Texas Real Estate Broker CE Hub

Being a broker means more CE, not less. You already know that. What you might not know: since January 1, 2026, every renewing Texas broker must complete the Broker Responsibility course. That includes brokers who don't supervise agents. Most brokers missed that change. Below is the full breakdown — what you owe TREC, which courses cover it, and how to knock it all out fast.

Start with the requirements. Then we'll cover what changed and how to finish everything in one shot.

Texas Broker CE Requirements: The Complete List

Texas brokers renew on a 2-year cycle and must complete 18 CE hours. The total matches sales agents — but brokers carry more mandatory courses. Here's exactly what fills those 18 hours:

Total: 18 hours. Legal Update I (4) + Legal Update II (4) + Broker Responsibility (6) = 14 mandatory hours. Add 4 elective hours and you're done. Broker Responsibility counts within the 18-hour total — you don't owe 18 plus 6. It's already included.

Your renewal cycle runs from your license issue date. There's no statewide universal deadline. Check your exact expiration in the TREC LARS portal. For the official TREC summary, see the TREC Broker Responsibility page.

What Changed in 2026: The Broker Responsibility Rule

Before January 1, 2026, only supervising brokers — those designated as the responsible broker for a licensed entity — had to complete the Broker Responsibility course. Brokers who didn't actively supervise agents could skip it.

That changed with SB 1968, codified at 22 TAC §535.56. Effective January 1, 2026, every Texas broker renewing an active license must complete the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course. Supervision status doesn't matter. If your license says "broker," the course is required.

This is the rule that caught most brokers off guard. The Broker Responsibility course existed before — it just wasn't universal. Now it is. If you're a broker renewing in 2026 or later and haven't taken it this cycle, add it to your cart before anything else.

TREA's Broker Responsibility Course

TREA's Broker Responsibility course is 6 hours, $45, TREC-approved, fully online, self-paced. Start when you want. Work through it on any device. There are no live sessions and no scheduled classes to wait for.

Here's what the course actually covers — because "broker responsibility" sounds vague, and it isn't:

• Brokerage supervision — what TREC expects brokers to do and document when overseeing licensed agents
• Policies & procedures — including AI in real estate transactions (yes, this is in the 2025–26 edition)
• Competency standards — what brokers must know and the liability exposure when they don't
• Daily business operations — advertising, records, trust accounts, written agreements
• TREC enforcement — how complaints get investigated, what discipline looks like, and how to stay out of the next edition

Who Built This Course

David Offutt (TREC Instructor #1597, teaching since 2014) authored and teaches this course. He has written five consecutive editions of the Legal Updates. When TREC publishes a new rule, David has already built the course around it.

Credits post to TREC in approximately 3 seconds after you complete the final module. There's no waiting for a provider to batch-submit overnight. You verify the hours on your TREC record before closing your laptop.

To see everything TREA offers for your renewal — including Legal Updates and electives — visit the Texas Real Estate CE course catalog.

Enroll in the Broker Responsibility course →

Best CE Bundle for Texas Brokers

Buying courses one at a time costs more. Here's what the mandatory hours run à la carte:

• Broker Responsibility: $45
• Legal Update I: $29.96
• Legal Update II: $29.96
• Subtotal for required courses: $104.92 — and you still need 4 elective hours

The smarter move: Dean's List.

Why Dean's List Wins for Brokers

TREA's Dean's List bundle gives you 25+ hours for $85. It includes both Legal Updates, the Broker Responsibility course, and a full slate of electives that count toward your 18-hour total. In short, you get everything you need — plus extra buffer — for $20 less than the à la carte price of just the mandatory courses.

Bundle breakdown:

• Legal Update I (4 hrs) — included
• Legal Update II (4 hrs) — included
• Broker Responsibility (6 hrs) — included
• Electives (11+ hrs) — included
• Total: 25+ hours for $85

À la carte coverage for the same courses runs $104.92+. Dean's List saves you roughly $20 and leaves extra hours on the table if something comes up at TREC. For comparison shopping, see all available Texas real estate CE bundles.

Get the Dean's List bundle ($85) →

How to Complete Your Texas Broker CE Renewal

Five steps. No surprises.

Step 1 — Enroll in Broker Responsibility

Six hours, $45, TREC-approved at TREA. Alternatively, grab the Dean's List bundle for $85 and cover everything at once. Either way, start here — Broker Responsibility is now universal, and it's the longest required course in your renewal.

Step 2 — Complete Legal Update I and II

Four hours each. These courses cover current TREC rules, contract changes, fair housing, and the issues regulators are actively watching this cycle. Dean's List includes both. Each course is also available separately at $29.96.

Step 3 — Add Elective Hours to Reach 18

After the 14 mandatory hours, you need 4 more in electives. Dean's List includes more than enough. Hall Pass ($75) covers electives but excludes Broker Responsibility — so brokers who take that route need to add it separately.

Step 4 — Credits Post to TREC in ~3 Seconds

The moment you finish each course, TREA's API posts the credit directly to your TREC record. There's no waiting, no batch processing, no calls to a provider. Confirm the hours yourself at agents.trec.texas.gov under Real Estate Education History.

Step 5 — Submit Your Renewal and Pay the Fee

Once all 18 hours appear in your TREC record, renew your license at agents.trec.texas.gov. The renewal fee is $110. TREC processes most applications quickly after CE is confirmed.

That's the whole process. No classroom, no scheduled sessions, no 3-day wait for credits. Start today, finish on your schedule, and get back to work.

Still have questions about what counts toward your renewal? The answers to the most common broker CE questions are below.