Real Estate License from Pennsylvania to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Pennsylvania 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

Pennsylvania to Louisiana (this page): Reciprocity agreement.

Louisiana to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.

The two directions differ: Pennsylvania and Louisiana do not give each other's licensees the same route.

Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?

Coming from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania's row names no reciprocity agreement states.

Application fee

Louisiana lists $90 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $97 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.

Pre-license education

Louisiana's first-time-applicant standard is 90 hours of pre-license education; Pennsylvania's is 75.

Louisiana's is 15 education hours higher than Pennsylvania's.

Exam rules on record

Louisiana and Pennsylvania 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.
• Pennsylvania (the reverse move): An applicant actively licensed as a salesperson or broker in another state within the last 5 years takes and passes only the Pennsylvania state portion of the exam (national portion waived); a non-resident reciprocal license requires no Pennsylvania examination.

What changes, Pennsylvania → Louisiana

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the reciprocity application to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. Provide proof of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance coverage.
8. Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history review as directed by LREC.
9. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

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