NY Real Estate License Reciprocity: Moving Your Out-of-State License to New York

If you already hold a real estate license in another state, you may qualify for NY reciprocity — bypassing some of the 77-hour course and exam requirements. Here’s exactly how it works in 2026.

What reciprocity actually means

Reciprocity is an agreement between states allowing licensed agents from one state to obtain a license in another with reduced requirements. NY has reciprocity agreements with several states for both salesperson and broker licenses.

Reciprocity does not mean automatic licensing. You still apply through NY DOS, pay fees, and complete certain steps. But you may be exempt from:

• The 77-hour pre-licensing course (or part of it)
• The full NY exam (replaced with a shorter NY-law-only exam)

States with NY reciprocity (as of 2026)

NY DOS maintains reciprocity agreements with specific states. The list changes over time — verify current at dos.ny.gov. As of recent NY DOS records, salesperson reciprocity exists with:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

Broker reciprocity has a similar (but not identical) list. New Jersey and Florida — high-volume neighbor markets — currently do not have a formal reciprocity agreement with NY for salespersons, though specific NJ-NY agreements have existed at points in the past.

Salesperson reciprocity requirements

To use reciprocity for a NY Salesperson license, you typically must:

1. Hold an active salesperson license in a reciprocal state in good standing
2. Have completed at least 75 hours of pre-licensing education in your original state (NY requires 77 hours total; for reciprocity, the 75-hour comparable course is usually accepted)
3. Pass the NY State law exam — a shorter exam covering only NY-specific real estate law (different from the full 75-question salesperson exam)
4. Submit the reciprocal license application to NY DOS via eAccessNY with all standard requirements (fingerprinting, $55 fee, sponsoring broker for salespersons)
5. Provide certification of license from your original state’s licensing authority

Broker reciprocity requirements

Broker reciprocity is similar in structure but with different specifics:

• Active broker license in a reciprocal state
• Comparable pre-licensing education completed
• Pass the NY-law-only broker exam
• Submit reciprocal broker license application + $150 fee + fingerprinting
• NY DOS reviews and approves

The application process step-by-step

1. Verify your state qualifies at dos.ny.gov
2. Request a Certificate of License History from your home state — this proves you’re licensed and in good standing
3. Create an eAccessNY account (if you don’t have one)
4. Submit the reciprocal license application through eAccessNY, uploading the License History certification
5. Pay fees — exam ($15), license ($55 salesperson or $150 broker), fingerprinting ($102.75)
6. Schedule + take the NY-law-only exam at a PSI testing center
7. For salespersons: Secure a sponsoring NY broker (required for the license to activate)
8. Submit final paperwork through eAccessNY and wait for NY DOS to issue the license

What reciprocity exempts you from

• ✓ The 77-hour NY pre-licensing course (entirely)
• ✓ The full 75-question salesperson exam (replaced with a shorter NY-law-only exam)

What you still must do

• ✗ Pass the NY-law-specific exam (covers NY laws like Article 12-A, agency disclosure rules, NY-specific topics like co-ops)
• ✗ Fingerprinting + background check ($102.75)
• ✗ Pay all license fees
• ✗ Maintain continuing education (22.5 hours every 2 years)
• ✗ Find a NY sponsoring broker (for salesperson license)

Studying for the NY-law-only exam

The NY-law-only reciprocity exam focuses on areas where NY law differs from generic real estate law:

• Article 12-A (NY Real Property Law — licensee regulation)
• NY State agency disclosure rules
• NY State fair housing additions beyond federal (source of income, marital status, age, etc.)
• NY-specific topics: co-ops, condos, rent stabilization, mansion tax, Multiple Dwelling Law, NYC-specific rules
• NY property tax (mill rate calculation)
• NY contract law specifics

Our regular salesperson practice tests cover all of these topics, so they’re still useful study material even though the actual exam is shorter. See our NY-specific deep dive for a focused review.

If your state doesn’t have NY reciprocity

You still have a path — just longer:

1. Complete the full 77-hour NY pre-licensing course (your existing course doesn’t count, but you may find the material familiar)
2. Take the full 75-question NY Salesperson exam
3. Standard application process

This is the same path a brand-new NY licensee follows. Your existing real estate experience helps you understand the material faster, but doesn’t reduce the requirements.