Who Grants a License: Licenses are granted by the State of Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (“RIDBR”).
Qualifications to receive a License: A candidate must complete 45 clock hours of study at an RIDBR-approved real estate school (search schools here), pass a school-administered final exam, and pass a state exam. All candidates must submit a full set of fingerprints, prove legal presence and pass a background check. All candidates must be at least 18 years of age. For more information about qualifications, see Requirements for a Real Estate Salesperson's License on the RIDBR website.
Applying for the Exams: Candidates should apply to take the state exam through the Pearson Vue website scheduling page. For more information, see the State of Rhode Island Real Estate Candidate Handbook.
Test Content: The Rhode Island state real estate licensing exam is comprised of two separate portions, the national portion and the state-specific portion. Five questions on the national portion and five questions on the state-specific portion are considered "experimental" questions and are not scored. Both tests are comprised of multiple choice questions with four answer choices provided for each question. Test takers are allotted 2.5 hours to complete the national portion, and 1.5 hours to complete the state-specific portion. A scaled score of at least 70 is required to pass. The exam is presented in a computer-based format, but accommodations for paper-based tests and/or oral testing can be provided with special arrangements.
The national portion of the test consists of 85 questions (80 are scored, 5 are not scored) and tests the candidate's knowledge of general real estate concepts, including the following subject areas:
Real property characteristics
Property valuation
Contracts and relationships with buyers and sellers
Property conditions and disclosures
Risk management
Federal laws governing real estate activities
Financing the transaction and settlement
Leases, rents, and property management
Brokerage operations
Ethical and legal business practices
The state-specific test consists of 45 questions (40 are scored, 5 are not scored) and tests the candidate's knowledge of the state-specific concepts, including the following subject areas:
Duties and Obligations under Licensing Law
Licensing Requirements
Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
Fair Housing Practice Act RIGL 34-37-1
Landlord-Tenant Law RIGL 34-18-1
Agricultural Functions of Department of
Environmental Management RIGL 2-1-5 to 2-1-27
Fire Safety Code – General Provisions RIGL 23-28.1
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) RIGL 5-20.8-2
Sale of Real Property by Non-residents-Withholding Requirements RIGL 44-30-71.3
Lead Paint Disclosure--Section 9 of Rules & Regulations, RI Dept. of Health
Seller’s Disclosure RIGL 5-20.8
How to Apply for the License: The license application is issued by the testing company upon passing both portions of the licensing exam. Candidates must provide RIDBR with the following documents: (1) completed application and application fee; (2) original Rhode Island state real estate licensing exam score report(s); (3) certificate issued by an RIDBR-approved school for completion of the 45-hour salesperson pre-licensure curriculum; and (4) A criminal history record from the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office; (5) a Taxpayer Status Affidavit / Identity Verification; (6) a certificate of a three-hour lead poisoning course; (7) and proof of errors and omissions insurance. All of the required documents must be submitted to the RIDBR within one year of passing the exam. The address for the RIDBR is:
1511 Pontiac Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
Fees: RIDBR charges a license application fee, which is subject to change, but at the time of this writing, the fee is either $100, or $165, depending upon what portion of the renewal cycle the application is submitted.
Who administers the test: RIDBR and Pearson Vue.
License Renewal Requirements – A Rhode Island real estate licensee must take 24 credit hours of continuing education (either online or in the classroom) from an RIDBR-approved provider every two years.
Applicable Regulations: Real estate licensees in Rhode Island are regulated under the Rhode Island General Laws, Chapters 5-20-5, 5-20-6, and 5-20-7and the Rhode Island Division of Commercial Licensing Regulation 11.
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