Renew Your Texas Real Estate License - Everything on One Page
Your license expires on a date, not a vibe. Here is everything between you and a renewed Texas real estate license: 18 CE hours, one TREC form, one fee. The CE part is the only piece anyone actually gets stuck on - and it is the piece you can finish tonight.
The 3 steps (and who owns each one)
- Finish 18 CE hours (you + your provider). 4 hrs Legal Update I, 4 hrs Legal Update II, 3 contract hours, 7 electives. This is the time-consuming part, and the only part you can do at 11 pm in your kitchen. The full course-by-course detail lives on our TREC CE requirements checklist.
- Your provider posts the hours to TREC (your provider). TREC gives providers 7-10 days to report. Most batch-upload on their schedule, not yours. TREA posts in about 3 seconds - you can watch it land on your TREC record before you close the laptop.
- File the renewal and pay TREC (you). Log into your TREC account at agents.trec.texas.gov, confirm your hours are showing, submit the renewal, pay the fee. Minutes, not days. New to this step? See how TREC actually works.
When can I renew? How long do I have?
- Texas real estate licenses run on a 2-year cycle.
- TREC opens renewal 90 days before your expiration date. Renew any time in that window.
- CE hours must be COMPLETE before the expiration date - not "in progress."
- Miss it? You have a 6-month late window with late fees, then reinstatement gets uglier. The cheapest version of this is always: do it on time.
What renewal actually costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 18 CE hours (Hall Pass, all 18) | $75 |
| TREC renewal fee (sales agent, on time) | $110 |
| CE Deferral Fee if your hours are not done at renewal | $200 extra |
| CE Late Reporting Fee if hours land 61-180 days after expiration | $250 more ($450 total in penalties) |
The penalty math is brutal: renewing without finished CE costs $200 extra - nearly three times the price of the entire 18-hour package - and you still owe the hours. Let it slide past 60 days and TREC's penalties hit $450. Finishing the CE first is not just cleaner. It is the cheapest path by a mile.
FIRST renewal? Different animal entirely.
Your first renewal does not use 18-hour CE. It requires 98 new hours of SAE coursework: three 30-hour Sales Apprentice Education courses (90 hours) plus Legal Update I and II (8 hours). TREC's rule.
TREA does not offer SAE. No 18-hour package on this page will renew a first-cycle license, and we will not pretend otherwise. Come back at your second renewal - from then on, this page is your whole checklist.
The CE Deferral: what $200 actually buys you
Renew without your CE finished and TREC charges the $200 CE Deferral Fee. That buys you 60 more days, still active, to finish the hours. Miss that 60-day window and the license flips to INACTIVE - no practicing until the hours are done. And if the hours land 61-180 days after your expiration, TREC adds a $250 CE Late Reporting Fee: $450 in penalties for hours that would have cost $75 done on time.
Late renewal is a different door: miss your expiration entirely and you can still renew up to 6 months after, with late fees - but the license comes back INACTIVE, and you cannot defer CE on a late renewal at all.
If you plan to keep working, there is exactly one sensible path: finish the 18 hours before your expiration date.
Why agents renew with TREA
- Posting speed. TREC's system gives providers 7-10 days; the big names batch-upload next business day at best. TREA built posting that fires in about 3 seconds, with retry logic every 5 minutes if TREC's system is down - because TREC's system does go down, and your deadline does not move.
- $75 for all 18 hours. Kaplan charges $119 and up for Texas CE. Same TREC approval, same credit.
- No-questions refund. If the course is not for you, say so and get your money back.
- Try before you buy. The 2-hour personality class is free CE. See how we teach before spending a dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Texas real estate license last?
2 years. Your expiration date is on your TREC license record. CE must be complete before that date each cycle.
How many hours do I need to renew my Texas real estate license?
18 CE hours per cycle: Legal Update I (4), Legal Update II (4), contract courses (3), electives (7). First renewals are different - they require 98 SAE hours, which TREA does not offer.
Can I renew my Texas license without finishing CE?
Yes, but it is the expensive way: TREC charges a $200 CE Deferral Fee for a 60-day extension. Miss that window and the license goes inactive, and a further $250 Late Reporting Fee applies if hours land 61-180 days after expiration.
How fast will my CE hours show up at TREC?
TREC allows providers 7-10 days. TREA posts your credit in about 3 seconds after you finish the course.
Can I finish all 18 hours online?
Yes. Every TREA course is TREC-approved for online delivery under provider #10010-CEP. Start and finish the same night if you want.
What happens if my license already expired?
You have up to 6 months to late-renew with fees. Past that, reinstatement requirements grow. The 18 CE hours are required either way, so finishing them is step one no matter how late you are.
Get Your CE Done Tonight
18 hours of TREC-approved CE from $75. Instant TREC posting. No apps. Any device. Taught by TREC Instructor #1597, David Offutt, with 5 consecutive TREC Legal Update editions.
Plus, there's a no-questions-asked refund policy - refund anytime for any reason, and you keep every CE hour you've already earned. Zero risk.