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What Every Licensee Should Know About Real Estate Continuing Education - Real Estate Commission

THE PURPOSE and GOALS of continuing education are to provide licensees with current facts, concepts and laws to conduct real estate transactions in a legal and professional manner to protect the public's interest.

Important Information on Teams and Groups

RELEVANT SECTIONS OF LAW & REGULATION: Title 17-315 and COMAR 09.11.06
Law and Regulations
Required hours and course content chart
All MD approved education providers

IMPORTANT !!
There are many educational programs offered to the public by individuals, other licensees, seminar companies, corporations, brokerages, etc. Will all programs provide you with CE hours to renew your real estate license? NO, not all. Before signing up, check it out. If the individuals or entities are not listed on MREC's website, you are still free to attend the program if it interests you but it WILL NOT count toward your renewal. Specific laws and regulations apply to courses intended to count towards renewal.

PLEASE NOTE:
Effective October 1, 2024, new regulations (Titles 17-314 and 17-315) went into effect regarding Continuing Education completion and submission prior to license renewal.
#1 - CE courses must be completed 30 days prior to your license renewal date to avoid a reinstatement fee.
#2 - CE Providers have up to 14 days from the completion of a course to upload the credit hours into the MREC system.
You can find more information as well as the full bill text on the Maryland General Assembly website.

CLASSROOM COURSES:

  • Contact an approved provider for the schedule and to verify that the course is approved to renew a MD real estate license; learn the provider's policy, approved hours, title, and topic; be sure you agree with all conditions before enrolling.
  • Courses approved for CE are open to all licensees until enrollment limit is reached.
  • Attendance is monitored at the beginning and end of the course by sign in/out sheet which identifies the CE provider or affidavit.
  • Turn off ALL electronic devices; also, do not bring unrelated reading material during the course.
  • Students must be physically present during ALL of the offering time - no certificate is given when a student arrives late, leaves early or steps out to answer a phone call.
  • No partial credit is allowed (no 3-hour credit for one session of a 6-hour offering).
  • Disputes about registration fees, cancellation or refund policies are resolved by the provider, not the Commission.
  • If special arrangements are needed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the provider in advance with the required documents.
  • Instructors may not promote their company, solicit or gain business advantage, hold drawings, collect business cards, or interrupt class time for meals. Violators should be reported to MREC.
  • A licensee who is also an instructor of CE courses may receive CE credit if eligible. Contact the provider for instructions to apply in advance of your renewal.
  • Certificates are a courtesy, not a requirement. PROVIDERS MUST ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT ATTENDANCE WITHIN FOURTEEN BUSINESS DAYS of the conclusion of the individual class or multi-day event.

DISTANCE EDUCATION:

  • Not all MD-approved providers offer distance learning CE. View the provider list. The red asterisk (*) next to the county code indicates distance-learning providers.
  • Learn the title, topic, length of program, credit hours allowed, exam, deadline for completion, minimum software, retake policy, etc.; be sure you agree with all conditions before enrolling.
  • Student must pass the exam by at least 70%.
  • Disputes about delivery method, fees, failures, etc. are to be resolved by the education provider.
  • Credit for the class is given only after the provider has verified the exam score and the student has submitted the required affidavit, if applicable. PROVIDERS MUST ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT ATTENDANCE WITHIN FOURTEEN BUSINESS DAYS of the conclusion of the individual class or multi-day event.

OUT-OF-STATE CE TOWARD MARYLAND RENEWAL

If you hold a license in another state, hours may be considered towards your Maryland electives. To find out, email the certificates to dloplrecec-labor@maryland.gov; please include your Maryland license number.

Sorry, “postlicensing,” courses from other states are not recognized for Maryland CE.

INACTIVE RETURNING TO ACTIVE (§17-316)
EXPIRED RETURNING TO ACTIVE (§17-314)

  • Both inactive and expired status have a three-year deadline under Maryland law and regulation with certain terms; read the section of law above that applies to your situation.
  • To become active, both laws require submission of all CE which would have been completed at renewals had the license remained active.
  • If you delay until the deadline, you will more than likely need CE comparable to 3 renewal periods (currently 45 hours).
  • CE requirements may be found online.
  • If only one renewal passed, complete hours and go to the MREC online licensing page; follow the prompts to reactivate or reinstate electronically and pay the fee.
  • If more than one renewal has passed, contact the Commission for a paper application. Requests must be received at least 30 days prior to expiration.
  • Brokers: don't forget the usual requirements of credit report, trade name, address, etc.

RANDOM AUDITS BY MREC

  • Do not email certificates for course taken from a Maryland provider unless requested as backup documentation to a complaint.
  • Follow instructions in the audit letter
  • CE hours must have been taken between your prior expiration date and the day you renew the license.
  • Failure to comply or respond may result in disciplinary charges

REMINDERS:

  • Continuing education is to be completed during the term of the license and prior to submitting a renewal application.
  • Licensees must complete all hours due for each renewal period prior to submitting a reactivation application.
  • You must complete CE and renew to remain inactive!
  • If you hold multiple licenses, the school must submit the course completion for each license number.
  • Legislative topic (A), ethics topic (D), and Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure/MREC Agency-Commercial topic (H) are required Maryland courses for all licensees and may not be substituted.
  • The ethics course must include MD Code of Ethics, flipping and predatory lending and professionalism. NAR ethics is not a substitute for the Maryland required ethics course.
  • Once a licensee assumes a supervisory position as a broker, BOM, or team leader, he or she will have 90 days to complete 3 clock hours of MREC Required Supervision Course, if he or she did not already complete it for his/her last renewal.
  • If you hold a license in another state, hours may be considered toward your Maryland ELECTIVES. To find out, e-mail the out-of-state CE course completion certificate(s) to dloplrecec-labor@maryland.gov at least 30 days prior to the expiration of your license. If recognized, the hours credited will be entered into your licensing record. You may verify credits earned online. NOTE – Maryland does not recognize post-licensing education.