Getting your real estate license may be easier than you think. Our 60-hour Pre-License Sales Course can be completed in only 8 (eight) weekdays or 6 (six) weekend days. The steps below provide you with almost everything you'll need to know about the Arkansas Real Estate Commission's (AREC) requirements to get you started in a real estate career now!
Real Estate License Requirements
Salesperson applicants must:
Have reached the age of majority, eighteen (18).
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];
Submit a salesperson application to the AREC, including information required for State and Federal Background Checks.
Receive approval to sit for the exam from the Arkansas Real Estate Commission.
Pass the licensure examination.
Send the proper forms and fees to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission no later than ninety (90) days after passing the examination.
Post-license Education
Waiver of Application and Licensing Fees
Pursuant to Act 153 of 2021, the application and licensing fees shall be waived for applicants who receive:
1) Assistance through the Arkansas Medicaid Program;
2) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
3) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); or
4) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
In addition, applicants who have been approved for unemployment in the last 12 months or have an income that does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty income guidelines.
NOTE: This waiver does not apply to costs associated with criminal background checks or real estate education costs. Please contact the AREC for additional information.
Military Members, Veterans, and Spouses
Pursuant to Act 725 of 2021, active-duty military members, returning veterans, and spouses may qualify for automatic licensure or expedited application processing. Please contact the AREC for additional information.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ARKANSAS RESIDENTS: Do NOT have fingerprints made until you receive an email from AREC authorizing you to do so.
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.
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 acceptable standards of real estate testing, and
The other state requires a minimum passing grade no lower than that required for the general part of the Arkansas examination (70), and
The applicant at the time of taking the Arkansas examination is licensed in the other state. [Commission Regulation 4.2 (d)]
Application Information — Arkansas Residents
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 resident applicants to submit digital fingerprints.
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:
Completed Application to take the real estate examination
Proof of having reached the age of majority, eighteen (18).
$50.00 application fee, Make cashier’s check or money order payable to “AREC”. (No personal or business checks will be accepted.)
Background Check Acknowledgment Identity Form (BCA)
Certificate of Course Completion for Pre-license Education.*
*NOTE: AREC will now accept Applications for Real Estate License Examination prior to completion of the sixty-hour (60) pre-licensing course.
Applications can be submitted prior to the completion of pre-license education. Please note that Certificates of Exam Eligibility will not be issued until 1) AREC receives proof of completion of pre-license education AND 2) Complete Background Check Acknowledgment (BCA) Form has been submitted to AREC.
The criminal background reports must be received and approved by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission before the Real Estate Commission will issue the license.
Applicants should frequently check their email including spam folders for information on the criminal background check process.
Application Information — Non-Resident
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 Arkansas State Police conducts the criminal background check on each applicant, including an FBI check, which requires the taking of fingerprints. Non-resident applicants will submit requests for state and federal background checks using an applicant's fingerprint card.
In order to process the application, the following must be received by AREC:
Completed Application to take the real estate examination
Proof of age
If you are required to the take exam your fee for your application will be $86.25 Make a cashier’s check or money order payable to “AREC”. (No personal or business checks will be accepted.)
If you are not required to take the exam, your fee for a salesperson fee will be $161.25. For a broker, the fee will be $181.25. Make cashier’s check or money order payable to “AREC”. (No personal or business checks will be accepted.)
Completed Fingerprint Card
License histories from all states where you have a real estate license or have had a real estate license.
Background Acknowledgement Form
Non-reciprocal applicants will need to show proof of completing sixty hours (60) of pre-license education. If the applicant is applying for a broker’s license, the sixty hours (60) of pre-license education must have been completed within the last 36 months.*
*NOTE: AREC will accept Applications for Real Estate License Examination prior to completion of the sixty-hour (60) pre-licensing course.
Applications can be submitted prior to the completion of pre-license education. Please note that Certificates of Exam Eligibility will not be issued until 1) AREC receives proof of completion of pre-license education AND 2) the Applicant’s fingerprint card is submitted to AREC.
The criminal background reports must be received and approved by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission before the Real Estate Commission will issue the license.
Real Estate Candidate Handbook and Application — IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ARKANSAS RESIDENTS: Do NOT have fingerprints made until you receive an email from AREC authorizing you to do so.
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