The Texas SAE requirements for your first license renewal are 90 additional qualifying course hours plus 8 hours of Legal Updates, completed and posted to your TREC record before you submit renewal through the REALM portal. Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) applies only to your first renewal, two years after your initial license date. After that, you drop to standard continuing education.
The 90 qualifying hours sit on top of the 180 qualifying hours you already finished to get licensed, which is why TREC lists the total qualifying requirement at first renewal as 270 hours.1Texas Real Estate Commission. TREC Rules – Texas Administrative Code 22-535-55 Your practical workload is the 90 new hours and the two Legal Updates.
The 90 Qualifying Hours
The 90 hours break into three 30-hour qualifying courses. One is fixed: the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course is mandatory, and TREC will not process your first renewal without it.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License
The other 60 hours come from elective qualifying courses on TREC’s approved list. Eligible topics include Real Estate Appraisal, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Marketing, Real Estate Mathematics, and Residential Property Management, among others. Only courses from TREC-approved providers count, so confirm approval status before you enroll. You also cannot get qualifying credit for the same course taken twice within two years, so a course you completed for pre-licensing will not count again during your SAE window.3Texas Real Estate Commission. Qualifying Real Estate Course List
Legal Update I and Legal Update II
On top of the qualifying hours, you must complete Legal Update I (4 hours) and Legal Update II (4 hours). These fall under continuing education, not qualifying education.4Justia. Texas Administrative Code 22-535-91 – Renewal of a Real Estate License Both must be posted to your TREC record before you submit your renewal application.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License
The category distinction matters. Qualifying courses are 30-hour academic courses; CE courses are shorter and tracked separately. A common mistake is loading up on CE electives thinking they will fill the 90 qualifying hours. They won’t, and you’ll be short at renewal.
If You Have a College Degree
Under 22 TAC §535.91, a degree from an accredited college or university can support an education waiver that substitutes for some or all of the 90 qualifying hours.4Justia. Texas Administrative Code 22-535-91 – Renewal of a Real Estate License Real estate, business, and law degrees are the most commonly accepted. You submit an official transcript to TREC for a formal evaluation.
Start early. If TREC finds your coursework does not align with the required competencies, you will still need to complete qualifying hours before your license expires. A law degree is not automatic either; those courses must be individually evaluated and approved as qualifying courses.3Texas Real Estate Commission. Qualifying Real Estate Course List
If You Are a Delegated Supervisor
If your sponsoring broker has named you as a delegated supervisor under TREC Rule 535.2(e), add the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course to your renewal requirements.5Texas Real Estate Commission. Are You a Delegated Supervisor? This applies to any license holder who leads, supervises, directs, or manages a team on behalf of a sponsoring broker.6Texas Real Estate Commission. 2025-2026 TREC Broker Responsibility Course Manual It counts toward continuing education under 22 TAC §535.92(a)(4), not the 90 qualifying hours.7Texas Real Estate Commission. TREC Rules – Texas Administrative Code 22-535-92 If you’re not sure whether you’ve been designated, ask your broker.
Deadline and What Happens If You Miss It
Your first renewal is due two years after your initial license date. TREC recommends finishing all education at least 10 days before your expiration date so course completions have time to post from the provider to TREC’s system.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License
If you submit renewal without completing your education, TREC charges a $200 CE deferral fee that gives you another 60 days to finish while keeping your license active. Skip the deferral and your license renews on inactive status, meaning no brokerage activity and no commissions.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License
Missing the deadline entirely gets worse over time:
- Up to 6 months past expiration: late renewal is available, but your license comes back inactive, and CE cannot be deferred.
- 6 months to 2 years past expiration: late renewal is off the table; you must apply for formal reinstatement.
- More than 2 years past expiration: you reapply from scratch and retake the licensing examination.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License
Submitting Your Renewal
Once your qualifying hours and Legal Updates show as posted in your TREC record, log in to the REALM Portal to renew. First-time users may need to create an account.2Texas Real Estate Commission. Renew Your Sales Agent License The application walks through verification of your personal information and professional standing before payment.
The renewal fee for an active sales agent license is $66 under TREC’s fee schedule effective December 15, 2025.8Texas Real Estate Commission. Fee Schedule Effective December 15, 2025 After payment processes, your record updates with a new two-year expiration. Check the portal for confirmation rather than assuming it went through. Once it does, you’ve cleared SAE and hold a standard sales agent license going forward.