What to Bring to the New York Real Estate Salesperson Exam

A compliant calculator is optional. It must be battery or solar powered, silent, nonprinting and have no alphabetic keyboard. Do not bring reference materials, dictionaries, large bags or briefcases into the testing room.

Official source map

This guide uses the New York State Department of State salesperson page for the accepted identification list, printed confirmation requirement, calculator rule, prohibited items, conduct policy and testing-modification instructions. The Department's official exam-sites page is the current location reference. Its salesperson FAQ explains how to retrieve scheduled-exam details in eAccessNY. These sources were checked on August 27, 2026.

The two required check-in items

Treat both as admission documents. A phone calendar, payment receipt or study-course certificate does not replace either one.

Required item 1: accepted current identification

The Department says the identification must be government issued, photo-bearing, signature-bearing and current. “Current” means not expired.

Its present accepted list includes:

• driver's license
• state-issued identification, such as a non-driver ID
• IDNYC card
• military ID
• United States passport
• Employment Authorization Card issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
• United States INS-issued ID
• Certificate of United States citizenship
• foreign passport
• Brazilian, Mexican, Honduran or Ecuadorian consular ID
• New York Mobile ID at only the written-exam locations identified below

The list is specific. A work badge, school ID, library card, credit card or photo of an identity document should not be assumed acceptable merely because it shows your name or picture.

New York Mobile ID is accepted only at certain exam locations

The Department currently accepts New York Mobile ID, also called MiD, only at these written-exam locations:

• Albany
• Buffalo
• Hauppauge
• New York City

Resist the urge to assume mobile ID is accepted at another location. Check the live Department page before relying on it, even if a mobile credential worked for a different government service.

Check the name before exam day

Compare the identification name with the name shown in eAccessNY and on the Summary of Your Submission. If there is a material difference, contact the Department before the appointment rather than asking site staff to resolve an identity-record issue at check-in.

The Department's public exam instructions do not publish a general rule that every shortened name or formatting difference will be accepted. Use matching legal records whenever possible.

Exam identification and license-photo requirements are different

The exam page publishes a broad accepted-ID list for test-site entry. The salesperson licensing requirements separately address the New York DMV photo used for the license card and provide special instructions for applicants without a New York DMV ID.

Passing check-in with a passport does not by itself prove that every later license-photo step is complete. Follow the identification instructions for each transaction.

Required item 2: the printed Summary of Your Submission

eAccessNY creates the Summary of Your Submission when you schedule the examination. The Department says it includes all exam information, including your candidate number, and requires you to bring the printed page.

Before printing, confirm:

• your name
• salesperson exam type
• candidate number
• appointment date
• appointment time
• exam-site name
• exam-site address

Print a clean, readable copy. Keep a saved copy for reference, but avoid assuming a screenshot on your phone replaces the printed page.

How to recover the details if you lost the page

The Department's FAQ directs applicants to:

1. Sign in to the correct eAccessNY account.
2. Open the main menu.
3. Choose “View Scheduled Exam Details.”
4. Retrieve the appointment information and print the required page again.

Do this before exam morning. If the appointment does not appear, contact the Department instead of creating another account or presenting only a payment record.

Optional item: a compliant calculator

The Department permits a calculator only if it is:

• battery or solar powered
• silent
• nonprinting
• free of an alphabetic keyboard

A basic calculator that meets all four conditions is the safest choice. Test it before leaving and confirm that you know how to clear an entry, enter a decimal and calculate percentages without consulting instructions in the room.

The Department's rule says calculators are permitted, not required. Do not bring a phone as a calculator. Phones and other electronic devices must be turned off during the examination.

What the rule excludes

Avoid relying on:

• a calculator app on a phone
• a printing calculator
• a calculator with an alphabetic keyboard
• a device that makes sound
• a PDA or multipurpose electronic organizer

If a device is close to the boundary, use a simpler calculator rather than debating its features at the test site.

Items not allowed in the testing room

The current Department site policy bars:

• dictionaries
• books
• other reference materials
• large bags
• briefcases

The Department says not to bring these items because there is no place to store them at the exam site.

Cell phones, beepers and other electronic devices must be turned off during the exam. Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted at the site. Visitors, guests and children are not permitted.

Firearms are not allowed. The Department directs questions about that policy to its Exam Unit at 518-473-2731.

Plan around the storage rule. Arriving with a large bag creates a problem the test site has already said it cannot solve.

What not to use as a substitute

The night-before document check

1. Open the current appointment record

Use “View Scheduled Exam Details” in eAccessNY. Avoid relying only on an old calendar entry.

2. Compare the site and address

Use the official Real Estate Salesperson Exam Sites page and the appointment record. Similar government-building names can refer to different locations.

3. Check the identification expiration date

Look at the actual document. Avoid relying on memory.

4. Print the Summary of Your Submission

Confirm that the candidate number and appointment information are legible.

5. Test the calculator

If you plan to bring one, confirm that it works and satisfies every published condition.

6. Remove prohibited items from the exam plan

Arrange where large bags, reference books and other barred items will remain. The site does not provide storage.

7. Plan the route

Use the appointment time printed on the summary. The Department's public salesperson page does not state one universal arrival buffer, so follow any instruction on the confirmation or supplied by the site. Build enough personal travel margin for conditions you can reasonably anticipate.

Exam-day conduct rules

The Department says a person may be dismissed for:

• using notes, books or other aids
• giving or receiving help
• removing examination materials or notes from the site
• causing a disturbance
• engaging in conduct contrary to proper examination rules

The exam supervisor decides disciplinary measures under the site policy.

Do not copy, photograph, transcribe or carry out exam content. If you want to review afterward, write down the curriculum subjects you found difficult only after leaving, without reproducing protected questions.

Testing modifications must be arranged before scheduling

The Department instructs people who require testing modifications not to schedule an ordinary exam first. Call 518-474-4429 and follow the current process.

An approved modification may affect the appointment instructions. Bring what the Department tells you to bring for that arrangement in addition to the ordinary documents that remain applicable.

Do not wait until arrival to make the first request. Site staff must work from the authorized appointment record.

A mobile-friendly packing checklist

Required

• One accepted current government-issued photo and signature ID
• Printed Summary of Your Submission

Optional

• Simple calculator that satisfies all four Department conditions
• Only small personal necessities that do not conflict with site rules

Confirm before leaving

• Name and appointment record are consistent
• Exam type is salesperson
• Candidate number is readable
• Date, time, site and address are correct
• ID is not expired
• Mobile ID, if used, is accepted at that specific location
• Route and transportation are planned
• Prohibited items have been left elsewhere
• Any testing modification was arranged through the Department

Frequently asked questions

What are the two required items for the New York salesperson exam?

Bring one current government-issued photo and signature identification from the Department's accepted list and the printed Summary of Your Submission from eAccessNY.

Can you show the confirmation on your phone?

The Department's current instruction says to bring the printed Summary of Your Submission. Avoid relying on a phone display as a substitute.

Can you use a passport as identification?

Yes. The current accepted list includes a current United States passport and a current foreign passport, subject to the overarching photo and signature requirement.

Can you use New York Mobile ID?

Only at the written-exam locations where the Department currently accepts it: Albany, Buffalo, Hauppauge and New York City. Recheck the official page before the appointment.

Can you bring a calculator?

Yes, if it is battery or solar powered, silent, nonprinting and has no alphabetic keyboard.

Can you use your phone's calculator?

No. The permitted-calculator rule does not make a phone an approved calculator, and electronic devices must be turned off during the exam.

Should you bring pencils?

The Department's current salesperson page does not list pencils among the two required items. Follow any additional direction printed on the Summary of Your Submission or provided for the specific site rather than relying on an unofficial supply list.

Can you bring study notes for last-minute review?

Reference materials are not allowed in the testing room, and the Department says there is no storage for barred materials. Review before arriving and leave the materials elsewhere.

Can someone wait inside with you?

The site policy says visitors, guests and children are not permitted at the exam site.

What if you lost the Summary of Your Submission?

Sign in to eAccessNY and choose “View Scheduled Exam Details.” Retrieve and print the appointment page before going to the site.

Is exam-day ID the same as the ID needed for the license application?

Not necessarily. The test-site accepted list and the Department's licensing photo process serve different purposes. Follow both sets of instructions.

What to do next

Print the summary and place it with the accepted identification now. Then use the exam-scheduling guide to verify the appointment, review the course-versus-state-exam guide, and use free practice for a final mixed review.

Sources and verification notes

The identification and site rules in this article were checked on August 27, 2026. Accepted documents, mobile-ID locations, site policies, contact procedures and portal instructions can change. Recheck the official page and appointment record before leaving.

1. New York State Department of State, Become a Real Estate Salesperson. Required identification, Summary of Your Submission, calculator conditions, prohibited items, conduct and testing modifications.
2. New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Exam Sites. Current official location reference.
3. New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Frequently Asked Questions. “View Scheduled Exam Details,” account access and exam workflow.
4. New York State Department of State, Photo ID. Separate licensing-photo and DMV process.

This article provides general exam-day guidance. The current Department page, appointment confirmation and authorized testing-modification instructions control your appointment.