Tennessee real estate license reciprocity is conditional: the state will waive the national portion of its licensing exam for an out-of-state broker or affiliate broker, but only if your home state offers Tennessee licensees the same courtesy. Even when that condition is met, you still have to pass the Tennessee state law exam, meet the state’s education requirements, clear a fingerprint-based background check, and carry errors and omissions insurance before you can practice.
The Four Conditions That Have to Line Up
Reciprocity in Tennessee is codified at Tennessee Code Annotated ยง 62-13-314, and the word is meant literally. A nonresident holding a broker, affiliate broker, or timeshare salesperson license elsewhere can apply in Tennessee without repeating the full exam only if all four of the following are true:1Justia. Tennessee Code 62-13-314 – Reciprocity
- You earned your current license by passing a written examination in your home state.
- Your education, experience, and qualifications meet or exceed what Tennessee requires of its own applicants.
- You certify that you’ve read the Tennessee Real Estate Broker License Act and the commission’s rules.
- Your home state permits Tennessee licensees to obtain a license there without a written exam.
The last one is where applicants get stuck. If your state doesn’t reciprocate, none of your experience matters for the waiver. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) evaluates each application individually to confirm all four are satisfied.
Baseline Qualifications You Still Have to Meet
Reciprocity doesn’t get you around the standard qualifications. You must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or an approved equivalency credential, and demonstrate a good reputation for honesty and trustworthiness.2FindLaw. Tennessee Code 62-13-303 – Qualifications for Licensure Your current license has to be active and in good standing, with no pending disciplinary matters.
Education requirements then vary by the license you’re seeking:
- Affiliate broker: 90 hours of real estate education, including 30 hours of basic principles, a 30-hour Course for New Affiliates, and 30 hours of approved electives, plus a passing score on an accredited national real estate examination.
- Broker: 120 hours of real estate education, including 30 hours of office and brokerage management, at least three years of active licensure, and a score of at least 75% on the accredited national exam.
Your home state’s licensing authority must have accepted those hours for credit before TREC will consider them.3Tennessee Real Estate Commission. Tennessee Real Estate Commission – Educational and Examination Evaluation Worksheet and Preliminary Application
What Actually Gets Waived
The waiver most applicants care about is the national exam. If you passed an accredited national real estate examination in your home state, TREC will typically waive the uniform portion of the Tennessee exam, leaving only the Tennessee state law section to sit for.
This waiver is not automatic. Some states write their own proprietary licensing exams instead of using a nationally accredited test. If that’s your situation, Tennessee requires you to take the full exam, both national and state portions. Confirm whether your home state uses PSI, Pearson VUE, or another nationally recognized exam before assuming the waiver applies.3Tennessee Real Estate Commission. Tennessee Real Estate Commission – Educational and Examination Evaluation Worksheet and Preliminary Application
Education is a separate analysis. TREC doesn’t blanket-accept whatever coursework your home state required. It compares your completed hours against Tennessee’s specific subject categories, and if your total doesn’t line up with the required subjects, you may have to complete additional coursework to fill the gaps before approval.
The Tennessee State Law Exam
Every reciprocity applicant takes the Tennessee state law portion. It tests the Tennessee Real Estate Broker License Act, TREC rules, and state-specific practices that differ from what you learned elsewhere. PSI administers it, and you schedule online once TREC approves your eligibility.4Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. PSI and Exam Information
Passing scores are level-specific:
- Affiliate broker: 70%
- Broker: 75%
If you’re required to take both parts and pass one but fail the other, the passing score stays valid for two retakes of the failed section or one year, whichever comes first. Brokers should note the higher passing threshold; it’s an easy detail to miss coming from a state with a single standard.3Tennessee Real Estate Commission. Tennessee Real Estate Commission – Educational and Examination Evaluation Worksheet and Preliminary Application
How to Apply
The application starts with Worksheet A, downloadable from the TREC website. It’s a formal request for the commission to evaluate your education and exam history for possible waivers. Fill it out completely, including license levels, education hours by subject, and exam details from every state where you’ve held a license.5Tennessee Real Estate Commission. Tennessee Real Estate Commission Forms and Downloads
Alongside the worksheet, gather:
- A certification of licensure or license history from every state where you’ve been licensed, issued within six months of your application, showing education records, examination source, and scores.
- Course completion certificates if your coursework isn’t reflected on the license certification.
- A clear copy of a government-issued photo ID.
- Proof of a high school diploma or approved equivalency.
- A sworn statement from a licensed Tennessee principal broker who will supervise your activities and vouch for your honesty and trustworthiness.
Everything is submitted as PDF through the Tennessee Comprehensive Online Regulatory and Enforcement system (CORE). You create a personal account, upload documents, and pay fees electronically. An initial affiliate broker application is $91, and a broker upgrade is also $91.6Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Real Estate Commission Fees
Review typically takes several weeks. When TREC approves the application, you’ll get instructions for scheduling the state law exam. Once you pass, you have six months from the exam date to file for your actual license. Miss that window and you retake the exam.2FindLaw. Tennessee Code 62-13-303 – Qualifications for Licensure Mismatches between your worksheet and your official certifications are the most common source of delay, so cross-check before uploading.
Fingerprints and Background Check
Tennessee requires electronic fingerprinting through IdentoGO. When registering, use service code 28TZ99 and ORI number TN920784Z for the Real Estate Commission.7Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Acquisition Agent If you can’t get to a Tennessee IdentoGO location, use the non-resident card scan service, which involves a traditional fingerprint card converted into an electronic record. That adds time, so start early. Submit your fingerprinting receipt and the ORI number with your CORE application.
The background check happens after you pass the state law exam. A criminal history isn’t an automatic disqualification, but undisclosed incidents or unresolved issues can stall or sink an application.
Errors and Omissions Insurance
You cannot hold an active Tennessee license without errors and omissions coverage. TREC administrative rules require every active licensee to maintain E&O, and a lapse while your license is active violates state law and can trigger penalties.8Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1260-01-.15 – Errors and Omissions Insurance
You have two choices. TREC contracts with Rice Insurance Services Center (RISC) for a state group policy; the current period runs from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028, underwritten by Continental Casualty Company. Alternatively, you can obtain an independent policy, but it must match or exceed the group plan on coverage limits, deductibles, and exemptions. Most new licensees take the group plan because it’s built to meet the commission’s specifications without interpretation.
Practicing From Out of State
A home-state license by itself gives you nothing in Tennessee. Until your Tennessee license is issued, you can’t participate in negotiations, showings, or any other licensed activity within the state.9Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Miscellaneous FAQs
If you plan to keep working from your home state rather than relocating, Tennessee requires that you be regularly engaged in the real estate business and maintain a place of business where you live. You don’t need a physical office in Tennessee. Affiliate broker applicants must affiliate with a nonresident firm and principal broker holding active Tennessee licenses, or with a Tennessee-based broker. There is no independent practice option regardless of your experience level elsewhere.
Continuing Education Once You’re Licensed
After licensure, you’re on the same continuing education schedule as in-state licensees: 16 hours every two years, six of which must come from the TREC Core Course, with the remaining 10 hours from state-approved electives.10Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Tennessee Real Estate Commission Education Courses Skipping the Core Course blocks renewal even if your total hours are complete. Pre-license coursework doesn’t count toward CE. As of January 2026, brokers who supervise even one agent are no longer exempt and must complete the full 16 hours on the two-year cycle.