Tennessee · affiliate broker · licensing steps · checked Oct 24, 2026
To get a real estate license in Tennessee you become an affiliate broker: finish the principles course, pass both portions of the PSI exam, complete the Course for New Affiliates, and apply online with a principal broker’s signature, proof of E&O insurance and fingerprints. The second course can come before or after the exam, but both must be done before you apply.
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
Check that you qualify
Age and schooling: 18 or older, high school graduate. A criminal record or a past licensing sanction adds a review by the Commission rather than closing the door (criminal history).
Take the principles course
60 hours of principles before the exam, at a school the Commission approves. The school reports your completion to PSI, which is what unlocks booking.
Pass both exam portions
The exam has 80 national and 40 state questions; you need 70% each, and both portions cost $63 as of Oct 2026. Rules and retakes: exam facts.
Choose a principal broker
You cannot hold an active license on your own. The PSI exam application is signed by the principal broker you will work under; you receive that form at the test center when you pass.
Finish the Course for New Affiliates
Complete the Course for New Affiliates, 30 hours long, before you apply. You can take it before your exam date or after you pass.
Get E&O insurance and fingerprints
E&O: required for every active licensee. Fingerprints: taken by IdentoGO for the license application, with service code 28TZ99; out-of-state applicants use the card-scan service.
Apply at core.tn.gov
$91 initial affiliate broker application, filed online within 1 year of passing, with the signed PSI form, E&O proof, proof of high school graduation, the entitlements verification form and the fingerprint receipt.
Two deadlines after you pass
The application must reach the Commission within 1 year of passing all portions, and the Course for New Affiliates must be finished before you apply. Schedule it early so it does not eat into that year.
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age and schooling | 18 or older, high school graduate | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [1][2] | |
| Background check | A felony or theft-related misdemeanor in the past 10 years, or a licensing sanction, means a disclosure form, certified court records and an appearance before the Commission | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 1260-01 (rev. Sept 2025) [3] | |
| Pre-license education | 60 hours of principles before the examplus the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates before the license: 90 hours in all | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker · PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1][2] | |
| Required course besides pre-license | 30-hour Course for New Affiliates, completed before you apply | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [2] | |
| Exam fee | $63 both portions · $37 national only · $26 state only | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Sponsoring broker | The PSI exam application is signed by the principal broker you will work under | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [2] | |
| E&O insurance | Errors and omissions insurance required for every active licenseethe Commission’s group policy or an independent policy on the same terms; new licensees pay a prorated premium, and a lapse of more than 30 days suspends the license, with a reinstatement penalty from $200 | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 1260-01 (rev. Sept 2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: fees [2][3][4] | |
| Fingerprints | Required for the first license application, not for the exam: IdentoGO, ORI TN920784Z, service code 28TZ99the fee is paid to IdentoGO directly; the Commission’s fee schedule does not list it | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: electronic fingerprint submission (Nov 2023) · PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1][2][5] | |
| License fee | $91 initial affiliate broker application | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: fees [2][4] | |
| Validity window | Apply at core.tn.gov within 1 year of passing all portions | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [1][2] | |
| Renewal | Every 2 years, $75 | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: fees [4] | |
| What the name means | “Affiliate broker” is the entry-level Tennessee license (salesperson elsewhere); the broker license is a separate exam | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker · PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1][2] |
Tennessee sets hours, not a calendar. The fixed waits are short: none before a first exam once PSI has your eligibility, and a first retake can be booked from the next day. What stretches the timeline is school, 60 hours plus 30 hours, then the paperwork: E&O, fingerprints processed by the TBI and FBI, and the principal broker’s signature. A candidate who fails a portion twice adds the waiting period between later attempts (retake rules).
There is no shortcut on education: out-of-state candidates must meet the same course requirements as residents, affiliate with a firm licensed in Tennessee, and send the Commission their course records and a license certification from each state before booking. The shortcut is on the exam: the national portion can be waived for a licensee of another state who passed a national exam at that level (details). How other states handle this: license reciprocity.
How often must a Tennessee real estate license be renewed?
Answer and explanations
Correct: TREC licenses run on a two-year cycle; the renewal fee is $75 under Rule 1260-01-.12(3).
Incorrect: Four years is double the actual term.
Incorrect: Annual renewal is used in some states, but Tennessee renews every two years.
Incorrect: Three years is not a Tennessee cycle; licenses expire every two years.
What type of insurance is mandatory for all active Tennessee real estate licensees?
Answer and explanations
Correct: T.C.A. § 62-13-112 and Rule 1260-01-.15 require every active licensee to carry errors and omissions insurance.
Incorrect: Property insurance protects buildings and contents; no Tennessee license rule requires it of a licensee.
Incorrect: Health insurance is personal coverage with no role in licensing.
Incorrect: General liability covers bodily injury and property damage claims, not professional mistakes, and Tennessee does not require it of licensees.
Practice on your phone
Tennessee affiliate broker: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
As of Oct 2026, the state and PSI fees are $154: $63 for the exam and $91 for the application. Tuition, fingerprints and E&O are extra: full cost.
Most of it. Schools set the course format, PSI offers the exam with a remote proctor, and the application is filed at core.tn.gov. The fingerprints are the in-person step, at an IdentoGO location.
Not to book it: your school makes you eligible. You need a principal broker before you apply, because the PSI form you send with the application carries their signature.
As long as 60 hours plus 30 hours of school takes you, plus the exam and the paperwork; the state sets no minimum calendar time (what stretches it).