NY Real Estate License Renewal & Continuing Education

Your NY license renews every two years and requires 22.5 hours of continuing education. Here is what those hours must cover, how to renew through eAccessNY, and what happens if you let it lapse.

The basics

A New York real estate salesperson license is valid for two years. To keep it active you must complete continuing education and renew before it expires.

The 22.5-hour requirement applies to both salespersons and brokers, and it resets every renewal cycle.

What the 22.5 hours must include

It is not 22.5 hours of anything you like. New York mandates specific subject areas within that total, including:

• Fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of property
• Implicit bias awareness training
• Cultural competency training
• Legal matters — recent legislative and regulatory changes affecting the industry

The exact hour breakdown for each mandatory topic has been adjusted by the legislature more than once in recent years. Before you buy a CE package, confirm the current required breakdown at dos.ny.gov — and make sure the provider is approved by the Department of State. An unapproved course does not count, no matter how good it is.

Who is exempt

There is a long-standing exemption for licensed brokers who have been continuously licensed and actively engaged in the real estate business for a qualifying number of years. This exemption applies to brokers, not to salespersons — as a salesperson you should plan on completing the full 22.5 hours every cycle.

Attorneys admitted to the New York bar have their own separate pathway into real estate licensure with different requirements.

How to renew

1. Complete your CE hours with a Department of State–approved provider. Your provider reports completion to the state.
2. Log into eAccessNY — the same system you used to schedule your exam and submit your original application.
3. Submit the renewal and pay the renewal fee.
4. Confirm it processed. Do not assume. Check that your license status shows as renewed.

New York generally sends a renewal reminder ahead of your expiration date, but the responsibility is yours regardless of whether a reminder reaches you. Email addresses change, mail gets lost.

What if your license expires

An expired license means you cannot legally practice. You cannot show property, negotiate deals, or collect commission on new business until it is reinstated.

New York does allow late renewal, but there are consequences: you are unlicensed during the gap, and depending how long it lapses, reinstatement gets more involved. If it lapses long enough, you may face re-examination or re-education requirements.

The practical advice is simple: do not let it lapse. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your expiration date, not 7 days.

Practical tips

• Do not leave CE to the final month. Approved courses fill up and processing takes time.
• Keep your own records. Save certificates even though providers report to the state — systems fail.
• Verify the provider is DOS-approved before paying. This is the most common expensive mistake.
• Update your contact details in eAccessNY whenever they change, so renewal notices actually reach you.
• If you change brokerages, that transfer is separate from renewal — handle both.