If you have a real estate license in Washington D.C., you will need to renew it every two years in order to continue operating legitimately. This is the case regardless of whether you are a real estate salesperson or a broker.

The cost of renewing your Washington D.C. real estate license will depend on whether you do this on time — or have to pay a late penalty fee — as well as whether you are a broker or a real estate agent.

In this guide, we break down how you can complete your Washington D.C. Real Estate License Renewal, detailing how much this will cost, and what continuing education (CE) requirements you will need to complete before submitting your application.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Renewal Cost

The total cost of your Washington D.C. Real Estate License Renewal will depend on several factors, whether you need to pay a penalty fee:

Status	Real Estate Salesperson	Real Estate Broker
Renewal Cost Online	$130	$170
Late Penalty Fee	$50	$50
Reinstatement Fee	$130	$210
Total Cost	$130-$180	$170-$260

On top of this, you’ll need to add the cost of purchasing a real estate CE course, as this is a legal requirement in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Continuing Education

You will need to complete the following CE requirements in order to renew your real estate license in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Salesperson CE Requirements

You must take 15 hours of D.C. Real Estate Commission (DCREC)-approved CE courses, with 12 of these allocated between the following mandated courses:

• D.C. Fair Housing: three hours
• D.C. Ethics: three hours
• D.C. Legislative Update: three hours
• D.C. Property Management: three hours

Washington D.C. Real Estate Broker CE Requirements

Real estate broker requirements include 15 hours of DCREC-approved CE courses, allocated between the following mandated courses:

• D.C. Fair Housing: three hours
• D.C. Ethics: three hours
• D.C. Legislative Update: three hours
• D.C. Property Management: three hours
• D.C. Broker Supervision: three hours

Regardless of whether you are a salesperson or a broker, you will need to complete the remaining hours of CE by taking elective courses. These can be general real estate courses, or others such as:

• Roadmap to Success: Business Planning for Real Estate Professionals
• Selling to Your Sphere of Influence
• Taxes and Real Estate: What You Need to Know

Washington D.C. Inactive Real Estate License Renewal

In Washington D.C., licenses can remain in inactive status for up to five years. During this time, holders are not required to complete the CE requirements in order to renew or pay the renewal fee, though the license will expire after five years without reactivation.

Keep in mind that you will not be able to engage in any real estate sales or brokerage activity with an inactive license.

Note: You will be able to reinstate your license for up to five years after its expiration date by submitting a reinstatement application online, though the exact requirements depend on the amount of time that has passed.

Length of Time Since Expiration	Reinstatement Requirements
Less than 60 days	Renew as usual, license is not deemed as lapsed Pay accompanying late fee
Between 60 days and five years	Make an application for reinstatement to the Commission, license is deemed as lapsed Commission will make a decision considering the following factors: The length of time that the applicant has practiced real estate The length of time after expiration that the applicant was not practicing Whether the applicant has violated any laws The applicant’s present character The applicant’s current qualifications and competency Submit proof of completing all CE requirements

Renew Washington D.C. Real Estate License

You will be able to renew your Washington D.C. real estate license online.

You can renew your real estate license online through the DCREC online licensing portal. If this is your first time renewing online, you will need to register first.

We recommend that you complete your CE training at least 10 days before your license expires. This will ensure that there is enough time for it to be processed.