Transfer a Real Estate License to Tennessee

Verified July 2026 · 27 official sources

No reciprocity, but your exam and education carry over

Tennessee will not hand you a reciprocal license, but it credits most of what you already earned. What other states call a salesperson, Tennessee calls an affiliate broker, so an arriving salesperson applies at the affiliate broker tier. Education your home state accepted counts toward the 90 required hours, and a passed national exam from any ARELLO-accredited vendor waives Tennessee's national portion, leaving the state law exam, fingerprints, mandatory E&O insurance, and affiliation with a Tennessee firm. The sharpest deadline is the window between passing the exam and applying, which TREC materials list as 1 year while the statute still says 6 months, so plan on 6.

First year: $372 to $376Renewal: $75 / 2 yrsWait: Worksheet review, confirmingWork while waiting: No, license must issue firstTravel required: None

What carries over to Tennessee, and what does not

Comes with you

National exam pass from any ARELLO-accredited vendor, same tier
Education your home state accepted for credit
Active licensed years toward the 3-year broker requirement
Your old license stays active, dual licensure is fine

New for this state

Certification of licensure from every state, under 6 months old
TBI and FBI fingerprints through IdentoGO card scan
Tennessee state law exam (40 questions, pass 28)
E&O policy on Tennessee group terms
Tennessee firm and principal broker affiliation

If you hold a broker license

An arriving broker applies at Tennessee's broker tier and needs 120 education hours including a 30-hour office or brokerage management course, 3 years holding an active license shown on the certification (2 with a baccalaureate in real estate), and a national broker exam pass of at least 75% on the certification. The broker state exam is 50 questions with a 75% pass mark, and the Broker Examination Application adds about 4 weeks of review before testing. A new Tennessee broker license also triggers 120 post-licensing hours within 3 years.

Working in Tennessee without a Tennessee license

On a single deal No. TREC says a licensee from another state cannot partner with a Tennessee licensee on work that needs a Tennessee license, and no cooperative agreement mechanism exists. The lawful lane is staying physically outside Tennessee and being paid by a Tennessee broker while conducting none of the negotiations inside the state.

Referrals Yes. A Tennessee broker may pay a commission to a broker licensed in another state as long as the nonresident conducts none of the negotiations inside Tennessee. The fee flows broker to broker, so it runs through your firm.

Your send-off checklist

YOUOrder a certification of licensure from every state where you hold or ever held a license. Each must be under 6 months old and show your education, exam vendor, and score. varies

YOUEmail the TREC A Worksheet (form IN2061) with the certifications and any course certificates to TREC.Info@tn.gov. $0 Worksheet A

STATE BOARDSTREC reviews your file, credits your education and national exam, then enters you in PSI's system and tells you what remains.

YOUSchedule the Tennessee state law exam with PSI, at a center in any state or by remote proctor. 40 questions, pass 28 of 40. $26 PSI Tennessee

YOUDo the nonresident fingerprint card scan. Get prints on an FD-258 card locally, pre-enroll with IdentoGO under service code 28TZ99, then mail the signed page and card. $35 to $39, confirming

YOULine up your Tennessee firm and principal broker, who signs your exam application document. No firm yet? Apply as an Initial Retired Affiliate and activate later for $25.

YOUBuy the mandatory E&O policy on Tennessee group terms before you apply. $220 RISC Tennessee E&O

YOUApply at core.tn.gov within 6 months of passing. Upload the signed exam document, E&O proof, education certificates, high school proof, entitlements form, fingerprint receipt, and the Consent to Suits. $91 CORE portal

The money

Worksheet A evaluation	$0
Certification of licensure, each old state	varies
State law exam only (national waived)	$26
Both exam portions if no waiver	$63
Fingerprints (IdentoGO card scan)	$35 to $39, confirming
Application (includes $1 recovery fund)	$91
E&O group policy, 2-year term, mandatory	$220
TOTAL First year, typical	$372 to $376
Then: renewal every 2 years	$75 + $220 E&O

Watch out in Tennessee

The exam-to-application window is disputed. TREC's FAQ and PSI say 1 year, the codified statute still says 6 months. Plan on 6 months.
An E&O lapse suspends the license automatically, penalties climb past $1,100, and a lapse over 1 year converts to revocation.
If your old state wrote its own exam (California, New York), nothing carries and you take both Tennessee portions.
A felony, certain misdemeanors, or license discipline in the past 10 years means appearing before the Commission with your principal broker.

Official links for Tennessee

Keep going

The real estate planner, which builds a plan across several states at once.
Errors and omissions insurance by state, the 15 states that mandate it.
All three professions we cover.

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