Real Estate License from Alabama to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) ↗
A real estate license transfers from Alabama to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency), verify your Alabama license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. Indiana has NO reciprocity agreements with any state. An actively-licensed out-of-state broker applies via Endorsement; the Commission reviews whether the other state's requirements are equivalent to Indiana's. Qualifying 'Real Estate Broker by Endorsement' candidates take ONLY the Indiana state portion of the broker exam (60 questions, 90 minutes) and the 90-hour pre-licensing course is not required. If the Commission does not approve the equivalency, the applicant must qualify by the Examination route (90-hour course + full national and state exam)..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Indiana publishes no agreement covering Alabama, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Indiana's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) commits to in writing; for anything discretionary (exam waivers, education credit), get the commission's answer in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, Alabama → Indiana
| Alabama (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 60 | 90 |
| Application fee | Reciprocal license fees mirror the original salesperson license fee: a License Fee plus a $25 criminal records search fee, a $30 research and education fee, and a $30 recovery fund fee (recovery fund fee set by Ala. Code 34-27-31). The License Fee is prorated within the two-year cycle (roughly $85 partial to $170 full per the Commission Candidate Handbook). The reciprocal exam fee is paid to the testing agency (Pearson VUE). Exact current total could NOT be confirmed on the official AREC fee page (arec.alabama.gov was unreachable from the research environment). | Indiana broker license/application fee (IPLA, set by 876 IAC) could not be verified from a reachable official source this session (in.gov was blocked from the research environment). The Pearson VUE 'Broker by Endorsement' state-portion exam fee is $55. |
| Processing time | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date. | The Commission states endorsement 'is not a fast process' — a Commission member must review the licensing state's requirements and recommend to the full Commission before approval |
| Licensing authority | Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) | Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active real estate license in another state and submit the application via Endorsement for Commission equivalency review.
- Pass the Indiana state-portion 'Real Estate Broker by Endorsement' examination through Pearson VUE.
- Submit certified license history / verification from each state of licensure for the Commission's review.
- If equivalency is not approved, complete the 90-hour Indiana broker pre-licensing course and pass both the national and state exam portions.
- Pay the fees (Indiana broker license/application fee (IPLA, set by 876 IAC) could not be verified from a reachable official source this session (in.gov was blocked from the research environment). The Pearson VUE 'Broker by Endorsement' state-portion exam fee is $55.) and allow The Commission states endorsement 'is not a fast process' — a Commission member must review the licensing state's requirements and recommend to the full Commission before approval.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana accept a Alabama real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from Alabama to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency), verify your Alabama license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. Indiana has NO reciprocity agreements with any state. An actively-licensed out-of-state broker applies via Endorsement; the Commission reviews whether the other state's requirements are equivalent to Indiana's. Qualifying 'Real Estate Broker by Endorsement' candidates take ONLY the Indiana state portion of the broker exam (60 questions, 90 minutes) and the 90-hour pre-licensing course is not required. If the Commission does not approve the equivalency, the applicant must qualify by the Examination route (90-hour course + full national and state exam)..
Which exams will I take moving from Alabama to Indiana?
Indiana has NO reciprocity agreements with any state. An actively-licensed out-of-state broker applies via Endorsement; the Commission reviews whether the other state's requirements are equivalent to Indiana's. Qualifying 'Real Estate Broker by Endorsement' candidates take ONLY the Indiana state portion of the broker exam (60 questions, 90 minutes) and the 90-hour pre-licensing course is not required. If the Commission does not approve the equivalency, the applicant must qualify by the Examination route (90-hour course + full national and state exam)..
What does the move cost?
Indiana broker license/application fee (IPLA, set by 876 IAC) could not be verified from a reachable official source this session (in.gov was blocked from the research environment). The Pearson VUE 'Broker by Endorsement' state-portion exam fee is $55. (Indiana broker license/application fee (IPLA, set by 876 IAC) could not be verified from a reachable official source this session (in.gov was blocked from the research environment). The Pearson VUE 'Broker by Endorsement' state-portion exam fee is $55.).
Can I keep selling in Alabama after I'm licensed in Indiana?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Alabama license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Indiana Real Estate Commission — Real Estate home / Reciprocity ('the Real Estate Commission does not have reciprocity agreements with any state ... submit your application via Endorsement') — official page via Internet Archive snapshot 2025-12-07 (live in.gov blocked from research environment) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pearson VUE — Indiana Real Estate Candidate Handbook (rev 08/2025): broker exam requires a 90-hour pre-licensing course; 'Broker by Endorsement' takes the state portion only, 90-hour course not required; endorsement state exam $55 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 790-X-1-.18 - Reciprocal License Requirements (official Alabama Administrative Code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Become a Licensed Real Estate Professional (salesperson 60-hour prelicense; retrieved via Internet Archive) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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