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

What a New York real estate license costs

Exam, paid to the state

$15

License application

$65

Required fees, total

$80.00

If you completed your education outside New York, you can ask the Department of State for a waiver; see the state’s salesperson questions page. The Department of State runs the exam itself; it isn’t given by a private testing company. The state’s page doesn’t publish a question count or a passing score, only pass or fail.

Build your New York startup budget

Sources: New York Department of State: Become a Real Estate Salesperson ($65 application, $15 exam, $65 renewal, 77 hours, requirements, exam format); New York Department of State salesperson questions (reciprocity, continuing education, renewal, application steps). 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 New York salesperson license

Most people call it a real estate agent license. In New York it is a salesperson license, and it lets you work under a licensed real estate broker. Opening your own brokerage is a separate broker license.

The New York Department of State says you need to be at least 18, finish 77 hours of approved education, pass the state exam, be sponsored by a New York licensed broker, and have a current New York photo driver’s license or non-driver ID card.

New York has no reciprocity with any other state, so a license from another state doesn’t skip the exam. If you took your course outside New York, you can send the Department of State a written waiver request with proof of your course.

The steps, in order

1. Take the 77-hour course. Pick a school from the Department of State’s approved school lists. Your school also gives its own proctored final exam. That is in addition to the state exam.

   For your qualifying education, our New York real estate courses and Colibri tuition guide compares 77-hour packages and explains the separate school final.

   Complete your 77-hour New York prelicensing course online with Colibri Real Estate. Compare course packages and current prices, including options with extra exam preparation.

   See New York real estate courses

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

2. Create an eAccessNY account and schedule the state exam. You schedule the exam online and pay $15. The exam is multiple choice, based on the 77-hour course, and you get 1½ hours. You bring a current photo ID and the page you printed when you scheduled. You can reschedule online up to 6 days before your exam date.
3. Check your result online. You see pass or fail in your account, with no score. A passing result is good for two years. If you fail, you schedule another exam in the same account.
4. Find a sponsoring broker. You can’t get a license without one. Your broker will log in to approve your application, so line this up before you apply.
5. Apply online and pay $65. Use your eAccessNY account. Enter your broker’s license number, your school and your course completion date. Your broker authorizes the application, the Department of State reviews it, and your license is mailed to your broker’s business address.

What New York agents earn

Median pay, New York agents on payroll

$102,990

Middle half earns

$58,030–$156,810

Top 10% earn over

$178,710

New York agents on payroll

8,660

The bottom 10% of New York payroll agents earn under $48,350. The national median is $52,830. Ask the office to model payment on the specific assignments you would handle. A payroll median does not describe every commission arrangement; the useful comparison is your retained income after the sponsor's charges and your operating expenses.

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

Choose a sponsor who is ready to authorize your eAccessNY application

Use the 77-hour course period to speak with sponsoring brokers about the work you want to do. Ask how the office trains new salespeople on consultations, document preparation and client follow-up, and whether it supplies leads or expects you to develop your own.

Your broker authorizes the application through eAccessNY. Have the broker’s license number and onboarding agreement ready when you apply. Compare compensation for different types of assignments the office offers and ask which charges are paid monthly versus deducted from a transaction.

Set up your New York agent business

Register the business and organize payments

Discuss business registration with the sponsor who will authorize your license. Confirm the entity and commission-payee arrangement permitted for your work before selecting a filing. The New York LLC guide covers New York LLC formation and administration; ZenBusiness can prepare the LLC paperwork where that is the appropriate structure.

Arrange errors and omissions (E&O) insurance

Choose E&O based on the real estate services you will actually perform. Request E&O quotes from Simply Business and compare the proposed terms with the sponsoring broker’s policy, including the deductible and who is insured. Keep a clear claim-reporting contact in your business records.

Keep business records from day one

Keep the school examination and state examination records distinct, since both are part of the route. Save your eAccessNY information securely and create reminders for education and renewal while tracking commissions and expenses in separate business records.

See New York business registration and tax requirements for the wider registration and tax checklist.

Build an appointment plan around the work your office provides

Ask the sponsor which type of client a new salesperson is likely to work with first. Rehearse that consultation with an experienced colleague, using actual listings and the office’s approved documents. Decide how you will record inquiries, arrange viewings and follow up after each appointment before spending money on lead generation.

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

Renew every two years and keep up your continuing education

New York salesperson licenses renew every two years for $65, online. You can renew starting three months before your license expires. You need a sponsoring broker to renew.

The Department of State requires 22.5 hours of continuing education for each license term. Hours have to include fair housing, implicit bias, cultural competency, ethics, agency and recent legal matters. See the state’s salesperson questions page for the exact hours for each topic. There is no grace period: if you let your license expire, you can’t do any licensed work until it is renewed.

New York agent questions