1.4 License Maintenance and Renewal

License Term and Expiration

Pennsylvania real estate licenses are kept current through continuing education (CE) and biennial renewal. Know the exact numbers — the state portion tests the cycle, hours, and mandatory topics.

All standard real estate licenses share the same expiration: May 31 of the even year. The current cycle ran June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2026; the next runs June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028. Renewal opens roughly two months before the deadline.

Continuing Education — 14 Hours per Cycle

Each renewal requires 14 hours of Commission-approved CE completed during the two-year cycle.

Required Topics (Standard Licensees)

For the 2024-2026 cycle, standard licensees must include within the 14 hours the Commission's mandated subjects:

The specific mandatory subjects rotate each cycle by Commission order, so always confirm the current required modules before enrolling. You cannot carry over excess CE hours from one cycle to the next.

First Renewal — Mandatory Education for New Licensees

A newly licensed salesperson's first renewal is different. Instead of 14 hours of standard CE, new licensees complete two 7-hour prescribed modules:

Together these total the 14-hour requirement but are prescribed courses, not free electives. A licensee whose first renewal falls in the cycle must take the General module plus either the Residential or the Commercial module.

Renewal Fees

Exam tip: The two most-tested facts are that licenses renew every 2 years on May 31 of even years, and the CE requirement is 14 hours (including 3 Agency + 2 Fair Housing for the current cycle). New licensees do prescribed modules (General + Residential/Commercial), not 14 hours of any approved elective.

Late Renewal and Lapsed Licenses

You cannot practice on an expired license. Renewing late does not retroactively authorize work performed while lapsed — and working on a lapsed license is itself a disciplinable violation.

Expired More Than 5 Years

If a license has lapsed for over 5 years, the person generally must requalify like a new applicant — which can mean retaking the pre-license education and passing the licensing exam again. Simply paying back fees is not enough. This is a favorite exam contrast: under 5 years = reinstate with fees and CE; over 5 years = requalify.

License Status Types

Inactive Status

A licensee may go inactive when not affiliated with a broker. The licensee must still complete CE and renew to keep the license from expiring, but may perform no licensed activity while inactive. To reactivate, affiliate with a broker and update the record in PALS.

Change Notifications

Licensees must notify SREC, through PALS, of key changes:

• Change of employing broker (the salesperson cannot work in the gap between release and new affiliation)
• Change of business or home address
• Change of legal name

Keeping current contact information on file is a continuing obligation; failure is itself a violation.

Reciprocity and Out-of-State Licensees

Pennsylvania maintains reciprocity arrangements with certain states. An out-of-state licensee typically must:

• Hold an active license in good standing in the reciprocal state
• Have some or all pre-license education waived
• Still pass the Pennsylvania state portion of the exam
• Meet the CHRC background requirement
• Affiliate with a Pennsylvania broker (or maintain a place of business) before practicing

Scenario: A salesperson active and in good standing in a reciprocal state for five years applies under reciprocity. Education may be waived, but they still must pass the Pennsylvania state section and clear the background check before SREC issues the license.

Trap: Reciprocity never waives the state-specific exam section — it can waive education hours, not the test of Pennsylvania law. Distractors claim reciprocity grants an automatic full PA license; it does not.