Texas SAE Hours for New Agents: What They Are and When They Are Due

The short answer

SAE stands for Sales Agent Education. You may also see it called Sales Apprentice Education. It is the set of courses TREC lists for a first renewal of a sales agent license. It is separate from the 18 hours of continuing education (CE) that agents take at later renewals.

This guide covers only the first renewal. For the full renewal process, dates and fees, read how to renew a Texas real estate license.

What TREC lists for SAE

The TREC renewal page for sales agents (checked October 16, 2026) lists these parts. The total in the last row is our own addition of the numbers on that page.

Which courses count as the two qualifying courses

TREC lists these 30-hour courses. You pick two.

• Real Estate Finance
• Real Estate Appraisal
• Real Estate Law
• Real Estate Marketing
• Real Estate Math
• Real Estate Investments
• Residential Inspection for Real Estate Agents
• Residential Property Management, Advanced

SAE cannot be deferred

For regular CE on an active renewal, TREC offers a $200 CE Deferral Fee that gives 60 more days. The TREC page says SAE hours cannot be deferred. It says that if you do not complete them in time for your renewal, your license expires.

So SAE is not something to leave to the last week. Treat the license expiration date as a hard deadline for these courses.

Going inactive does not remove it

Some new agents think going inactive will make the first-renewal courses go away. The TREC page we read does not say that. It says you must complete SAE for the renewal, and the page does not give an inactive exception for it.

TREC does say that if you go inactive before your next expiration date, you need 3 hours of contract-related coursework to return to active status. That coursework counts toward your next renewal. If you are weighing inactive status, call TREC first and ask how it affects your exact case.

One thing on the TREC page does not match

The list above adds up to 90 hours of qualifying courses before the 8 hours of Legal Update. A separate FAQ on the same TREC page gives a first renewal total of 270 hours of qualifying course hours. The two numbers do not match.

We cannot tell from the page which one is meant, so we do not guess. Before you buy courses, call TREC at 512.936.3000 or ask through your REALM Portal account, and keep the answer in writing.

Do not repeat similar courses

TREC says you do not get credit for a course that is substantially similar to one already credited within a two year period. If you took a course close to the license exam topics, ask whether it counts before you buy a second one.

How to pick the two qualifying courses

The choice is yours, so use it. This is our general guidance, not a TREC rule.

• Pick topics that fill a gap in how you plan to work. A new agent who will work with buyers may want Law or Finance.
• Check that the provider is approved by TREC. The TREC course search lets you filter by online or classroom delivery.
• Compare cost and the time limit to finish the course.
• Ask your broker whether they suggest providers or help with the cost. Get any offer in writing.

Who SAE applies to

SAE is tied to the first renewal of a sales agent license. If you have already renewed once, your next renewal uses the CE hours instead. See the CE table in our renewal guide.

If you were just licensed, your first renewal date is two years out, per the TREC two-year cycle. That can feel far away. But 98 hours of classes take real time, and many new agents are also trying to find a first client. Start early so the courses do not compete with your first deals.

Common SAE mistakes to avoid

These are mistakes we think are likely, based on how the rules read. This list is ours, not a TREC list.

• Waiting until the last month and finding out SAE cannot be deferred.
• Buying a course from a provider that TREC does not approve, so the hours may not count.
• Taking two courses that are too similar and losing credit for one.
• Going inactive to avoid SAE, when the TREC page gives no exception.
• Trusting one hour total without checking, when the TREC page shows two.
• Forgetting that a delegated supervisor adds the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course.

A simple SAE plan

This is our planning idea, not a TREC rule. Count back from the date your license expires.

• Write your expiration date in your calendar the week you are licensed.
• Call TREC to confirm your exact hours, since the page shows two totals.
• Pick your two qualifying courses and book them.
• Finish the Brokerage course and the qualifying courses first.
• Take TREC Legal Update I and II using the current manuals TREC posts on its approved CE courses page.
• Finish with time to spare. Do not plan around a deferral, because SAE cannot be deferred.

What to ask a brokerage about SAE

Put these in an email and keep the reply.

• Do you recommend any approved SAE providers?
• Do you pay for, split or reimburse course costs? Under what terms?
• Do you give agents time or a schedule for classes?
• Who tracks the renewal date, and who do I tell when my courses are done?

Where this fits

If you are licensed in DFW and want to see how The Bauer Group works, you can start a conversation with us on our site. Ask the same questions you would ask any brokerage and compare the answers.

Rules can change

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