Rhode Island Salesperson Pre-Licensing RI Real Estate License FAQs

To get a Rhode Island real estate license online follow these steps:

• Complete 40 hours of approved Massachusetts Pre-Licensing education

• Complete Rhode Island’s 3-Hour Lead Paint Course

• Pass the course final exam

• Obtain 3 candidate endorsements

• Pass the Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson exam

• Receive your Massachusetts real estate license

• Apply for reciprocity — get your Rhode Island real estate license online

The CE Shop offers online real estate classes. Students looking to take in-person classes can click here for more information.

Since Rhode Island doesn’t offer real estate classes online, you have to go through Massachusetts and apply for reciprocity. The salesperson exam fee is $85.

Note: These costs are subject to be changed by the state at any time.

The time it takes to get a Rhode Island real estate license online can vary. Since you can’t get a real estate license in Rhode Island online, it’s really based on your schedule. The workaround to getting a Rhode Island real estate license online is to get a Massachusetts real estate license.

To apply for a Rhode Island real estate license reciprocity follow these steps:

• Complete a Real Estate Salesperson application

• Submit a Criminal History Record from the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General’s office as well as your home state’s law enforcement agency

• Submit a Tax Payer Status Affidavit/Identity Verification

• Provide a certificate showing you completed a 3-hour course in lead poisoning and lead hazard mitigation

• Provide a certificate of Errors and Omissions Insurance

• Submit a certificate of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing from your home state’s licensing authority

• Complete an irrevocable Power of Attorney Form for service of process

Applicants must pay $140 to the Rhode Island General Treasurer and $25 to the Real Estate Recovery Account, for a total of $165.

In most cases, a Salesperson in Rhode Island is less experienced than a Broker. There are also more requirements to become a Broker than there are to become a Salesperson. For example, to become a Broker, you must complete 90 additional hours of education approved by the Department of Business and Regulation and you must work full-time as a Salesperson for two years immediately before applying for a broker license.

When you fill out the Real Estate Salesperson application, you will be asked whether you have ever plead guilty or no contest to forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretenses, bribery, larceny, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, or any other offense that might reasonably cause the Department of Business Regulation to question your honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, good reputation, or competency. Those who answer “yes” to any of the above will have an opportunity to submit for review a full explanation of the offense involved.

Real Estate Salespersons must complete 24 hours of Continuing Education credits every two years and pay a $130 license renewal fee every two years.

Residency in Rhode Island is required to get a real estate license in the state. However, since the state doesn’t allow people to get a real estate license online, you can apply for reciprocity with Massachusetts. Massachusetts residency is not required to get a MA license. This is why people are able to get a MA license even if they live in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island has reciprocity agreements with Connecticut and Massachusetts for real estate salespersons.

Since you will be applying for reciprocity with Massachusetts, you’ll need to take the real estate exam there. The exam is offered in multiple locations throughout Massachusetts. Visit PSI to find the location and time most convenient for you.

Since you can’t take real estate courses online in Rhode Island, the workaround for this is to go through Massachusetts and apply for reciprocity. The level of difficulty for real estate education varies for each student. That’s why it’s so important to enroll in Exam Prep Edge, an exam prep study tool, so that you not only know what is on the Massachusetts real estate license exam, but you’ll have the confidence to ace it.

Rhode Island does not offer online real estate courses, but The CE Shop has a solution to this problem. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have real estate license reciprocity. Massachusetts offers Pre-Licensing Courses online, so this means that you can get your Massachusetts real estate license online and be automatically entitled to a real estate license in Rhode Island through reciprocity.

Rhode Island has real estate licensing reciprocity with Connecticut and Massachusetts. The steps to RI licensure include steps like providing a letter of good standing from your current Broker and submitting a background check. The Commission of Real Estate in Rhode Island is available to help answer any personalized questions related to out-of-state licensing. For more information about how reciprocity works and which states offer it nationwide, visit our Guide to Reciprocity and Portability.