference to help you follow along while you take the online course.
  • Once you pass the end-of-course examination, you will receive your Certificate of Completion for the course. The Certificate will be available to download within your RealEstateU account.
  • The end-of-course examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions with a passing grade of 80%.
  • The end-of-course examination is proctored online using the services of ProctorU.
  • RealEstateU will send your course completion information to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission within one week.
NC Course Requirements.

Top 3 FAQ's On Getting Your License In North Carolina

Can I take the North Carolina pre-license course if I'm still in High School?

Yes! You can take the 75-hour North Carolina real estate salespersons course while you are still in High School. You can also take the State real estate salespersons exam at age 17; however, you cannot activate your license until you are at least 18 years old.

How can I take the 75-hour North Carolina real estate broker's course?

You can take the 75-hour North Carolina real estate broker's course either online or in-person. Most students prefer to take the course online since they can take the course at their own pace. If you take the course in-person at a local school, you will have to take the course according to the school's schedule.

Can I take the 75-hour North Carolina real estate broker's course online?

Yes! As long as the online course is fully approved by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, you can take the course online. Most students actually prefer to take the course online since it allows them to take the course at their own pace. It is entirely possible to complete the 75-hour online course in under one week. 

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