Real Estate License from Iowa to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arkansas accept an Iowa real estate license?
Yes — Arkansas has a reciprocity arrangement covering Iowa license holders. Apply to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the national exam portion and complete Arkansas's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Iowa is on Arkansas's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Arkansas 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 Iowa on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Iowa and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Iowa to Arkansas (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Arkansas to Iowa (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Iowa matter?
Coming from Iowa matters here: only 15 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (35).
- Reciprocity agreements
Arkansas's reciprocity agreement list names 15 states, including Iowa.
Iowa's reciprocity agreement list names 7 states (Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, and North Dakota), including Arkansas.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $75 for an out-of-state applicant and Iowa lists $125 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Arkansas's first-time-applicant standard is 60 hours of pre-license education; Iowa's is 60.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Iowa carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): A salesperson licensed in another state at the same level may request a waiver of the GENERAL portion of the exam and take only the Arkansas Law portion, provided they passed a uniform/general/multi-state exam elsewhere (minimum passing grade 70) and remain licensed in that state (Commission Regulation 4.2(d)).
- Iowa (the reverse move): Reciprocity applicants (residents of a reciprocal state who obtained their original license there) take NO Iowa examination and complete no additional education. Applicants from non-reciprocal states qualify under Rule 193E-5.3 and pass the IOWA STATE PORTION ONLY of the salesperson exam with no added pre-license education; EXCEPTION: applicants originally licensed by examination in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, or Wisconsin must pass BOTH the national and state portions (still no added education).
What changes, Iowa → Arkansas
| Iowa (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 60 | 60 |
| Application fee | $125 ($125 salesperson license fee. Reciprocity applicants also complete a criminal-history background check (fingerprint packet fee separate) and must carry E&O insurance. Rule 5.3 (non-reciprocal) applicants additionally pay the $95 PSI examination fee.) | $75 (License fee $50 + Real Estate Recovery Fund fee $25 = $75 paid to AREC. Plus a $75 Pearson VUE exam fee (Arkansas Law portion for reciprocal applicants).) |
| Processing time | DIAL / Iowa Real Estate Commission does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocity or Rule 5.3 applications | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the score report and fees must be received within 90 days of the exam |
| Licensing authority | Iowa Real Estate Commission (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) | Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current same-level (salesperson) license in another state.
- Submit an official license history from the current state.
- Complete State and Federal (FBI) criminal background checks.
- Pass the Arkansas Law portion of the salesperson examination.
- Submit the score report and fees within 90 days of passing the exam.
- 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 Iowa after I'm licensed in Arkansas?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Iowa 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.
- AREC - Reciprocal States (list of 15 reciprocal-agreement states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Real Estate Applicants (60 classroom hours; out-of-state general-exam waiver, Reg. 4.2) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Frequently Asked Questions (exam fee $75; license fee $50 + $25 recovery fund) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Reciprocity Licensing (reciprocal states: Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota; residency + original-license + same-company requirements; no exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Licensed in Another State (Rule 5.3): Iowa state-portion exam only; CA/FL/NJ/NY/WI must take full national + state exam ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Real Estate Salesperson and Brokers License by Exam (60-hour pre-license course; state + national exam; $95 PSI exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa Real Estate Commission — Licensing Information Bulletin (PSI): salesperson license fee $125; 60-hour pre-license; $95 exam fee ↗ (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