Regardless of your state, if you hold a real estate license you must renew it regularly if you wish to continue operating. Exactly how often you must renew depends upon your state’s regulations, though it is most common for renewals to be required in one to four-year cycles.

This How Often Do You Renew Your Real Estate License article will cover both the renewal period length and the deadline for renewal in your specific state. Additional information relating to how long after expiration a license can be renewed is also included.

When Do I Have to Renew My Real Estate License

As you can see below, when you have to renew your real estate license will ultimately depend on your state:

State	Renewal Frequency	Renewal Deadline	Expired License Renewal
Alabama	Every two years	Even Year: August 31Odd Year: September 30	Up to one year after expiry
Alaska	Every two years	January 31	Up to one year after expiry
Arizona	Every two years	Renewal details sent by email	Up to one year after expiry
Arkansas	Every year	September 30	Up to one year after expiry
California	Every four years	90 days prior to license expiration date	Up to two years after expiry
Colorado	Every three years	December 31	Up to three years after expiry
Connecticut	Every year	Salespersons: May 31Brokers: November 30	Up to two years after expiry
Delaware	Every two years	April 30	Up to two years after expiry
Florida	Every two years	March 31 or September 30	Up to two years after expiry
Georgia	Every four years	March 31	Up to five years after expiry
Hawaii	Every two years	November 30	Up to five years after expiry
Idaho	Every two years	Last day on licensee’s birth month	Up to one year after expiry
Illinois	Every two years	April 30	Up to five years after expiry
Indiana	Every three years	June 30	Up to three years after expiry
Iowa	Every three years	December 31	Up to three years after expiry
Kansas	Every two years	Licensed before Jan 1, 2019: date based on first letter of last nameLicensed after Jan 1, 2019: First of the month your license was initially issued in	Up to five years after expiry
Kentucky	Every even-numbered year	March 31	Up to two years after expiry
Louisiana	Every year	First-time renewers with license issued on or after Sept. 1: December 31All other licenses: September 30	Up to three months after expiry
Maine	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to six years after becoming inactive
Maryland	Every two years	Listed on license	Up to three years after expiration
Massachusetts	Every two years	License holder’s birthday	Up to two years after expiry
Michigan	Every three years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to three years after expiry
Minnesota	Every two years	June 30	If you miss deadline, you cannot renew
Mississippi	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to two months after expiry
Missouri	Every two years	Agents: September 30Brokers: June 30	Up until subsequent renewal period
Montana	Every year	October 31	Up to two years after expiry
Nebraska	Every two years	November 30	Up to three years after expiry
Nevada	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to one year after expiry
New Hampshire	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to one year after expiry
New Jersey	Every two years	June 30	Up to two years after expiry
New Mexico	Every three years	Last day of the month, following license holder’s birth month	Up to one year after expiry
New York	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to one year after expiry
North Carolina	Every year	June 30	Up to two years after expiry
North Dakota	Every year	December 31	If you miss deadline, you cannot renew
Ohio	Every three years	License holder’s birthday	Up to one year after expiry
Oklahoma	Every three years	10th day of the month the original license was granted	Up to three years after expiry
Oregon	Every two years	Last day of license holder’s birth month	Up to one year after expiry
Pennsylvania	Every two years	May 31	Up to five years after expiry
Rhode Island	Every two years	Licenses issued before January 1, 2020: May 1 2022Licenses issued after: anniversary of the initial license issuance date	Up to one year after expiry
South Carolina	Every two years	June 30	Up to one year after expiry
South Dakota	Every two years	November 30	Month of June following expiry
Tennessee	Every two years	Listed on license	Up to one year after expiry
Texas	Every two years	Listed on license	Up to two years after expiry
Utah	Every two years	End of the month the original license was granted	Up to one year after expiry
Vermont	Every two years	Salespersons: May of even-numbered yearsBrokers:March of even-numbered years	Up to two years after expiry
Virginia	Every two years	Last day of the month the original license was granted	Up to one year after expiry
Washington	Every two years	Anniversary of original license issuance date	Up to three years after expiry
Washington D.C.	Every two years	Agents: August 31Brokers: February 28	Up to five years after expiry
West Virginia	Every fiscal year	December 31	Up to one year after expiry
Wisconsin	Every two years	December 14 of even years	Up to five years after expiry
Wyoming	Every three years	December 31	March 1 of the year following expiry

How to Renew My Real Estate License

How you renew your real estate license will remain largely the same regardless of your state. 

You must complete the required amount of CE, pay your state’s renewal fee, and submit a renewal application on time. 

The most important factor influencing your renewal process can be whether it is your first time or not, depending on your state.

First-Time Renewal CE Requirements

In several states (such as California or Louisiana), you will have to satisfy different requirements in order to renew your license if it is your first time. In these states, if you have just acquired your real estate license, you must complete a specified amount of “post-licensing education” for your first renewal.

States will either decide that this post-licensing education is sufficient in itself, or that you must complete it in addition to the regular CE hours. Whatever the case, it is worth knowing whether your state requires post-license education so that you meet the requirements for your first renewal.

Subsequent Real Estate CE Requirements

For subsequent renewals, the process is as straightforward as satisfying the mandatory hours of CE in your state (including any required courses), and submitting proof of these classroom hours along with your renewal application.

If you fail to submit this application before your state’s individual deadline, your license will expire and you will be unable to engage in any real estate activity. While many states may permit you to renew your license if it has expired less than a certain amount of time (normally around one year), this is not always the case.

In states such as Minnesota and North Dakota, you cannot renew your real estate license late. If you miss the renewal deadline, you must instead reapply for a new license all over again.

In the majority of states, you are able to submit your renewal application online or via mail. You are always recommended to complete this process online as it is both faster and more straightforward. This is why a few states, such as Iowa, New York, and Illinois, have removed the option for mail-in renewal entirely.