Requirements to get a Georgia Real Estate Salesperson License
I. RESIDENTS
A copy of the Georgia Crime Information Report (GCIC) on the applicant. Such reports must not be more than 60 days old. The applicant can obtain a GCIC from any local sheriff’s office or police department. (Depending on the law enforcement agency’s policy, there may be a waiting period to obtain the report.)
If the applicant is aware of any conviction, nolo contendere plea, or first offender sentence that is not on the GCIC report, the applicant must disclose such conviction(s).
Failure to supply a GCIC report will result in the Commission’s returning the entire application unprocessed.
Failure to disclose all convictions, nolo contendere pleas, First Offender sentences and disciplinary
sanctions are grounds for denial of your license.
A. AGE
Individuals must be at least 18 to be licensed as a community association manager or salesperson and 21 to be licensed as a broker or associate broker. Applicants may take the community association manager’s or salesperson’s examination at age 17, but cannot activate the license until they are 18. Similarly, applicants may take the broker’s examination at age 20, but cannot activate the license until they are 21.
1. In order to be granted a license, an individual must be a high school graduate or the holder of a certificate of equivalency.
2. Each applicant for the SALESPERSON’S EXAMINATION must:
- a. complete the 75 hour prelicensing salesperson’s course approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission; OR
- b. complete 10 quarter hours or 6 semester hours in real estate courses at an accredited college or university (usually only real estate department or law school courses will meet this qualification). College credits to meet this education requirement must meet normal degree requirements. Special short courses or adult education courses will not meet the education requirement unless the college or university gives full academic credit for the course or the Commission specifically approved it.
3. Each application for the COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGER’S EXAMINATION must:
- a. complete the 25 hour prelicensing community association manager’s course approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission; OR
- b. complete 4 quarter hours or 2 semester hours in real estate courses at an accredited college or university (usually only real estate department or law school course will meet this qualification).
- c. College credits to meet this education requirement must meet normal degree requirements, and the courses must have a concentration in community associations and community association management. Special short courses or adult education courses will not meet the education requirement unless the college or university gives full academic credit for the course or the Commission specifically approved the course
4. Each applicant for the BROKER’S EXAMINATION must:
- a. complete a 60 hour prelicensing broker’s course approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission; OR
- b. complete 15 quarter hours or 9 semester hours in real estate courses at an accredited college or university (see item 3b above); and
- c. if licensed as a community association manager, complete an additional 75 hours in a course or courses approved by the commission
5. The Commission has not approved any school teaching real estate licensing courses other than those on its list of approved schools (except accredited colleges or universities described in items 2b 3b or 4b above).
B. EXPERIENCE
There are no experience requirements for a community association manager’s or salesperson’s license. The law requires three years of active licensure before an applicant may qualify for a broker’s license. Active service for three years as a licensee in another state or states meets the experience requirement for a broker’s license. To obtain approval of out-of state experience, the applicant must secure a certified copy of his or her license history and education in other states from those states’ licensing agencies and submit this with his or her application for licensure after passing the examination. The
certified copy or copies of the license history must not be more than one year old at the time of application.
C. EXAMINATION
The Georgia Real Estate Salesperson, Broker, and Community Association Manager examinations are administered via computer at four AMP test centers throughout the state of Georgia. The examinations are offered five days a week in Marietta and Lilburn, and Thursday through Saturday in Macon and Savannah.
If you are currently enrolled in a Commission approved pre-license real estate course, you must apply for the Georgia Real Estate License Examinations using the REAL computer application system. Persons not currently enrolled in a Commission approved prelicense real estate course should contact AMP for a Candidate Handbook. The handbook which contains fees, and locations of test sites can be obtained by writing to Applied Measurement Professionals, Georgia Real Estate Examinations, 18000 West 105th Street, Olathe, Kansas 66061-7543, or calling 1-800-345-6559.
II. PERSONS APPLYING FOR NONRESIDENT LICENSES
If you have leased or purchased a residence in Georgia, you must attach a copy of the Georgia Crime Information Report (GCIC) on the applicant. Such reports must not be more than 60 days old. The applicant can obtain a GCIC from any local sheriff’s office or police department. (Depending on the law enforcement agency’s policy, there may be a waiting period to obtain the report.)
If the applicant is aware of any conviction, nolo contendere plea, or first offender sentence that is not on the GCIC report, the applicant must disclose such conviction(s).
Failure to supply a GCIC report will result in the Commission’ returning the entire application unprocessed.
Failure to disclose all convictions, nolo contendere pleas, First Offender sentences and disciplinary sanctions are grounds for denial of your license.
If you met the examination or education requirements for a license in a licensing jurisdiction other than your current state of residence, you must also obtain a certificate of your license history from the licensing jurisdiction where the licensing requirements were met.
Since Florida does not grant full reciprocity to Georgia licensees, Georgia law requires that the Commission impose on applicants from Florida requirements which are substantially equivalent to the requirements which Florida imposes on Georgia licensees seeking nonresident licensure.
A. AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED IN FLORIDA must take and pass the state portion of the qualifying examination for the Georgia license which the applicant seeks. To qualify for this exemption the applicant must submit with the application for examination (and also with the application for a license) an original certification of license history, not more than one year old, from the Florida Real Estate Commission.
B. AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED IN ANY OTHER STATE, either a nonresident or a licensee moving to Georgia, shall be granted a license without further examination or education if such applicant submits a certification (no more than one year old) of license history from his/her state of residence that reflects that you are currently licensed in good standing (Cannot be lapsed or expired).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you must take and pass the qualifying examination for the Georgia license which you seek. Contact the Commission for a different application.
C. A current certified copy of any disciplinary actions taken against your license in any other licensing jurisdiction(s) in which you have held a license.
An applicant who does not meet all of the above requirements must take and pass the qualifying examination for the Georgia license which the applicant seeks.
III. PERSONS LICENSED IN OTHER STATES WHO HAVE MOVED TO GEORGIA
Must meet the requirements cited in II. B. above.
IV. RESIDENTS AND NONRESIDENTS
A. APPLYING FOR LICENSURE
1. COMMISSION REVIEW – Any applicant who has been convicted of a crime or sanctioned by any licensing agency must reveal that fact on his or her application. Likewise, any applicant who is currently required to make child support payments must reveal on the application whether or not those payments are up-to-date.
The Commission will then conduct an investigation and review the application thoroughly before deciding whether to issue the license.
NOTE: If you have prior criminal convictions/disciplinary actions in another state you may wish to apply for a preliminary decision from the Commission before you incur the expense of a license. Contact the Commission for the Application for Preliminary Decision Regarding Prior Criminal Conviction(s) or Disciplinary Sanction(s).
2. FEES – Any person making application for a community association manager’s or salesperson’s license within three months from the date of taking the examination must pay a total fee of $170.00. Any person making application for a community association manager’s or salesperson’s license more than three months but
less than twelve months from the date of taking the examination must pay a total fee of $340.00. Any person making application for a broker’s license must pay a total fee of $170.00. These fees cover all fees due for the first four years of licensure.
3. APPLICATION DEADLINE – Persons applying for a community association manager’s or salesperson’s license must apply within twelve months of the date they took the examination; or after twelve months have passed, they must retake the examination.
4. INACTIVE STATUS – Any individual who successfully passes the examination may apply to place his or her license on inactive status rather than activating with a broker. In this case, the applicant must pay the appropriate licensing fee. The salesperson postlicensing educational requirements still apply to a salesperson who goes on inactive status. Any licensee who places a license on inactive status must pay renewal fees as they come due.
B. POSTLICENSE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Salespersons must take the 25 hour Sales Postlicense course in their first year of licensure. The course taken must be one specifically approved by the Commission.
All salesperson licensees whether they are on active or inactive status, resident or nonresident status, must complete this education requirement within one year of licensure.
C. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
All active licensees (with license numbers above 100,000) must complete at least twenty-four (24) hours of approved continuing education coursework during each four year renewal period.