Who Grants a License: Licenses are granted by the Washington State Department of Licensing (“WDOL”).
Qualifications to receive a License: A candidate must complete 90 clock hours of study at a WDOL-approved real estate school (search schools here), pass a school-administered final exam, and pass a state exam. All candidates must submit a full set of fingerprints, prove legal presence and pass a background check. All candidates must be at least 18 years of age, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. For more information about qualifications, see the page titled How to get your license, on the WDOL website.
NOTE: Washington law does not license real estate salespersons. Entry level real estate licensees are considered brokers, who must be affiliated with a managing broker.
Applying for the Exams: Candidates must register with PSI, the testing vendor, prior to completion of the pre-licensing curriculum. Upon completion, the pre-licensing school must transmit the completion information to PSI. Candidates should apply to take the state exam through the PSI website scheduling page. For more information, see the Washington Real Estate Examination Program Candidate Handbook.
Test Content: The Washington state real estate licensing exam is comprised of two separate portions, the national portion and the state-specific portion. The questions on the two portions will be intermixed and will not appear as separate sections. Five to ten questions disbursed throughout both portions of the exam are considered "experimental" questions and are not scored. Both tests are comprised of multiple choice questions with four answer choices provided for each question. Test takers are allotted 3.5 hours to complete both portions of the test. A scaled score of at least 70 on both portions of the exam is required to pass. The tests are presented in a computer-based format, but accommodations for paper-based tests and/or oral testing can be provided with special arrangements.
The national portion of the test consists of 100 questions, and tests the candidate's knowledge of general real estate concepts, including the following subject areas:
Agency Relationships and Contracts
Real Property Ownership/Interest
Finance
Real Property
Marketing Regulations (purchase and rental)
Property Management
Real Estate Calculations
The state-specific test consists of 30 questions, and tests the candidate's knowledge of the state-specific concepts, including the following subject areas:
General Rules
Licensing Requirements
Washington Statutes and Rules
Governing the Activities of Licensees
Real Estate Managing Brokerage Relationships
Closing and Settlement
How to Apply for the License: The license application is issued by the testing company upon passing both portions of the licensing exam. Candidates must provide WDOL with the following documents: (1) completed application and application fee; (2) original Washington state real estate licensing exam score report(s); (3) proof of legal presence in the U.S.; (4) certificate issued by a WDOL-approved school for completion of the 90-hour salesperson pre-licensure curriculum; and (6) two fingerprint cards.
All of the required documents must be submitted to the WDOL offices within 45 days of passing the exam. Information can be submitted in person at 2000 4th Avenue W. in Olympia or by mail at:
Real Estate Licensing
Department of Licensing
PO Box 3917
Seattle, WA 98124-3917
Fees: The WDOL charges a license application fee.
Who administers the test: WDOL and AMP.
Post-Licensing Requirements – A new Washington real estate licensee must take 90 credit hours of post-licensing education during the first licensing cycle. Further information is provided on the agency website, here.
License Renewal Requirements – A Washington real estate licensee must take 30 credit hours of continuing education (either online or in the classroom) from WDOL-approved provider every two years. Further information is provided on the agency website, here.
Applicable Regulations: Real estate licensees in Washington are regulated under the Revised Washington Statutes, Chapter 18.85, and the Washington Administrative Code, Title 308-124.
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