Prelicensing: 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course required before sitting for the exam.
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
What must a North Carolina broker do each license year to keep an active license?
Answer: A. To maintain an active license, North Carolina brokers must renew annually and satisfy the continuing education requirement set by the Commission.
Question 2 of 5
If a North Carolina broker fails to complete continuing education by the deadline, what generally happens to the license?
Answer: A. Failure to complete required continuing education causes a North Carolina license to go inactive; the broker cannot practice until the CE is completed and the license reactivated.
Question 3 of 5
To keep a North Carolina broker license on active status, a broker must do what each license year?
Answer: B. Active North Carolina brokers must complete the required continuing education and renew their license each year to maintain active status.
Question 4 of 5
A North Carolina broker on active status must complete continuing education each license year (by June 10) consisting of how many total hours?
Answer: B. To keep an active license, a North Carolina broker must complete 8 hours of continuing education each license year by the June 10 deadline, typically consisting of a mandatory update course plus an approved elective.
Question 5 of 5
Of a North Carolina broker's required annual continuing education, which component is mandatory and set by the Commission?
Answer: A. The 8-hour CE requirement is split into a mandatory 4-hour Commission-designed update course (the General Update, or the BIC Update for brokers-in-charge) plus a 4-hour approved elective of the licensee's choosing.
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Must-know rules
- Regulator: North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC); NC licenses everyone as a broker (no separate salesperson license).
- Entry level: provisional broker, issued on a license active status after passing the exam.
- Prelicensing: 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course required before sitting for the exam.
- Provisional brokers must work under a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) and complete 90 hours of Postlicensing education (three 30-hour courses) to remove the provisional status.
- Continuing education: 8 hours per license year to keep a license on active status (CE year runs July 1-June 30, due by June 10).
- The 8 CE hours include the required NCREC Update course (General Update, or BICUP/BIC Update for brokers-in-charge) plus an approved elective.
- License renewal: renew annually between May 15 and June 30; an unrenewed license expires and an inactive license can later be reactivated by completing required CE.
North Carolina Licensing & Continuing-Education Quick Sheet: FAQs
Is North Carolina Licensing & Continuing-Education Quick Sheet on the real estate exam?
Yes. State License Law is a scored domain on the North Carolina real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the state license-law portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
Does North Carolina test this differently?
North Carolina applies its own license law on top of the national portion. This page covers the North Carolina rules specifically, which is what the state section of your exam tests.
