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Continuing Education in Washington

What Washington brokers and managing brokers need to renew in 2026 — 30 clock hours, the required Core and Fair Housing courses, and your electives.

Washington real estate continuing education is 30 clock hours for every two-year license renewal. The 30 hours must include a 3-hour Core course and the 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course, which leaves 24 elective hours you choose. At least 15 of the 30 hours — including the Core and Fair Housing hours — must be completed within the 24 months before your renewal date.

  • Washington real estate brokers and managing brokers must complete at least 30 clock hours of approved instruction every two years to renew a license. RCW 18.85.211(1)
  • Those 30 clock hours must have been started within 48 months of the licensee's renewal date. WAC 308-124A-790(1)
  • At least 15 of those 30 clock hours must be completed within 24 months of the renewal date, and the required Core and Washington real estate fair housing hours must fall inside that 15. WAC 308-124A-790(1)(a)
  • The 30 hours must include 3 clock hours of the prescribed Core curriculum and 3 clock hours of the prescribed Washington real estate fair housing curriculum. WAC 308-124A-790(2)
  • Up to 15 clock hours beyond the 30 submitted for a previous renewal may be carried forward to the following renewal. WAC 308-124A-790(1)(b)
  • A licensee who did not complete Washington real estate fair housing education during initial licensure must take the six-hour fair housing course instead of the three-hour course. WAC 308-124A-790(1)(c)
  • Failing to attest to the Core and Washington real estate fair housing hours results in denial of the license renewal. WAC 308-124A-790(1)(d)
  • Hours used to satisfy the broker or managing broker license education requirements cannot also be counted as continuing education. WAC 308-124A-790(6)(c)
  • A Washington clock hour is 50 minutes of actual instruction, so 30 clock hours is 25 hours of instruction time. WAC 308-124H-820(4)

Last verified against the Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code. Requirements are set by the Washington State Department of Licensing and can change — confirm anything time-sensitive with the DOL.

What are the CE requirements?

Washington continuing education is 30 clock hours every two-year renewal. The required pieces are:

  • 3 Core — Current Issues in WA Residential Real Estate
  • 3 Washington Real Estate Fair Housing
  • 24 approved electives (your choice of topics)
Total: 30 clock hours

At least 15 of the 30 hours — including your Core and Fair Housing hours — must be completed within 24 months of your renewal date.

Most popular CE package

Complete Renewal with Core and Fair Housing (3 Hr)

$159.00
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How Washington counts the 30 hours

The Department of Licensing frames the 30 hours as a 3-hour Core course plus 27 hours of other approved continuing education. Because the mandatory 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course counts toward that 27, you're left with 24 hours of true electives you can choose freely. All of our CE courses are DOL-approved and eligible for Washington credit, and our packages bundle the Core, Fair Housing and elective hours together so you can finish everything in one place — certificates issue as soon as you complete the required hours.

The timing rule most brokers miss

Washington doesn't just count your hours, it counts when you took them. All 30 hours must have been started within 48 months of your renewal date, and — the part that catches people — at least 15 of those 30 hours must be completed within 24 months of that date, with your Core and Washington Real Estate Fair Housing hours inside that 15. Front-loading a whole renewal cycle's education in year one leaves you short at renewal even though you technically took 30 hours. If you're not sure where you stand, our renewal tracker works the dates out for you.

Frequently asked questions

Who needs continuing education in Washington?
Every Washington broker and managing broker must complete continuing education to renew, regardless of years in the business. We use "continuing education" here for brokers who have held a license for more than two years and have already completed their first renewal — after that first renewal, the requirement is 30 hours every two years.
What are the continuing education requirements in Washington?
Washington continuing education is 30 clock hours every two-year renewal. The Department of Licensing breaks that into a 3-hour Core course (Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate) plus 27 hours of other approved continuing education. The 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course counts toward those 27 hours, which leaves 24 hours of true electives you choose. In short: 3 hours Core, 3 hours Fair Housing, and 24 elective hours.
Can I take all 30 CE hours right after my last renewal?
Not and still be compliant. Washington counts when you took the hours, not just how many. All 30 must have been started within 48 months of your renewal date, and at least 15 of the 30 must be completed within 24 months of that date — with your 3-hour Core and your Washington Real Estate Fair Housing hours inside that 15. So if you finish an entire renewal cycle's education in your first year, you'll still owe 15 hours (including Core and Fair Housing) in the two years before you renew.
Do I still owe the 30 CE hours if I just finished 90 hours for the managing broker exam?
Yes. The 90 hours of education that qualifies you to sit for the managing broker exam is separate from the state mandate to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
What is the Washington Fair Housing CE requirement?
Every active renewal must include the 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course. Almost nobody needs the one-time 6-hour course. It applies only when Washington fair housing education was never part of your Washington licensing education at all — in practice, a broker licensed in another state who tested into Washington by reciprocity, since passing the exam does not include the Washington coursework that carries fair housing. If you took Washington pre-license courses, fair housing was inside them, and the 3-hour course is the only one you ever need.
What happens if I miss my license renewal deadline?
If you renew within one year of your expiration date, you simply complete your continuing education, pay your renewal fee plus a late penalty, and you're reinstated. If your license has been canceled longer than that, reinstatement is more involved: while you're still within two years of cancellation you can reinstate by completing 60 clock hours of approved education — at least 30 of which must be the Real Estate Law course — completed within the year before you apply, plus a late fee, a reinstatement fee and your back renewal fees. Only after a license has been canceled for more than two years do you have to requalify from scratch by retaking the pre-license education and passing the broker exam again. Our best advice: renew on time — it's far cheaper in money and time.
What brokerage services can I provide if I let my license lapse?
None. You cannot perform any brokerage activity — buyer or seller representation, talking to clients, even showing houses — while your license isn't active, because that would be operating without a license. If you're late, refer all calls to another broker or managing broker until you've submitted your renewal.
When is my license officially considered renewed?
You're considered renewed once you've submitted all required information and fees — either online or postmarked to the Department of Licensing. You don't have to wait to hear back from the DOL, provided you met every requirement and paid your fees.
Do I have to send my certificates to the state?
No. You don't submit certificates at renewal, but you must keep your own records. The Department of Licensing runs random audits and will ask you to prove you completed the required education, so retain your certificates.
Does Realestateschool.org keep my records for me?
Yes. We retain your completion records and you can log in to print your certificates any time, which makes it easy to provide verification to the Department of Licensing. The state still recommends — and requires — that you personally retain your own records as well.
Can I deduct my real estate education on my taxes?
Generally, yes. As always, consult a tax professional about your specific situation.
Can I carry extra clock hours to my next renewal?
Some, yes. Washington lets you carry up to 15 unused clock hours forward to your next renewal, as long as those hours were completed within 48 months (4 years) of the renewal you apply them to. As a practical matter, credit is issued per completed course, so you generally can't split a single course's hours across two renewals.

Related Washington requirements

Getting a License

The 90-hour pre-license path and the PSI broker exam, step by step.

First Renewal

The 90 clock hours new brokers need before their first 2-year renewal.

Managing Broker

The 90 hours and experience needed to sit for the managing broker exam.

License Information

Fees, timelines and the full Washington licensing overview.

Free Practice Exam

Exam-style questions with instant scoring by topic — no sign-up required.

Free Tools & Calculators

License cost calculator, renewal deadline tracker, course finder and more.

All Washington Courses

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