Illinois broker continuing education
Illinois real estate broker CE: the hours, courses and records
For an ordinary later Illinois broker term, complete 12 approved CE hours: six core, including at least two hours of fair housing, and six elective hours. Plan the required one-hour sexual-harassment prevention training within eligible credit. A qualifying first broker term uses 45-hour post-license education instead. Check the actual license term before buying a package.
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What belongs in the ordinary 12-hour broker CE plan?
225 ILCS 454/5-70 and Rule 1450.450 govern broker CE. The current six-hour core curriculum specifies at least two fair-housing credit hours within that core. The fair-housing hours are part of the six, rather than an automatic addition to the 12-hour total.
| Block | Hours | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Approved core | 6 | Includes at least 2 hours of fair housing |
| Approved electives | 6 | Plan the required harassment training within eligible credit |
| Total | 12 | Complete the right courses during the current license term |
This is a broker plan. Managing brokers have separate education requirements and issue-date cohorts. Use the current managing-broker fact sheet linked from the DRE Brokerage page and the renewal guide for the correct license class.
Check the education stage first
| Stage | Requirement to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Before the initial broker license | The applicable pre-license route | Calling an exam-prep product approved CE |
| Qualifying first broker term | 45-hour post-license curriculum and its three finals | Buying only 12 ordinary CE hours |
| Ordinary later broker term | The current 12-hour CE plan | Reusing the first-term or an old transition rule |
The 2026 Broker CE Fact Sheet, revised February 2025 and still linked by DRE, puts an ordinary first broker license issued in October 2026 in the April 30, 2028 expiration and post-license completion cohort. Section 5-70(l) recognizes the first-term substitution. Use the post-license guide for the courses, finals and timing instead of adding an ordinary 12-hour package by default.
When did the four-hour core transition apply?
Rule 1450.1225(d) states the limited exception: for the April 30, 2026 broker renewal, a previous four-hour core completed between May 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 satisfied the core requirement, with eight elective hours still needed. The 2026 fact sheet repeats those dates.
For example, a qualifying old four-hour core completed May 31, 2025 plus eight approved elective hours totals 12 for that 2026 transition. A four-hour course completed outside the stated window does not gain that exception merely because the total is 12.
In October 2026, that renewal deadline is already past. Do not carry the old four-plus-eight combination into a later cycle as the ordinary rule. The published core curriculum says only courses using the updated six-hour curriculum would be accepted on or after July 1, 2025. If resolving a missed 2026 renewal, give DRE the actual completion dates and ask which remedy applies.
Does sexual-harassment training mean an extra hour?
The agency's sexual-harassment prevention FAQ, updated January 2024, remains linked by the current broker fact sheet. It requires one hour for covered renewals and explains when the training can be included in the profession's required CE hours. The first-term post-license curriculum already includes that training.
Example: a 12-hour plan that includes the training
Suppose Jordan completes an approved six-hour core, five hours of other approved electives and a one-hour harassment-prevention course that qualifies for elective credit. That is 6 + 5 + 1 = 12 hours. The two fair-housing hours are already inside the core. If the required training was left out of the completed 12 hours, Jordan still needs to fulfill it.
The FAQ accepts specified providers or sponsors and qualifying employer training that meets the Illinois Human Rights Act requirements. Keep the required completion certificate and confirm what the specific course satisfies. When planning the six elective hours, ask whether that particular training counts toward the broker CE total as well as satisfying the training requirement. Do not assume that a generic workplace video or a course approved for another profession automatically supplies every broker elective credit you need.
Can you take CE online, and is a final exam required?
Section 30-15(i) distinguishes interactive delivery from correspondence or home study. Rules 1450.1155 and 1450.1175 explain the excluded core format and the final-exam exemption conditions.
| Method | Core CE? | Completion check |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom or live interactive webinar | Allowed when the course is approved | Verified attendance and participation; qualifying CE may use the final-exam exemption |
| Approved online distance education | Allowed; interaction need not be in real time | Verified participation and comprehension, not passive playback alone |
| Noninteractive correspondence or home study | Not allowed for core CE | Eligible approved elective delivery has proctored-exam requirements |
The online-distance final-exam exemption has participation, comprehension and identity-verification conditions. Rule 1450.1175(d) includes a 75 percent minimum comprehension threshold; that is not a claim that all courses have the same standalone final. The exemption does not apply to the 45-hour post-license courses, each of which has its own required final.
Section 30-15(i)(1) requires at least 50 minutes of instruction for each hour of CE course time. Buying a 12-hour package or opening its videos does not establish that you completed it.
Ask the provider to identify the approved delivery method, attendance checks, assessments, retake terms and certificate process. A marketing label such as self-paced does not settle those questions. Do not import PSI's licensing-exam attempts or score rules into CE.
How do you verify the provider, course and completed credit?
- Open the approved CE provider list and the approved CE course entry from DRE. Match the provider and the exact core or elective course and delivery method before purchase.
- Confirm which license term the completion will serve. Record the course name, category, approved hours, provider and completion date.
- Keep the completion certificate, including any required training certificate. Rule 1450.1135 requires the CE certificate to identify credit hours and core or elective category.
- Compare the certificate with the CE lookup linked from the Brokerage page. Ask when the provider will report completion, then request a correction for a missing report, name mismatch or incorrect entry. Do not assume the lookup changes instantly after the course.
- Resolve any remaining discrepancy with DRE before certifying compliance. Keep certificates, correspondence and the eventual renewal confirmation together.
Section 5-70(i) allows credit for a specific course only once in the current term. Subsection (j) limits CE credit to 12 hours in one calendar day. A maximum daily allowance does not let you skip the actual instruction, participation or completion checks.
Section 5-75 permits DRE approval of qualifying education earned in another state or territory. It is not automatic credit just because another state accepted the course. Ask about the application, evidence, timing and fees before relying on it for Illinois renewal.
Who may qualify for a CE exception?
Section 5-70(b) lists specified licensees who, during the current term, serve in the United States armed services, serve as an elected state or federal official, work full time for the Department, or are admitted to practice law under Illinois Supreme Court rule. It also provides for a good-cause waiver through the stated Secretary and Board process. Do not self-approve a waiver.
Inactive status alone is not a general CE exemption, and Rule 1450.450 requires Illinois brokers residing and practicing elsewhere to comply unless exempt. An education exception does not by itself cancel renewal, fees or practice restrictions. Keep the supporting record and confirm how to certify the actual situation.
For a missed renewal or restoration, the education periods need a separate check. The statute, rule and restoration form use different catch-up wording. The renewal and restoration guide explains the difference and the questions to ask DRE before buying courses.
Illinois broker CE questions
How many CE hours does an Illinois real estate broker need?
An ordinary later broker term requires 12 approved hours during the current license term: six core hours, including at least two fair-housing hours, and six elective hours. Include the required one-hour sexual-harassment prevention training, with applicable credit verified. A qualifying first broker term uses the 45-hour post-license curriculum instead.
Can I still take four core hours and eight electives?
Rule 1450.1225(d) preserves that combination for the April 30, 2026 broker renewal only when the previous four-hour core was completed between May 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. It is a dated transition, not the ordinary plan for a later cycle. In October 2026, the April 2026 deadline is already past.
Do I need 13 hours because of sexual-harassment training?
Not automatically. Plan an accepted one-hour training course within the six elective hours when it qualifies for that credit. If you finish 12 hours without satisfying the required training, the agency FAQ says you still need the training. Verify the actual certificate and credit, including employer-provided training, rather than simply adding or subtracting an hour.
Can Illinois broker CE be completed online?
Approved online distance education is allowed for core CE. It includes verified interaction and comprehension; it is not the same as noninteractive correspondence or home study, which cannot deliver core CE. A qualifying CE course may use the final-exam exemption under Rule 1450.1175. Ask the provider about its approved format and completion requirements.
Can I repeat the same course or finish everything in one day?
Section 5-70 allows credit for a specific CE course only once in the current term and limits CE credit to no more than 12 hours in one calendar day. That maximum does not excuse attendance, participation or completion requirements. A duplicate course title on a receipt does not establish a second eligible credit.
Do inactive or out-of-state brokers have to complete Illinois CE?
Inactive status alone is not a general CE exemption. Rule 1450.450 also requires Illinois brokers residing and practicing in another state to comply unless exempt. An out-of-state course is not automatically Illinois credit; Section 5-75 provides an approval process. Confirm the requirements for the actual record before skipping courses.
What if my completed course is missing from CE lookup?
Compare the certificate, name, license number, course category, hours and completion date with the provider's report. Ask the provider to correct or explain a mismatch, and ask DRE how to resolve any remaining discrepancy before certifying compliance. Keep the original certificate and correspondence. A missing display alone does not prove that the course was never completed or accepted.
Revisiting the licensing-exam foundations?
You can download Pass Illinois for optional exam-concept practice. Complete renewal education through the applicable approved route; the app does not award CE or post-license hours.