How Do I Renew My Real Estate License in New York?

While other states extend grace periods for real estate licensees who don’t renew on time, the New York State Division of Licensing Services does not. And with continuing education requirements changing in July of 2021, you want to make sure you’re on top of the new renewal to-dos.

We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to renew a real estate license in New York, including the new continuing education requirements.

Step one: complete your continuing education

Whether your renewal is due before July 1, 2021 or after, you need 22.5 continuing education hours.

Before July, you can satisfy the hours requirement by taking hours in the following topics:

3 hours on fair housing
1 hour of agency law (first-time renewals require 2 hours on agency law)
18.5 hours of electives

After July 1, the hour breakdown shifts slightly. At that point, all New York real estate agents who want to renew will need:

3 hours on fair housing
1 hour of agency law (first-time renewals still need 2 hours on this subject)
2.5 hours of ethical business practices
1 hour on recent legal matters
15 hours of electives

Getting these hours done might seem like it’s going to be a hassle, but it can actually be pretty easy. You can complete your hours online through a state-approved education provider, even chipping away at the hours at your convenience.

More good news: some education providers are offering 22.5 hour CE packages that meet all the new July 2021 requirements so you don’t have to worry about finding courses in specific subjects.

Your education provider will report your course completion to the NY Department of State for you. You’ll need the state to have that info on file before you can take the next steps.

Step two: log into the eAccessNY portal

Log into the eAccessNY portal (or set up your account, if you haven’t already).

Once you login, choose “List of Licenses (Access your license here)” from the main menu. Click on your real estate license from the resulting list.

Step three: complete the renewal application

Click on “Renew License” and follow the step-by-step process. At the end, you’ll affirm the application by clicking the “I Agree” box. That confirms that you’ve completed the required 22.5 hours of continuing education.

Step four: pay the fee

It costs $55 to renew your New York real estate salesperson license. Grab your credit card because you’ll need to pay that fee in the eAccessNY portal as part of the renewal application. Click “Submit” just once to send in the payment — and your renewal application. You should get a confirmation page at this point.

The Department of State will then review your renewal application.

You can check the status of renewal in the eAccessNY portal where you see “Application Status Display.” As long as it shows “in progress,” the state is still reviewing your application. They will contact you if they need any additional information. From there, you just need to sit tight to either take next steps or get notified of your renewed license.