How to Get a Managing Broker License in Washington State

Obtaining a Washington State 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 Washington State 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.

Managing Broker License Washington State

In order to get your Washington State 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. Completing the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education
3. Passing the Washington State Broker Licensing Exam
4. Passing a Background Check
5. Submitting a License Application

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 Washington State Real Estate License guide instead.

Step 1: Meet the Washington State Eligibility and Experience Requirements

Before proceeding with the application process for your Washington State real estate broker license, you’ll need to make sure that you meet the following eligibility and experience requirements under the RCW 18.85.111:

• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must hold a high school diploma (or an accepted equivalent)
• You must already have at least three years of experience as a full-time licensed real estate broker in the five years prior to your application

For the purposes of the requirements outlined above, you may obtain your real estate broker experience either within Washington State or outside of it — as long as the other jurisdiction has licensing requirements that are deemed similar.

In Washington State, the entry-level real estate license is known as a “broker” license, which can be misleading since many other states reserve this title for a higher-level credential. However in this state, the designation of “broker” applies to what most would consider a real estate agent or salesperson.

Instead, the term “managing broker” is used to identify the more experienced professionals who take on leadership roles, which include supervising brokers and handling the day-to-day management of a real estate office.

Step 2: Complete the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education

Beyond the general requirements mentioned earlier, you must also fulfill specific educational prerequisites under RCW 18.85.111(1)(d) to be able to apply for a Washington State real estate managing broker license.

In particular, this will involve completing a total of 90 hours of pre-licensing education within the three years immediately before you apply for the managing broker exam. This education must include:

• Brokerage Management (30 hours)
• Business Management (30 hours)
• Advanced Real Estate Law (30 hours)

After you successfully finish all of these required courses, you should be issued a Certificate of Completion by your education provider in accordance with WAC 308-124H-855.

Even though your education provider is tasked with submitting verification of your course completion to PSI, it’s still wise to keep this document safe for your own records. After this, the Commission will review your education and experience to determine whether you’re approved to upgrade your license.

To get started with this process, you’ll need to log in to your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account. If approved, you should receive a notification of this by email and will need to wait four days before you can schedule your exam.

Note: In lieu of three years of experience as a full-time broker, applicants can also qualify under one or more types of alternative qualifying experience that was obtained within the last six years.

Step 3: Pass the Broker Licensing Exam

In Washington State, this 4-hour exam is administered by PSI and comprises 134 questions worth 148 points that are spread between a National portion (90 questions) and a State-Specific portion (44 questions).

In order to schedule your real estate broker exam, you’ll need to make an online reservation using the PSI 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 you’ll be required to pay a $210 fee when you schedule a date for your examination, as the testing center will not accept any payments in-person.

In order to pass, you’ll need to obtain a minimum scaled score of at least 75. A scaled score adjusts your raw exam score to account for variations in difficulty across different test versions, ensuring fairness in the scoring process.

Since this means that a scaled score isn’t equal to a percentage, the raw score you’ll need to obtain in order to pass will vary depending on the perceived difficulty of the managing broker examination.

You’ll find out how you performed on this exam immediately after finishing — if you pass, you’ll have up to a year to complete the rest of the application process before these results will expire.

If you fail either of the managing broker exam’s portions, you should receive detailed instructions from PSI on how to retake. You’ll only need to retake the portions of the exam you failed, but must pass both of them within a period of six months to avoid having to retake both.

Step 4: Pass the Background Check

According to WAC 308-124A-700, any individuals who are applying for their first managing broker’s license using alternative qualifying experience will be required to submit their fingerprints for a background check.

However, if you satisfied the eligibility requirements by obtaining the standard three years of experience as a licensed real estate broker, you won’t need to complete this step.

If you do fall into the group of applicants that must complete it, you’ll need to arrange an appointment with Idemia, the Department’s approved vendor. For a managing broker license, a combined state and national background check is required, costing $44.30.

During your appointment, your fingerprints will be collected and electronically submitted to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After both agencies finish processing your background information, the results will be sent to the Department to assess your application.

Step 5: Submit a License Application

Once the Department has received both your completed background check (if necessary) and your passing score for the managing broker exam, you’ll be ready to move on to submitting your license application.

Generally, this process is completed electronically through the Department’s online platform SecureAccess Washington (SAW) for a fee of $320.

Be aware that this figure includes a mandatory $10 research fee — while you are given the option to untick this fee when filing online, you should refrain from doing so as your license won’t be issued until you’ve paid in full.

If you’d prefer to submit using a paper form you can file the Real Estate License Application by mail to the following address:

Real Estate Licensing
Department of Licensing
PO Box 3917
Seattle, WA 98124-3917

While both submission methods will ultimately cost you the same amount, we typically recommend opting to file online as they are more likely to be processed faster.

Step 6: Application Review

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

Once the Department has finished processing your application, you’ll need to activate it by accepting the invitation of a real estate firm through your SAW account.

After this, you’ll be able to print your newly-activated license from this online platform for free.

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 the Department directly, either by phone or email.

Washington State Real Estate License Renewal

In order to keep your real estate broker license valid, you’ll need to renew it every two years for a fee of $320.

The fastest way to submit a renewal application is electronically through the Department’s SAW Online Platform, though you can also do so by mail using the paper Real Estate License Renewal form.

However, before you can submit a renewal application during each two-year licensing period, you’ll be required to complete at least 30 hours of continuing education (CE) first under WAC 308-124A-790.

In particular, this overall requirement should include the following courses:

• Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate Course (3 hours)
• Other Approved CE Courses (27 hours)

You are required to complete a 6-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course before proceeding with the rest of your CE, if you haven’t already done so.

You’ll be able to carry up to a maximum of 15 additional CE hours that you performed in one renewal period to the next, though you’ll need to complete at least 15 hours during each 24-month period.

Finally, you’ll also be required to renew your background check results by re-submitting your fingerprints to Idemia every six years. You should receive reminders regarding your renewal date and fingerprinting requirements via email, so make sure to confirm the right one is included in your SAW account.

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.

Washington State Department of Licensing

Mailing Address:
Real Estate Licensing
PO Box 3856
Seattle, WA 98124-3856

Phone: (360) 664-6488

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Email: RealEstate@dol.wa.gov

Website: https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/real-estate-brokers