Transfer Your Real Estate License to Alabama: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) ↗
Alabama is one of the few honor-all states: the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) accepts active licenses from every state. 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.. Expect 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). in application fees.
Moving to Alabama from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Full reciprocity makes Alabama one of the easiest relocations in US real estate — but "full" describes what is waived (education, national exam), not the absence of process. You still file, still clear the background check, and still need a sponsoring brokerage in Alabama before the license activates. Treat the checklist below as short, not skippable.
Alabama grants a reciprocal license to any salesperson holding a current entry-level license in a 'qualifying state' (a state where the applicant completed prelicense coursework and passed a comprehensive exam covering general real estate plus state law) - effectively honoring all states, hence full_reciprocity. Reciprocal applicants take a 6-hour Alabama law course plus the Alabama reciprocal exam instead of the full 60-hour prelicense course. Regulation text verified directly on Cornell LII; AREC web pages were unreachable from the research environment and were read via the Internet Archive.
Alabama requirements at a glance
| Exam | 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. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 60 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | 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). |
| Processing time | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date. |
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current (active or inactive) salesperson license in a qualifying state that is not itself a reciprocal or nonresident license.
- Submit a certification of licensure (license history) obtained within the 120 days before the Alabama license is issued.
- Complete the 6-hour reciprocal salesperson prelicense course before sitting for the reciprocal exam.
- Pass the reciprocal salesperson exam within 6 months of completing the course.
- Be at least 19 years old and a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or otherwise legally present.
- Pay the fees (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).) and allow AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Alabama:
Frequently asked questions
Does my real estate license transfer to Alabama?
Alabama is one of the few honor-all states: the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) accepts active licenses from every state. 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.. Expect 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). in application fees.
Do I have to retake real estate exams in Alabama?
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 does a Alabama real estate license cost an out-of-state applicant?
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). (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).).
How long does the Alabama process take?
AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date. — AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]