LicensedAnywhere

Transfer a Real Estate License to Massachusetts

Verified July 2026 · 43 official sources

12 listed states walk in, everyone else sits the exam

Massachusetts reciprocity is a short list, not a policy. If your license came from Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, or Oklahoma (2 years there), and only if you earned it by exam there, Massachusetts waives both the 40 classroom hours and the whole exam for $31 plus a prorated $103 to $150. Licensed anywhere else, you get only an educational waiver for the 40 hours and still sit the exam. The broker tier is effectively closed to outsiders, because outside those 12 jurisdictions you must hold a Massachusetts salesperson license and work 3 years under a Massachusetts broker at 25 or more hours a week before you may even test.

First year: $134 to $181, add $56 if you testRenewal: $103 / 2 yrsWait: 10 business days minimumWork while waiting: No, no temporary licenseTravel required: None if reciprocal; exam rule confirming

What carries over to Massachusetts, and what does not

Comes with you

  • Your out-of-state license, the whole mechanism
  • The 40 classroom hours, waived on both paths
  • Your exam pass, but only on the reciprocal path
  • Home-state CE, reciprocal licensees only

New for this state

  • Notarized DOL CORI form, no fingerprints
  • $31 application plus prorated license fee
  • $5,000 surety bond, brokers only, before filing
  • The exam unless your state is one of the 12

If you hold a broker license

A broker from the 12 reciprocal jurisdictions walks straight in with no experience test, paying $52 plus a prorated $142 to $200 and posting a $5,000 surety bond, issued before you file. Everyone else needs a Massachusetts salesperson license first, plus 3 years under a Massachusetts broker at 25 or more hours a week. Out-of-state broker years count for nothing, and the bond must stay live at renewal.

Working in Massachusetts without a Massachusetts license

On a single deal No. Massachusetts has no cooperative brokerage statute and no commercial carve-out. Section 87RR bars brokering "either temporarily or as an incident to any other transaction," and an unlicensed broker cannot sue for the fee. Remote-only work is confirming, so treat it as unsafe.
Referrals Yes, the only lawful channel. Section 87AAA(e) punishes paying only someone required to be licensed who is not, so a Massachusetts broker may pay a referral fee to a licensed out-of-state broker. Money moves broker to broker, since a salesperson is paid only by their own broker.

Your send-off checklist

YOUConfirm your license is from one of the 12 jurisdictions and was issued by examination. One earned by reciprocity elsewhere does not qualify.
STATE BOARDSOrder a certified letter of good standing from your old state showing issue date, expiration, how it was issued, discipline, and status. Must be current. varies
YOUCreate a MyMassGov account and link into eLIPSE. Applications, documents, and payment all run through it. eLIPSE portal
YOUSign the DOL CORI form before any notary, anywhere, and upload it. Good one year, and the Board will not open a file without it. DOL CORI form
YOUAdd a color passport-style photo and standing letters issued within 90 days for any other license you hold.
YOUNot on the list? Request the educational waiver with that letter, then book the PSI exam. Pass mark 70 percent; pay the license fee within 30 days of passing. $56 PSI portal
YOUSubmit and pay. Review of a complete file takes at least 10 business days, and nothing issues until the file has sat 10 days. $134 to $181
YOULine up a Massachusetts sponsoring broker. A salesperson may not operate alone; the Broker of Record files the affiliation in eLIPSE.

The money

Application, salesperson$31
License fee, prorated by birthday$103 to $150
40-hour Massachusetts course$0, waived both paths
PSI exam, waiver path$56, Board page says $54, confirming
Good standing letter, old statevaries
Notary for the CORI formvaries
Fingerprints$0, name-based CORI only
E&O insurance$0, not required of individuals
Recovery fund$0, Massachusetts has none
TOTAL First year, typical$134 to $181 reciprocal, $190 to $237 by exam
Then: renewal every 2 years$103

Watch out in Massachusetts

  • Reciprocal licensees get a real break on continuing education. MGL c. 112, s. 87XX1/2 lets anyone licensed by reciprocity prove home-state CE compliance instead of sitting 12 Massachusetts hours, which ordinary licensees can never do. The proof eLIPSE wants is confirming.
  • The Board's FAQ claims thirteen reciprocal states while the application page lists twelve. Call 617-701-8661 before assuming your state is in.
  • The candidate bulletin says you must test in the state of Massachusetts, though PSI also offers remote proctoring. Whether a remote candidate may sit elsewhere is confirming, so call (855) 340-3704 first.
  • eLIPSE is down from 5 p.m. July 29, 2026 to 8 a.m. August 3, 2026 and everything is filed there. Incomplete files are abandoned after 180 days, and pending revisions to 254 CMR 2 and 5 could move both rules.

Official links for Massachusetts

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