What is required to qualify for a real estate license?

To qualify for a Texas Real Estate License, TREC requires three things:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien (DACA recipients do not currently qualify).
• You must meet TREC's character requirements: honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity.

A criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify you, it just means a more detailed TREC review.

Get your real estate license courses with School Estate here.

Exploring apartment locating specifically? See How to Become an Apartment Locator in Texas. See more common questions on our full FAQ page.

Worried a past issue could disqualify you?

TREC lets you find out before you spend a dollar on coursework or fees. If you have any concerns about your criminal or disciplinary history, you can request a Fitness Determination directly from TREC before applying — it tells you whether your history is likely to keep you from getting a license, so you're not guessing.

Separately, everyone applying for a license is required by law to have fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety so a background check can be performed. You won't receive a license if you don't pass it.

Does meeting these requirements mean I'm ready to enroll?

Age, citizenship, and character are TREC's baseline eligibility rules — they don't require any coursework on their own. Separately, everyone still has to complete 180 hours of TREC-approved pre-licensing education across six courses before applying to take the state exam. Meeting the eligibility rules above just means you're allowed to pursue the license in the first place.