Real Estate License from Colorado to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Massachusetts accept a Colorado real estate license?
Yes — Massachusetts has a reciprocity arrangement covering Colorado license holders. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (Division of Occupational Licensure) under its reciprocity/endorsement track and complete Massachusetts's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Colorado is on Massachusetts's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Massachusetts 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 Colorado on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Colorado and Massachusetts
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Massachusetts. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Colorado to Massachusetts (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Massachusetts to Colorado (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The two directions differ: Colorado and Massachusetts do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Colorado matter?
Coming from Colorado matters here: only 12 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Massachusetts.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (38).
- Reciprocity agreements
Massachusetts's reciprocity agreement list names 12 states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Oklahoma), including Colorado.
- Application fee
Massachusetts lists $134–$181 for an out-of-state applicant and Colorado lists $83 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Massachusetts's first-time-applicant standard is 40 hours of pre-license education; Colorado's is 168.
Massachusetts's is 128 education hours lower than Colorado's.
- Exam rules on record
Massachusetts and Colorado carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Massachusetts (this move): Salespersons who passed their licensing examination in a reciprocal state are licensed in Massachusetts WITHOUT taking the Massachusetts exam or the 40-hour course (reciprocity is granted on the strength of the home-state exam and an active good-standing license). Applicants who passed an examination in a NON-reciprocal state may apply to sit for the Massachusetts exam with an educational waiver (submitting a certified letter of Good Standing) - i.e., the 40-hour education can be waived but the Massachusetts exam must be passed.
- Colorado (the reverse move): National (general) portion waived; applicant must pass the state portion of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam (each portion's passing score is valid for one year)
What changes, Colorado → Massachusetts
| Colorado (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 168 | 40 |
| Application fee | $83 (Broker license application fee; + $44.95 broker examination fee; + fingerprint-based background-check vendor fee) | $134–$181 (Reciprocal Salesperson Application Fee $31 plus a Reciprocal Salesperson Initial License fee prorated by the applicant's date of birth in the range $103-$150 (two-year cycle), for a combined $134-$181. A separate vendor convenience fee applies to online payments.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated timeframe; online applications are generally processed promptly once exam, fingerprints, and certified license history are on file | Board does not publish a processing time; applications and required documents are submitted and reviewed through the eLIPSE portal |
| Licensing authority | Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (Division of Occupational Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (Division of Occupational Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (Division of Occupational Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, good-standing salesperson license obtained by examination in a reciprocal state (Oklahoma licensees must have been licensed for 2 years).
- Submit a certified letter of Good Standing from the reciprocating state showing issue date, expiration date, how the license was issued, any discipline, and current status.
- Submit a notarized Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) form signed by the applicant.
- Provide a recent passport-style color photograph.
- Apply online through the DOL eLIPSE portal.
- 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 Colorado after I'm licensed in Massachusetts?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Colorado 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.
- Massachusetts DOL - Apply for reciprocity as an out-of-state Real Estate Broker or Salesperson License (reciprocal state list per 254 CMR 2.00, requirements, and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Massachusetts DOL - Prepare for and schedule your real estate license exam (salesperson must complete 40 hours of real estate education) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Massachusetts DOL - Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons Licensing (hub) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DRE — Broker License Partial Recognition Agreement & Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DRE — Broker License Application Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DRE — Broker Applications, Documents and Fees ↗ (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