How to Renew Your Real Estate License in New York

It seems like only yesterday you were cramming to take the New York real estate license exam. But now you’re well past being a rookie agent. You’ve been at the real estate game so long the time has come to renew your real estate license.

New York salespersons must renew their license every two years if they want to keep conducting business, and there’s no grace period. Here’s what you’ve got to do to get your license renewed in time.

Step 1. Complete the Continuing Education

Before you can renew your real estate license you have to complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education. For the most part, you can take any real estate courses you want, but there are a few requirements:

• Every agent must take 3 hours of continuing education on fair housing or discrimination in the renting, sale or interest of real property.
• Salespersons must take one or more hours of continuing education on the law of agency. However, if it’s your initial two-year licensing term you must take at least two hours of instruction.
• Agents can also complete an approved broker qualifying course, but those courses won’t count towards the required fair housing education. If you take the 45-hour broker licensing course that also doesn’t count towards your continuing education hours.

Continuing Education Exemptions

There are a couple of special cases where you can skip the continuing education:

• You’re a lawyer with the New York State Bar who has a real estate broker’s license.
• You’ve been a full-time licensed broker for at least 15 consecutive years prior to 2008.

Checking Your Continuing Education Hours

You can double-check your continuing education hours by contacting your course provider. The Division of Licensing Services requires that continuing education providers keep records of course completion for at least three years.

Step 2. Submit Your Renewal Application

How to renew a real estate license? Agents and brokers have to submit their renewals online. Paper forms are no longer an option. You can renew online through your eAccessNY account. There will be a renewal link available three months before your license expires. To renew your real estate license:

• Click on the real estate license renewal link.
• Make sure your sponsor broker’s information is correct. (You must have a sponsoring broker to renew.) If the information isn’t correct your broker has to make the updates before you can renew.
• You’ll have to answer a few questions about your continuing education and then click “next”.
• Check “I agree” to affirm the renewal real estate license application.
• Next, you’ll need to enter your payment information to pay the fee.
• Finally, make sure you get a confirmation and take a screenshot or print the page for your records.

You’ll get an email reminder with instructions 90 days before your license expires. You can also check the expiration date on your license.

What Happens If You Don’t Renew Your License?

You have two years to complete the renewal process from the time your license expires. If you don’t get your license renewed within two years you’ll have to take the state licensing exam, apply for a new license, and pay the fee again.