License term
2 years
Complete CE within the current term
New York license renewal
How to renew your New York real estate salesperson license.
Complete the right continuing education, check the broker association, and submit through eAccessNY before the license expires. If it already expired, your next step depends on how much time has passed.
Quick answer
How do you renew a New York real estate salesperson license?
Complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education during the two-year license term, confirm that your sponsoring broker and office information are correct, then renew online through eAccessNY and pay the current $65 fee. The renewal option generally opens three months before expiration. Complete continuing education before submitting, save the confirmation, and remember that submission is not approval.
Required CE
22.5 hours
Approved education with required topics
Renewal fee
$65
Current Department of State fee
Renewal opens
About 90 days
Generally three months before expiration
Start from your license status
Choose the situation that matches today.
Renewal advice changes once the license expires. Start with the date printed on the license, not the date of the reminder.
1My expiration date is more than three months awayPlan the required educationUse your current two-year license term to complete approved courses and save each completion certificate.See the CE breakdown 2My renewal link is availableCheck the record before submittingConfirm that your continuing education is complete and that your sponsoring broker and office information are correct.Use the renewal checklist 3My license expired less than two years agoRenew, but do not perform licensed work yetThe online renewal remains available during the two-year late-renewal window. The license is not active merely because renewal is still available.Understand late renewal 4My license expired more than two years agoReturn through the current licensing pathThe Department of State requires current education requirements and the state written examination again before a new application.Review the licensing path
The 22.5-hour requirement
Know exactly which topics must be inside your CE total.
The topic hours are part of the 22.5 hours. They are not added on top of it.
Fair housing and discrimination3 hours
Ethical business practices2.5 hours
Recent legal matters1 hour
Implicit bias awareness2 hours
Cultural competency2 hours
First salesperson renewal
2 agency hours
Required topic hours total 12.5. The other 10 hours may be other approved continuing education.
Later renewals
1 agency hour
Required topic hours total 11.5. The other 11 hours may be other approved continuing education.
Online renewal checklist
Complete the requirements before you affirm the application.
The online renewal asks you to affirm that the requirements are satisfied. Work through the checks before paying.
- 1
Check the expiration date
The renewal option becomes available about three months before the expiration date printed on the license.
- 2
Finish approved continuing education
Complete the full 22.5 hours, including every required topic for your license term, before affirming the online renewal.
- 3
Verify sponsorship and office information
A salesperson needs an active sponsoring broker. If the office or sponsorship record is wrong, have the principal broker correct it before renewal.
- 4
Renew through eAccessNY
Open List of Licenses, choose the license, select Renew License, answer the questions, and review the information before affirming.
- 5
Pay the $65 renewal fee
Follow the Department of State payment screen and submit the payment only once.
- 6
Save the confirmation and check status
Keep the confirmation page for your records. Submission is not approval, so check the account until the renewed license is active.
The confirmation page is proof of submission, not proof of approval.
Save it, then check eAccessNY until the renewed license shows an active status.
Credit and record rules
Avoid the CE mistakes that surface during renewal or audit.
Complete CE within this term
Hours earned for one license term do not carry into the next term.
Do not repeat the same course for credit
A continuing education course cannot receive credit more than once within the same two-year renewal cycle.
Keep every completion certificate
Schools must retain course-completion records for three years, but keeping your own certificates makes an audit or replacement request easier.
Broker-course credit has conditions
A salesperson may receive CE credit for an approved broker qualifying course completed in the current term. DOS still identifies separate ethics and recent-legal-matters requirements.
If the license expired
The clock changes the remedy, not the no-work rule.
An expired salesperson license does not authorize brokerage activity. Determine whether the expiration is inside or outside the two-year renewal window.
Expired two years or less
Late renewal remains available
Complete the renewal requirements and wait for active status before returning to licensed work. There is no working grace period.
Expired more than two years
Current education and the state exam apply again
Follow the Department of State instructions for the new application, including proof of the prior course or current additional education when required.
Review the licensing pathRenewal questions
Clear answers for the decisions that cannot wait.
These answers summarize the current Department of State process. Use the linked official pages when submitting the renewal.
Attorney CE exemption
Attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar remain exempt from real estate continuing education. The former 15-year broker exemption was removed.
When can I renew a New York real estate salesperson license?
The renewal option is generally available three months before the expiration date printed on the license. The Department of State sends an email and postcard reminder approximately 90 days before expiration, but the licensee remains responsible for renewing on time.
What continuing education is required for renewal?
Most licensees must complete 22.5 hours during each two-year term. The hours include fair housing and discrimination, ethical business practices, recent legal matters, implicit bias, cultural competency, and law of agency. The initial salesperson term requires two agency hours. Later terms require at least one.
Can unused continuing education hours carry into the next term?
No. New York requires continuing education to be completed within each license term. Excess hours do not carry forward, and the same continuing education course cannot receive credit more than once in the same two-year cycle.
Can I renew without a sponsoring broker?
No. A salesperson must have a sponsoring broker to be eligible for renewal. If the association is missing or incorrect, the principal broker must update it before the salesperson continues with renewal.
Can I work while an expired license is being renewed?
No. New York provides no grace period for performing licensed activity after expiration. A renewal may remain available for up to two years, but the person must wait until the license is active before resuming licensed work.
Who is exempt from New York real estate continuing education?
Attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar remain exempt from the real estate continuing education requirement. The exemption concerns continuing education, not the other requirements for maintaining an active real estate license.
Choose the right destination
Renew with the state. Prepare with Pass New York if the exam applies again.
Pass New York does not provide continuing education or process license renewals. Use the Department of State for renewal. Use our study tools if an expired license requires another state examination.