Licensing guides · Tennessee
Tennessee real estate license requirements
Short answer
You must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete 90 hours of Commission-approved pre-license education, pass both portions of the state examination, clear a fingerprint background review, carry Errors & Omissions insurance, and be sponsored by a Tennessee principal broker.
Who is eligible
Tennessee sets a low bar to start and a real bar to finish. You need to be 18 or older with a high school diploma or its equivalent. There is no college requirement, no residency requirement, and no requirement to have worked in a related field.
The 90 education hours
Ninety hours of pre-license education from a school approved by the Tennessee Real Estate Commission, split into two required courses. Order matters: the 60-hour course must be finished before you sit for the examination.
- 60-Hour Real Estate Fundamentals — before the exam.
- 30-Hour New Affiliate Broker — before the license is issued.
- Both must come from a Commission-approved provider; ours is Provider #1883.
The requirements people forget
Education and the exam get all the attention. These three are what actually stall applications at the end.
- Errors & Omissions insurance must be in force — Tennessee will not issue an active license without proof.
- Fingerprinting and the background review run through the Commission's vendor and take real calendar time.
- A sponsoring principal broker must hold your license; it cannot be active on its own.
Staying licensed
Issuance is not the finish line. Tennessee licenses renew on a two-year cycle with 16 hours of continuing education per cycle, including the mandatory core course, and your E&O coverage must never lapse.
Questions people ask us
- Do I have to live in Tennessee to get a Tennessee real estate license?
- No. Tennessee has no residency requirement for an affiliate broker license, though you will still need a Tennessee principal broker to sponsor and hold it.
- Is a high school diploma really required?
- Yes — a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent is a baseline requirement for licensure in Tennessee.
- Can I complete the education requirement online?
- Yes. Both required courses can be completed online through an approved provider, and Tennessee's distance-education rules govern how seat time and assessments are tracked.
- How long are my course completions good for?
- Course completions and passed exam portions both carry validity windows. Do not stretch the process across a year — finish the sequence while everything is still current.