Current New York Real Estate License and Exam Fees

That $80 does not include the required 77-hour course, optional exam preparation, travel, or any costs imposed by a brokerage. It also does not include later record transactions or the $65 renewal fee. Those costs belong in separate parts of the budget.

Current salesperson fee table

The fee table on the Department's salesperson page is the controlling public reference for the initial application, renewal, written examination, personal record change, duplicate request and returned-check amounts. The Department's salesperson FAQ confirms the current association transaction amounts and workflow.

Official source map

The New York State Department of State's salesperson page publishes the live fee list and payment instructions. Its salesperson FAQ explains exam scheduling, rescheduling, renewal, termination, change of association, address changes and duplicate requests. The current salesperson application confirms the $65 nonrefundable application fee and the separate $15 exam fee.

Real Property Law section 441-b sets the salesperson license and examination fees in statute. Section 441-a sets the $20 fee for filing a new record of association. The Department's licensing-updates page records when the salesperson license fee increased to $65. These sources were checked on August 27, 2026.

The two payments every first-time applicant should separate

1. The $15 written-exam fee

The $15 payment is for an appointment to take the Department of State salesperson examination. It is not the license application fee and it does not include the qualifying course.

An applicant schedules through eAccessNY. The Department describes the exam as multiple choice, based on the 77-hour prelicensing curriculum and 90 minutes long. Results are reported as Pass or Fail without a numerical score.

If an applicant fails and schedules another appointment, the next exam is another $15 transaction. The first payment does not purchase unlimited attempts.

2. The $65 initial license application fee

After passing, an applicant uses the appropriate Department route to apply for the salesperson license and pays $65. A standard online application also requires a sponsoring broker, and the principal broker must authorize the pending application before Department review.

Paying $65 does not activate the license by itself. The application must be complete, the broker must authorize it, and the Department must approve and issue the license.

The exam fee and application fee are therefore separate because they pay for different stages:

1. $15 to schedule one state-exam appointment
2. $65 to submit the initial salesperson license application

What is the minimum direct state cost?

For a standard first-time applicant who passes on the first attempt:

This is a state-fee subtotal, not the total cost of becoming licensed. A standard exam-route applicant must also complete approved qualifying education, and schools set their own tuition. Attorney-status, prior-license and approved education-waiver routes have different documentation rules. Travel and other personal costs vary.

How exam retakes change the state-fee subtotal

The Department allows a person who receives a Fail result to schedule another examination through eAccessNY. Each new exam appointment carries the current $15 exam fee.

These examples assume one initial license application after the passing result. They do not include course tuition, study products, transportation or later license transactions.

Rescheduling is different from taking a new appointment

The Department FAQ says an applicant can reschedule in eAccessNY while within the allowable window, identified there as six days before the currently scheduled exam date. Outside that window, the applicant must wait until the exam date has passed and make a new appointment.

Avoid relying on a calendar reminder alone. Open “View Scheduled Exam Details” in eAccessNY and follow the live transaction instructions. If a new appointment is required, budget for the current $15 exam fee rather than assuming the old payment automatically transfers.

Why the salesperson license fee is $65

Real Property Law section 441-b states a $55 salesperson license fee plus a $10 surcharge. The surcharge goes to the anti-discrimination in housing fund for statewide fair housing testing efforts. Together they produce the Department's published $65 initial and renewal fee.

The Department's licensing-updates page says the $65 salesperson fee took effect January 21, 2022 and applies to initial and renewal applications. An older page showing the pre-2022 amount is not current.

The statutory breakdown matters for understanding the law, but the applicant pays the published total. It is not two optional charges.

The $65 renewal fee

A salesperson license is issued for a two-year term. The current Department renewal fee is $65.

Renewal is not only a payment. A salesperson generally must complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education within the license term and must have a sponsoring broker to be eligible for renewal. Attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar remain the exception identified by the Department for the continuing-education requirement.

Continuing-education tuition is not included in the $65 renewal fee. Approved providers set their own course prices. A licensee should therefore budget separately for:

• the Department renewal transaction
• approved continuing education
• any business expenses owed under the brokerage agreement

The Department says a salesperson can access the renewal application beginning three months before expiration. There is no grace period that permits licensed activity after expiration. A person who does not renew may not keep performing work that requires the license.

The $20 change-of-association fee

When a salesperson leaves one broker and joins another, the existing broker completes the termination and the new principal broker records the new association through the Department's online process.

The Department FAQ states:

• no fee is required for the termination transaction
• the fee is $20 for each new association
• the new broker completes the change-of-association transaction
• the submission is not itself Department approval

Real Property Law section 441-a also states that the fee for filing a record of association is $20.

Avoid confusing a change of broker with an initial license application. The transaction, actor and fee are different. A salesperson should not perform licensed activity during a gap in active association.

The $10 personal name or address change fee

The Department's salesperson fee table lists $10 for a change of personal name and/or address. It also states that no fee is required when the name change results from a change in marital status.

The salesperson FAQ describes a $10 eAccessNY transaction for a salesperson or associate broker changing a residence address. Business-address changes tied to a brokerage involve the broker's workflow and may create a transaction for each affected license record.

Use the correct portal function or current form. Changing a mailing address with a school, brokerage payroll system or postal service does not update the Department's license record.

The $10 duplicate-license fee

A duplicate license or registration request currently costs $10. The FAQ directs a licensee to the “Duplicate License or Photo ID Card” function in eAccessNY and identifies the $10 charge.

A duplicate request replaces a document. It does not renew an expired license, change the sponsoring broker or alter the license status.

The $20 returned-check charge

The Department fee section says it charges $20 when the applicant's bank returns a check. This amount is not the same as the $20 change-of-association fee. The identical dollar figures apply to two different events.

Follow the payment instructions for the actual filing route. The Department page says not to send cash and identifies check, money order and its credit-card authorization route. Online transactions use the payment screens presented in eAccessNY.

Costs that are not New York Department of State fees

Qualifying-course tuition

New York requires 77 hours of approved salesperson qualifying education and a separate school-administered proctored final. The Department approves schools, but the school sets tuition and its commercial policies.

Before enrolling, ask whether the quoted tuition includes:

• the course final
• textbooks or digital materials
• access extensions
• a completion certificate
• any school retake or rescheduling charge
• tax or platform charges

Those are provider questions. They should not be added to a chart labeled “New York State fees.”

Optional exam-preparation products

Practice questions, tutoring, flashcards and mobile-app subscriptions are optional study costs. They are not a condition imposed by the Department. Keep them in a separate budget category so a student can compare resources without mistaking a commercial price for a licensing charge.

Travel and appointment-day costs

Transportation, parking, meals and time away from work depend on the exam location and the student's circumstances. The Department's exam-site list can change, so check the live location before estimating travel.

Brokerage costs

A brokerage may have a commission plan or charge for technology, insurance, association access, training, leads, desk space, signs, marketing or other services. These are not part of the $65 Department application fee.

Read the brokerage agreement and ask whether a charge is one time, monthly, annual or deducted from commission. A state license does not settle the private financial relationship between salesperson and broker.

Continuing-education tuition

The state requires qualifying continuing education for renewal, but course prices vary by provider. The $65 renewal payment does not purchase those courses.

A clean way to budget the licensing path

Use three separate columns.

Column 1: fixed Department fees

• $15 for each written-exam appointment
• $65 for the initial license application
• $65 for a later renewal
• any applicable record transaction listed by the Department

Column 2: variable education and preparation

• approved 77-hour course
• optional study tools
• any school charges disclosed before enrollment

Column 3: personal and brokerage costs

• travel and parking
• technology or equipment
• brokerage onboarding and ongoing charges
• professional memberships or listing-service access, if chosen or required by the brokerage arrangement

This structure prevents double counting. It also makes it clear which number can be verified on a government page and which number depends on a provider or private agreement.

Worked fee scenarios

Scenario 1: first-attempt pass

Maya pays $15 for one exam appointment, passes and submits a $65 initial salesperson application.

Her direct Department subtotal is $80. Her course tuition and travel remain separate.

Scenario 2: pass on the third appointment

Eli schedules three exam appointments before passing. His exam fees total $45. He then pays the $65 initial application fee.

His direct Department subtotal is $110.

Scenario 3: broker change after licensure

Nia leaves Broker A and joins Broker B. Broker A completes the termination, which has no Department fee. Broker B submits the new association, which carries a $20 fee.

The $20 is not another initial application fee.

Scenario 4: renewal with continuing education

Jordan completes the required approved continuing education and pays $65 to renew.

The course provider's tuition is separate from the Department renewal fee.

Scenario 5: marital-status name change

A salesperson changes a surname because of a change in marital status. The Department fee table states that the normal name-change fee does not apply in that circumstance.

The licensee must still use the correct record-change process and provide what the Department requires.

Scenario 6: duplicate instead of renewal

A salesperson loses the physical license but the license term is still active. A $10 duplicate request replaces the document. It does not extend the expiration date.

Common fee mistakes

“The exam costs $80”

No. One exam appointment is $15. The $80 figure combines one exam appointment with the later $65 initial application.

“The $65 application includes every retake”

No. Exam appointments and the license application are separate transactions.

“The 77-hour course is included in the state fee”

No. Approved schools charge their own tuition.

“Paying the application fee makes the license active”

No. Sponsorship, broker authorization, Department review and issuance still matter.

“Termination and a new association both cost $20”

No. The Department FAQ says termination has no fee and each new association costs $20.

“A duplicate license renews the term”

No. A duplicate replaces the credential. Renewal is a separate $65 transaction with its own eligibility requirements.

“The broker fee is the salesperson fee”

No. The Department publishes different license categories and amounts. A salesperson applicant should use the salesperson fee table for the transaction being submitted.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the New York real estate salesperson exam?

The current Department of State written-exam fee is $15 for each appointment.

How much is the New York salesperson license application?

The current initial application fee is $65. It is separate from the $15 exam fee.

What is the minimum state-fee subtotal for a first-time applicant?

One exam appointment plus one initial application totals $80. Course tuition and other variable costs are not included.

How much does a New York salesperson exam retake cost?

A new written-exam appointment carries the current $15 fee. Two appointments total $30 in exam fees, three total $45, and so on.

How much does salesperson renewal cost?

The current Department renewal fee is $65 for the two-year license term. Continuing-education tuition is separate.

Does it cost money to leave a sponsoring broker?

The Department FAQ says there is no fee for the termination transaction. A new broker association costs $20 for each new association.

How much is an address change or duplicate license?

The Department lists $10 for a covered personal name or address change and $10 for a duplicate license or registration request. A name change resulting from marital status has no fee under the published fee table.

Are New York real estate application fees refundable?

The Department says application fees are nonrefundable, and Real Property Law section 441 states that the fees provided by that section are not refundable. Follow the live scheduling and transaction terms before paying.

Is there a fee for special testing arrangements?

The Department instructs applicants who need testing modifications to contact Licensing Services before scheduling. Its current salesperson fee table does not list a separate testing-modification charge. Follow the Department's individual instructions rather than assuming how a request will be handled.

Can a school advertise one price as the total New York license cost?

A school can quote its own package, but that does not turn tuition or optional products into Department fees. Confirm what the package includes and compare it with the official fee table.

What to do next

Use the step-by-step New York licensing guide to put each payment in the right sequence. Build a personal budget with the complete licensing cost worksheet, then check the current exam and licensing updates before scheduling or filing.

Sources and verification notes

This permanent fee page was checked on August 27, 2026. It separates current Department charges from variable school, preparation, travel and brokerage costs. Fees, forms and portal procedures can change. Confirm the amount shown by the Department and the live transaction screen immediately before payment.

1. New York State Department of State, Become a Real Estate Salesperson. Current initial, renewal, written-exam, name or address change, duplicate-license and returned-check fees, plus payment instructions.
2. New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson FAQ. Current exam scheduling, six-day rescheduling window, renewal, termination, $20 new-association fee, address change and duplicate-request workflows.
3. New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Application. Current application package, nonrefundable $65 fee, separate $15 examination fee and filing instructions.
4. New York State Department of State, Important Updates: Licensing. January 21, 2022 effective date for the $65 salesperson initial and renewal fee.
5. New York Real Property Law section 441-b. $55 salesperson license fee, $10 fair housing surcharge and $15 examination fee.
6. New York Real Property Law section 441-a. $20 fee for filing a record of association and the license-term framework.
7. New York Real Property Law section 441. Application, examination, qualifying education, continuing education and nonrefundability provisions.

This article provides general educational information. It does not provide legal, tax or financial advice.