How to Get a Broker License in Nebraska

Obtaining a Nebraska Real Estate Broker License is crucial if you’re looking to advance your real estate career. Despite the streamlined online application process, many aspiring real estate brokers find the requirements and procedures complex and challenging.

This How to Get a Broker License in Nebraska article will guide you through each step of the process, ensuring you have a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve this license and elevate your real estate career as quickly as possible.

Nebraska Real Estate Broker License

In order to get your Nebraska real estate broker license and take your career to the next level, there are several key steps you’ll need to complete, including:

1. Ensuring You Meet the Eligibility and Experience Requirements
2. Submitting a License Application
3. Completing the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education
4. Passing a Background Check
5. Passing the Nebraska Broker Licensing Exam
6. Obtaining Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance

In the sections below, we’ve explored each of these steps in more detail.

Note: If you’re just starting out, you’ll need to check out our Nebraska Real Estate License guide instead.

Step 1: Meet the Nebraska Eligibility and Experience Requirements

Before proceeding with the application process for your Nebraska real estate broker license, you’ll need to first make sure that you meet the general prerequisites outlined under the Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.13:

• Must be at least 19 years old
• Must have graduated from a public or private high school (or hold an equivalent certificate)

Furthermore, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.12 also requires that applicants are honest, trustworthy, and competent to practice real estate — for this reason, convictions of offenses like forgery, extortion, or larceny (among others) are deemed sufficient grounds by themselves for the refusal of a license.

In addition to the general eligibility requirements outlined above, you’ll also be expected to satisfy one of the following experience requirements under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.13(3):

• Must have obtained at least two years of experience as a licensed real estate salesperson or associate broker employed by a real estate business
• Must have completed an accepted part-time equivalent according to the Broker Applicant Hardship Provision

Note: It’s important to make sure that your application only includes correct information, as the Commission treats false statements of material fact as sufficient for the immediate denial of a real estate license.

Step 2: Submit a License Application

After ensuring that you satisfy the eligibility requirements broken down above, you’ll be ready to move on to submitting your license application.

This is typically done online through NREC’s Online Platform for a fee of $285 — which also covers the cost of taking the exam. While you won’t need to create an account in order to file your application, you will need to if you want to track your application’s progress.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to submit a paper application by mail, you can order the forms you’ll need by submitting a License Application Packet Request to NREC at the address below:

Nebraska Real Estate Commission 
PO Box 94667
Lincoln, NE 68509-4667

Regardless of how you decide to file your application, you’ll also need to submit the following documents alongside it:

• A passport-style photo that’s at least 2″ x 2″ in size and was taken in the last 12 months (copies of your ID will not be accepted for this)
• A copy of your educational background (e.g., high school diploma or GED)
• A formal attestation that you’re either a US citizen or a legally qualified alien

After receiving your application and all the necessary documents, NREC will begin to process your broker license application. However, they won’t be able to finish processing until they receive your criminal background report (see Step 4).

Note: If you want to check the progress of your application, you’ll need to sign in through the NREC’s Online Portal.

Step 3: Complete the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education

Beyond the general requirements mentioned earlier, you must also fulfill specific educational prerequisites under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.13(3) in order to be granted a Nebraska real estate broker license.

In particular, this will involve completing a total of 66 hours of pre-licensing education that’s broken down as follows:

• NREC-Approved Courses on Real Estate Subjects (60 hours)
• Professional Practice and Standards (6 hours)

After successfully completing all of these mandatory pre-licensing education hours — which will be due in addition to the 66 hours necessary for a salesperson license — you’ll normally be required to take and pass a final exam.

With this out of the way, the approved provider with which you took this education should submit verification that you’ve completed these mandatory hours to NREC within 10 days of the date you finished.

The only time you’ll be required to submit this proof to the Commission yourself is if you’ll be relying on time from college or university courses you took in order to satisfy this requirement — in this case, your transcripts will serve as evidence.

Step 4: Pass the Background Check

With your application submitted and pre-licensing education out of the way, you’ll need to have your fingerprints taken and undergo a background check according to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.17(4).

NREC recommends completing this step as soon as possible given that it typically takes between four and six weeks on average for the Commission to receive this report.

After successfully processing your application, you’ll promptly be sent two fingerprint cards that you’ll need to take to one of the following Nebraska State Patrol offices equipped with LiveScan technology:

• Omaha: 4411 South 108th St.
• Lincoln: 4600 Innovation Drive
• Grand Island: 3431 Potash Hwy.
• Norfolk: 1401 Eisenhower Ave.
• North Platte: 300 W. S. River Rd.
• Scottsbluff: 4500 Ave. I

Once you’ve successfully filled out these two fingerprints cards at one of the offices above, the next step is to submit them to the Nebraska State Patrol along with a $38 fee at the following address:

Nebraska State Patrol
Attn: CID
3800 N.W. 12th St., Suite A
Lincoln, NE 68521

The Nebraska State Patrol will then trigger a criminal background check into your past and send a report summarizing their findings to NREC. When the Commission finally receives this report, they’ll notify both you and Pearson VUE — which administers the state’s broker examinations.

Step 5: Pass the Broker Licensing Exam

In Nebraska, this 4-hour exam is administered by Pearson VUE and comprises 130 questions divided across two sections: a National portion (80 questions) and a State-Specific portion (50 questions).

Once you’ve satisfied all eligibility criteria and NREC has approved your application, they should get in contact with Pearson VUE to notify them that you’re now eligible to take the broker licensing exam.

Shortly after this, you’ll receive an “Authorization to Test” email from Pearson VUE containing more detailed advice on how to schedule an exam reservation.

In order to schedule your real estate broker exam, you’ll need to make an online reservation using the Pearson VUE website. Note that you’ll need to create an account for this service if this is your first time using it, after which you’ll be shown step-by-step instructions on how to complete your reservation.

Keep in mind that your exam fee was paid directly to NREC when you submitted your application, so you shouldn’t need to make any additional payments when making an exam reservation.

In order to pass, you’ll need to obtain a score of at least 75% overall. If you are successful on the exam, you won’t find out your specific score — just that you passed.

If you fail one or both of the broker examination’s portions, you’ll be able to retest within six months up to a maximum of three attempts across the entire authorization period.

Note: After commencing an application for a broker license, it will remain valid for a period of 12-months after the date it was initially received by NREC.

Step 6: Obtain Errors and Omissions Insurance

After successfully passing the state real estate exam and fulfilling all other licensing criteria, the final step you’ll need to take before you can begin your career as a real estate broker is to obtain Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance.

You have two options when it comes to this:

• The Commission’s Group Plan: The Commission provides an E&O insurance policy through a group plan administered by Rice Insurance Services Center (RISC). The annual cost for this coverage is approximately $125
• A Qualified Third-Party Carrier: Alternatively, you can choose to obtain E&O insurance from any qualified third-party carrier, provided that the coverage meets the standards set by the Commission

Be aware that not just any third-party carrier will qualify for the purposes of this requirement; to be eligible, the insurer must:

• Be authorized by the Nebraska Department of Insurance to conduct business in Nebraska and issue E&O policies for the policy term
• Have the E&O policy approved by the Nebraska Department of Insurance
• Maintain an A.M. Best Company rating of B+ or higher
• Hold an A.M. Best Financial Size Category rating of Class VI or higher

It’s important to note that your real estate broker license application will not be approved until you submit proof of E&O insurance by uploading it through NREC’s Online Portal.

Step 7: Application Review

If you’ve managed to get this far, congratulations!

With your application submitted and all the other licensing requirements satisfied, in most cases you should receive a letter from NREC containing a license document within 24 to 48 hours.

Be sure to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment. You’ve put in a lot of work and effort and deserve a celebration!

Note: If you’re not sure what’s happening with your license and it’s been longer than expected, we recommend reaching out to NREC directly, either by phone or email.

Nebraska Real Estate License Renewal

In order to keep your real estate broker license valid, you’ll need to renew it every two years by November 30. In Nebraska, this is done electronically through NREC’s Online Portal for a fee of $180.

However, before you can submit a renewal application for your broker license, you’ll need to complete a minimum of 18 hours of continuing education (CE) according to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.51, including:

• NREC-Approved CE Activities (12 hours)
• Broker-Approved Training (6 hours)

In addition to your CE requirements, you’ll also need to complete at least 24 hours of post-licensure education within 180 days of obtaining your license in order to keep it on active status.

This total time must be divided equally between two separate courses:

• Completion of Course Number 7000 (12 hours)
• Designated Broker Education Requirement-Course #6000 (12 hours)

Unlike Course Number 7000, the Designated Broker Education has to be completed before you can engage in any sort of activity as a designated broker.

We always encourage our readers to think of the post licensing course they take as an investment in their future career — higher quality, more reliable course content is a central part of ensuring you continue to grow professionally.

Nebraska Real Estate Commission

Mailing Address:
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509-4667

Phone: (402) 471-2004

Fax: (402) 471-4492

Email: realestate.commission@nebraska.gov 

Website: https://nrec.nebraska.gov/