How to Get a Real Estate License in Maine (2026): Cost & Steps

What a Maine real estate license costs

Exam

$85

Application and license

$100

Criminal records check

$21

Required fees, total

$206.00

A sales agent license in Maine can’t be renewed. Within two years you need to move up to an associate broker license, which means a 60-hour Associate Broker course and documented field experience.

Build your Maine startup budget

Sources: Maine Real Estate Commission: individual licenses ($100 license, $21 check, two-year term); Pearson VUE Maine real estate candidate handbook ($85 exam, passing score of 75); Maine Real Estate Commission: continuing education (21 hours for associate brokers). Fees and rules checked October 10, 2026. Exam and background-check prices can change, so confirm the total when you book.

Who can get a Maine sales agent license

Most people call it a real estate agent license. In Maine the entry-level license is called a sales agent license, and it lets you work only for a licensed agency under its designated broker. Opening your own brokerage is a separate broker license.

The Maine Real Estate Commission says you need to be at least 18, complete the Sales Agent course with a final grade of 75% or higher, and pass the Pearson VUE exam with a 75 within one year of finishing the course.

Already licensed in another state? Maine lets some out-of-state licensees qualify by passing the Maine law exam. The Commission has a page for reciprocal licensing, so read it first.

The steps, in order

1. Finish the Sales Agent course. You need a final grade of at least 75%.

   Compare Maine real estate courses and Colibri packages for the 55-hour education, current tuition and exam-support options.

   Complete your 55-hour Maine prelicensing course online with Colibri Real Estate. Compare course packages and current prices, including options with extra exam preparation.

   See Maine real estate courses

   We may earn a commission if you enroll through this link.

2. Pass the Pearson VUE exam. It costs $85 and you need a 75. You have one year after the course.
3. Apply within one year of passing. Pay $100 for the license and $21 for the criminal records check.
4. Join an agency. A sales agent can only work for a licensed agency under its designated broker.

What Maine agents earn

Median pay, Maine agents on payroll

$56,930

Middle half earns

$33,780–$78,630

Top 10% earn over

$114,130

Maine agents on payroll

740

The bottom 10% of Maine payroll agents earn under $30,920. The national median is $52,830. Your opening plan should include the later Associate Broker course as well as current agency charges. Review a sample commission statement and use the amount left after business expenses to evaluate what this career could provide for you.

Source: U.S. Labor Department pay survey, May 2025, Maine real estate sales agents. Covers agents on a payroll only. Checked October 10, 2026.

Choose an agency that will support the move to associate broker

Maine’s sales agent license is a two-year starting stage that cannot be renewed. When meeting designated brokers, ask how the agency helps new agents gain and document the field experience for the associate broker route.

Look for a clear plan for supervised appointments, transaction review and the 60-hour Associate Broker course. Compare the written compensation agreement and any mentoring costs with that support. The agency choice should help you build a business during the sales-agent period and prepare for the next credential.

Set up your Maine agent business

Register the business and organize payments

Set up your business administration with the two-year progression in mind. Confirm the entity and commission-payment details your designated broker can use, then consult the Maine LLC guide for an LLC structure. ZenBusiness provides filing assistance once the arrangement for your licensed services is clear.

Arrange errors and omissions (E&O) insurance

Build professional liability coverage into your agency onboarding. Compare E&O quotes from Simply Business with the designated broker’s E&O arrangement, checking your services, deductible and reporting process. Keep those details accessible as you move from observing appointments to handling supervised client work.

Keep business records from day one

Save records of field experience alongside course certificates. Keep a separate financial record of initial licensing costs, office charges and the Associate Broker course, so the next step is planned into the business rather than treated as a surprise renewal.

See Maine business registration and tax requirements for the wider registration and tax checklist.

Use field experience to develop a service you can repeat

Ask the designated broker to help you follow several local transactions from first contact through closing. Record the work you performed and the skills you still need to practice. Choose a manageable client focus and turn the lessons into a consistent consultation, showing and follow-up process.

Resources for preparing client conversations

• what homeowners insurance costs by state
• the cost of renting versus owning
• flood insurance deadline
• state comparison of agent and brokerage businesses
• mortgage lock-in study
• Plan your first client conversations and follow-up

Plan your move to an associate broker license

A sales agent license lasts two years and can’t be renewed. Before it ends you move to an associate broker license, which needs two years as an active licensed sales agent and the 60-hour Associate Broker course with documented field experience.

Associate brokers renew every two years for $100 and need 21 hours of continuing education, including the current core course.

Maine agent questions