How to Renew Your Texas Real Estate License

The short version

Your license runs on a two-year cycle. About 90 days before it expires, TREC sends a renewal notice. TREC says that until you get this notice, you cannot renew (TREC sales agent renewal page, checked October 15, 2026).

Then you finish your education, pay the fee and submit the renewal in the REALM Portal. This guide walks through each part.

Key dates

These timing rules come from the TREC renewal page.

Continuing education for an active renewal

To renew as an active sales agent, TREC lists 18 hours of continuing education (CE) for each two-year period.

More on CE

The renewal page does not list a separate ethics course. If your broker made you a supervisor, TREC says 6 hours of the Broker Responsibility course count toward your 18 hours.

TREC also posts the current Legal Update I and II manuals and the Broker Responsibility manual on its approved CE courses page. Use a course from an approved provider.

If your CE is not done in time

TREC allows a CE deferral on an active renewal. If CE is not recorded when you submit, you pay a $200 CE Deferral Fee or renew inactive. The fee keeps you active for 60 more days past the expiration date to finish CE.

You cannot defer CE on a late renewal. Do not plan on deferral as your normal path. Finish the hours early.

Your first renewal is different

New agents take Sales Agent Education (SAE) before the first renewal. TREC lists these parts.

• A 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course.
• Sixty hours of qualifying education, as two 30-hour courses from the TREC list. The list includes Real Estate Finance, Appraisal, Law, Marketing, Math, Investments, Residential Inspection for Real Estate Agents, and Residential Property Management, Advanced.
• Eight hours of Legal Update I and II.
• If you are a delegated supervisor, the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course.

SAE cannot be deferred

TREC says these hours cannot be deferred. If you do not finish them in time for your renewal, your license expires. That is a big difference from regular CE.

TREC says you do not get credit for a course that is substantially similar to one you took in the previous two years. The FAQ on the TREC page also gives a different total for first renewal than the list above. Because the numbers differ on the page, call TREC at 512.936.3000 to confirm your exact hours before you buy courses.

The renewal fee

The TREC fee schedule effective September 1, 2026 lists these sales agent fees (checked October 15, 2026). Confirm the amount in the REALM Portal when you pay.

How to renew online

TREC lists these steps for renewing in the REALM Portal.

• Renew through the REALM Portal. If you have never renewed online, you may need to create an account first.
• Finish your CE at least 10 days before expiration so it can be processed.
• Submit the renewal application and fee no later than the expiration date to avoid added fees.
• If you have not given TREC fingerprints with an earlier application or renewal, you must be fingerprinted for a criminal background check.

Going inactive instead

You may renew on inactive status without completing CE. You cannot do real estate brokerage work while inactive. TREC says that if you go inactive before your next expiration date, you need 3 hours of contract-related coursework to return to active status.

See our guide on activating an inactive Texas license and on hanging your license.

What happens if you wait too long

TREC sets three zones after the expiration date. In the first six months, you can still renew late, and the late fees on the schedule apply. From six months up to two years, you may apply for reinstatement instead. After two years, you must reapply and pass the exam again.

Each step back costs more time and money. A late renewal is usually the cheapest way to recover, so act fast if you miss the date. Our guide on how long a license takes to issue shows how TREC timing works for new applications.

Common mistakes to avoid

These are mistakes we see agents ask about. This list is ours, not a TREC list.

• Waiting for the notice but never checking that TREC has your current email address.
• Buying a course that is not on the approved list, so the hours do not count.
• Finishing CE on the last day, with no time for it to be recorded.
• Assuming a CE deferral works on a late renewal. TREC says it does not.
• Skipping the first-renewal courses. Those hours cannot be deferred.
• Working while inactive. TREC says you cannot do brokerage activity on an inactive license.

A simple plan

This is our planning idea, not a TREC rule.

• Write your expiration date in your calendar today.
• Set a reminder for six months before it.
• Finish CE or SAE at least 30 days early, well before the 10-day cutoff.
• Watch for the TREC notice about 90 days out.
• Renew in REALM and save the confirmation.

Check TREC for your case

Your exact hours and fees depend on your license history. Check the TREC pages below and ask TREC if anything is unclear.

Education only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with TREC.

Where this fits

See the Texas real estate license requirements and what a sponsoring broker does. If you are licensed in DFW and want to talk with The Bauer Group, you can start a conversation on our site.