Real Estate License from Alabama to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept an Alabama real estate license?
Yes — Louisiana has a reciprocity arrangement covering Alabama license holders. Apply to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track and complete Louisiana's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Alabama is on Louisiana's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Louisiana still insists on — typically its own law exam and a background check. One caution: agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date tells you when we last confirmed Alabama on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Alabama and Louisiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Louisiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Alabama to Louisiana (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Louisiana to Alabama (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The two directions differ: Alabama and Louisiana do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Alabama matter?
Coming from Alabama matters here: only 9 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Louisiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (41).
- Reciprocity agreements
Louisiana's reciprocity agreement list names 9 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania), including Alabama.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $90 for an out-of-state applicant; Alabama has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Pre-license education
Louisiana's first-time-applicant standard is 90 hours of pre-license education; Alabama's is 60.
Louisiana's is 30 education hours higher than Alabama's.
- Exam rules on record
Louisiana and Alabama carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Louisiana (this move): Reciprocal applicants take NO Louisiana examination (neither the national nor the state portion) and complete no pre-license course; the license is granted on a license-for-license basis (you may obtain only the same license type held in your resident state). Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity or the Welcome Home Act endorsement must complete an education and/or examination review — LREC may accept an equivalent out-of-state exam passed within the last five years and may grant partial pre-license education credit.
- Alabama (the reverse move): Reciprocal applicants complete a 6-hour Alabama reciprocal salesperson prelicense course, then pass the Alabama reciprocal salesperson examination (state-specific; passing score 70) given by the Commission's testing agency; the national/general exam portion is not retaken.
What changes, Alabama → Louisiana
| Alabama (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 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) | $90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.) |
| Processing time | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date | LREC does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocal applications |
| Licensing authority | Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) | Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be a current legal resident of one of the nine reciprocal states and hold an active license of the same type there (license-for-license).
- Order a Certified License History from your resident state and every other state where you hold or have held a real estate license, showing active/inactive status.
- Maintain legal residency in your reciprocal state and renew the Louisiana reciprocal license annually (renewing the resident-state license does not renew the Louisiana license).
- Provide proof of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance coverage.
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history review as directed by LREC.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in Alabama after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
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.
- LREC — Become Licensed: Reciprocal (nine reciprocal states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania; license-for-license; no course or exam; residency requirement; annual renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Previously/Currently Licensed in Another State (reciprocity, Welcome Home Act endorsement, or education/exam review; may accept equivalent out-of-state exam within 5 years; partial education credit) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Salesperson Pre-Licensing Education (90-hour salesperson pre-license requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Initial Salesperson License Application Part-A (fee schedule: $45 license + $10 Research and Education + $10 Recovery + $25 processing = $90 total) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com