Alabama Real Estate License Requirements

To sell or lease real estate in Alabama and earn a commission, you must have an Alabama Real Estate License.

The steps to obtain an AL Real Estate License:

Step #1: Complete the 60-hour Alabama Real Estate Salesperson Course.

Step #2: Schedule your AL State License Exam.

Step #3: Take and Pass the State Licensing Exam.

Step #4: Submit a Temporary Salesperson License Application.

Step #5: Submit Fingerprints for a Background Check.

Step #6: Take the 30-hour Post-licensing Course.

Step #7: Apply for Your AL Real Estate Permanent Salesperson License.

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General Requirements

How to Get a Real Estate Salesperson License in Alabama

A salesperson applicant in Alabama must:

If you meet these qualifications, you can earn your Alabama real estate salesperson's license in (7) steps.

Step 1: Complete the 60-Hour Alabama Pre-license Education Course

Alabama salesperson license applicants must complete an approved 60-hour pre-license course before taking the state licensing examination.

Applicants can take the course as classroom learning or as a distance learning course. Many choose to do the pre-license course online so they can work at their own pace.

The 60-hour pre-license course will cover national and state topics pertinent to real estate. It will cover topics such as property ownership, land use regulations, financing, principles of agency, Alabama laws and regulations, licensing requirements, and disciplinary procedures.

You must complete your salesperson pre-license course within one year from the date you start it, including taking and passing its final exam. The state requires candidates to take regular incremental assessments plus the final exam and earn a minimum course grade of 70% to pass.

Step 2: Apply for the State Exam

Once you successfully pass the 60-hour course with at least a 70%, the course administrator will submit the course credit to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC). You must wait for your exam eligibility to be submitted before scheduling the course.

Upon receiving your confirmation of exam eligibility and your identification number, you'll get a confirmation notice from the state's exam administrator PSI to schedule your test.

You must schedule and pass the state exam within six months of completing the 60-hour licensing course.

To schedule an exam online with PSI, go to https://schedule.psiexams.com. Otherwise, you can schedule over the telephone by calling PSI at 888-818-5824 between the hours from 7 am-9 pm Monday-Thursday, 7 am-7 pm on Friday, and 8:30 am-5 pm on Saturday. PSI accepts credit cards for online and phone scheduling.

You have the third option to mail in a registration form included in PSI's Candidate Handbook. If you choose this option, you can pay with a cashier's check or money order. You must wait two weeks for the application to be processed before calling PSI to schedule the exam.

Woman with laptop.

The exam cost of $77 is paid to PSI.

If you must cancel or change your exam reservation, you must do so two business days before the exam by calling 888-818-5824. If you fail to call and change 48 hours before the exam, you will forfeit the exam fee.

Bring with you to the exam two forms of signature identification. Primary identification must be government-issued and have your photo, such as a state driver's license, military ID, or U.S. passport. A secondary ID card must have your printed name and signature, like a U.S. Social Security card, debit or credit card, or another form of primary ID.

Refer to the Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook for information on examination schedules, site locations, exam security, reporting, and preparation.

Step 3: Take and Pass the State Exam

The Alabama state exam has a National portion and a State portion. The questions are mixed and will not appear as separate sections. The total time allowed is 3.5 hours.

About the salesperson real estate exam:

  1. The state portion has 40 multiple-choice questions and may include five "pretested" questions that will not count towards your score. These questions are not identified.
  2. The national portion is based on 11 content areas and has 100 multiple-choice questions. There may be five "pretested" questions that will not count towards your score. These questions are not identified.

You can see the specific breakdown of the number of questions asked in each topic area in the Candidate Handbook.

Immediately upon exam completion, you will report to the testing supervisor for the score report. Due to the differences in difficulty with the different forms of the exam, Alabama's state exam reports a scaled score. The scaled score reported to candidates is not the number of questions answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. To pass the salesperson exam, you need a scaled score of at least 70.

If you pass the exam, you will receive instruction for applying for an Alabama Temporary Real Estate License.

If you fail, your score report will have diagnostic scoring information and information on reapplying.

Man writing on a notepad.

Step 4: Apply for a Temporary Alabama Real Estate License

Once you pass your state exam, you have 90 days to apply for the Temporary Salesperson's License, starting with the day you pass the exam.

You need the following to complete the application:

  • Proof of age
  • Proof of high school education or its equivalent
  • Proof of state residency
  • Submit fingerprints for federal and state criminal background check (see details in next step)
  • Alabama non-residents must submit Consent to Jurisdiction Form

The fee for the temporary real estate salesperson license totals $210. It includes a $150 license fee, $30 research and recovery fee, and $30 recovery fund fee.

Once your active license is issued to your qualifying broker, you can begin to engage in real estate business.

Step 5: Submit Fingerprints for a Background Check

Alabama requires all applicants to submit fingerprints for a federal and state background check. The Commission exclusively uses the processing company Gemalto.

The applicant must coordinate their application submission with their fingerprint submission as the Commission will only have access to the background check information for 30 days. Therefore, the Commission strongly recommends applicants submit their application on the same day as they submit their fingerprints.

Find full fingerprint scanning and processing instructions at www.aps.gemalto.com. Make sure the name you submit is the same as the one as your driver's license. The fingerprinting fee is $48.25, payable online with a credit or debit card during registration. You can pay at the fingerprint site with a money order or cashier's check.

Step 6: Take a 30-hour Post-Licensing Course

After the Alabama Real Estate Commission receives your application and background check results, it will issue a temporary license good for one year. To receive a permanent active license, you must complete an additional 30 hours of post-licensing education. The 30-hour Post Licensing Education focuses on the operations involved in a real estate practice.

Note: your active temporary license is only good for six months; after that, it will be classified as inactive.

Step 7: Apply for Permanent License

Once your post-licensing hours are completed, you must submit an Application for Real Estate Salesperson's Original License by logging into Online Services or printing one from the commission website. The Salesperson License fee is $85 for a single year for $170 for a two-year period, plus $10 for certification of licensure. Your permanent license will be issued directly to your supervising qualifying broker.

Congratulations! You are now able to practice as a real estate salesperson in Alabama.

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Can I take the AL pre-license course if I'm still in high school?

It is unlikely because in Alabama, you must be at least 19 years of age and have a diploma or GED requirement when you apply for your temporary real estate license. With six months to pass the exam and 90 days to file a temporary license, the timing may not work for you.

What are the requirements to apply for an AL real estate license?

You must be at least 19 years of age, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, reside in the US, be a citizen, permanent resident, or legally present in the US, and no felony or crime concerning moral turpitude convictions. Before you apply, you must pass a 60-hour pre-license course and the state licensing exam.

Can I take the 60-hour AL real estate license course online?

Yes, you can take the Alabama pre-license course online as long as it is with a pre-approved education provider. Taking the course online enables you to work through the content at your own pace and schedule.

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