Salesperson applicants must:

1. Have reached the age of majority, eighteen (18). Do not need a G.E.D.
2. Successfully complete sixty (60) classroom hours of real estate education of which thirty (30) classroom hours must be in the basic principles of real estate, from an accredited postsecondary school or a school or organization licensed by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission [ACA Sect. 17-42-303 and Commission Regulation 4.1];
3. Pass the licensure examination.
4. Send the proper forms and fees to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission no later than ninety (90) days after passing the examination.
5. Post-license Education

Broker applicants must:

1. Have reached the age of majority, eighteen (18).
2. Successfully complete sixty (60) hours of real estate education, of which forty-five (45) hours must be the commission developed Broker Pre-License Education course, from an accredited postsecondary school or a school or organization licensed by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission within 36 months immediately preceding the date they apply to take the broker’s exam.
3. Have been licensed as an active real estate salesperson or broker for a period of not less than twenty-four (24) months within the previous forty-eight (48) month period immediately preceding the date of application; however, upon written request such experience requirement may be waived for a real estate broker applicant who has held an active real estate broker license for a period of not less than eighteen (18) months; (if experience requirement was met in another jurisdiction, please furnish an official license history from that jurisdiction) or has experience acceptable to the commission in a field considered real estate related for a period of not less than twenty-four (24) months within the previous forty-eight month period immediately preceding the date of application (must submit a written history of experience for review by commission) [ACA Sect. 17-42-303 and Commission Regulation 4.1]
4. Pass the licensure examination; and
5. Send the proper forms and fees to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission no later than ninety (90) days after passing the examination.

6. Post-license Education

Applicants currently licensed in another state:

A salesperson applicant currently licensed in another state and seeking licensure in Arkansas at the same level, may request a waiver of the GENERAL portion of the examination. A salesperson applicant who meets all three (3) of the following requirements may be required to take only the Arkansas Law Portion of the Examination.

1. Has passed a uniform, general, or multi-state part of an examination for a real estate license in another state in which the examination is determined by the Commission to meet generally accepted standards of real estate testing, and
2. The other state requires a minimum passing grade no lower than that required for the general part of the Arkansas examination (70), and
3. The applicant at the time of taking the Arkansas examination is licensed in the other state. [Commission Regulation 4.2 (d)]

Effective January 1, 2006, the Arkansas Real Estate Commission requires all applicants for original licensure as a real estate salesperson or broker to complete a state and federal criminal background check. The federal criminal background check requires applicants to provide fingerprints on fingerprint cards provided by AREC. This requirement applies to both resident and nonresident applicants.

The Arkansas State Police conducts the criminal background check on each applicant, including an FBI check, which requires the taking of fingerprints, and submits the report to the Commission.

In order to process the application, the following must be received by AREC:

1. Completed Application to take the real estate examination
2. Completed fingerprint card
3. $50 application fee, $22 Arkansas criminal background check fee, and $14.25 FBI criminal background check fee, for a total of $86.25.  Make cashier’s check or money order payable to “AREC” (no personal checks).

NOTE:  AREC will now accept Applications for Real Estate License Examination prior to completion of the sixty-hour (60) pre-licensing course.

Timing is important. You can submit the application prior to completing the real estate education requirement. However, you must submit proof of completing the education requirement prior to receiving eligibility to sit for the real estate exam.  AREC will issue the Certificate of Eligibility for Examination only after receiving both the application information and the education certificate.  The criminal background reports must be received by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission before the Real Estate Commission will issue the license.