Real Estate Licensing, Renewals, and Education FAQS

Please review the General Information Sheet and the instructions and application for a real estate corporation/partnership/LLC/LLP license.

Please review the real estate salesperson’s Flowchart and General Information Sheet for general steps on becoming a Hawaii licensed real estate salesperson on active status.

Qualified individuals may also apply for an equivalency to the prelicense education requirement and/or the equivalency to the Uniform Section of the Examination.

Broker candidates must have a current Hawaii real estate salesperson’s license and meet the experience requirements.  The Application for Broker Experience Certificate contains detailed information on the experience requirements. Please review the real estate broker’s Flowchart and General Information Sheet for general steps on becoming a Hawaii licensed real estate broker on active status. Qualified individuals may also apply for an equivalency to the prelicense education requirement and/or the equivalency to the Uniform Section of the Examination . Individuals with a current and unencumbered real estate broker’s or salesperson’s license in another state may become a Hawaii real estate broker with the approval of the proper applications (see the real estate broker Flowchart above for additional information).

Those with potentially disqualifying factors can apply to the Commission for a preliminary, non-binding decision and receive an indication of whether the Commission would approve an application before undertaking the expense of completing a prelicense course and taking the license examination. You may review and download the instructions and application to request for preliminary decision.

Also, please review the General Information Sheet for further requirements.

You must wait 24 hours before rescheduling an examination.

Please review the list of prelicensing education schools and scheduled courses .

You may review and download the instruction and application for the prelicensing education equivalency .

Salesperson candidates must meet the education requirement prior to the examination.  Broker candidates must meet the education and experience requirements prior to the examination.

For more information or to schedule an exam, contact PSI Services, LLC at 855-579-4640 or visit www.psiexams.com/hire.  Walk-in testing is not available.

Upon passing the examination, the test center personnel will give you the instructions and application form, along with the score report and any other documentation as required per the instructions.

You may file your complete application, with proper fees, and the required documents by mail to:

Real Estate Commission
DCCA/PVL
Licensing Branch
P. O. Box 3469
Honolulu, HI  96801

Or hand deliver to:

Licensing Branch
335 Merchant Street, Room 301
Honolulu, HI  96813

• The online renewal system and the hard copy paper application will become available on October 19, 2026.  A renewal reminder card will be mailed out to all licensees prior to the online system going live.  You may renew your license online by logging into your MyPVL account.

General Information Sheet

• All real estate licenses expire on December 31 of each even-numbered year.
• Please review the Renewal Instructions sheet for additional information.

• While online licensing renewals will be available until 11:59:59 pm, December 31, 2026, the November 30, 2026 deadline ensures that licensees who submit complete renewal applications by the filing deadline will be able to retrieve and print their license pocket ID card via their MyPVL account.  This will ensure continuation of real estate licensing activities from January 1, 2027 and the ability to earn compensation.
• The filing deadline is for all types of real estate license renewals, and condominium hotel operator re-registrations.

• The licensee is at risk as the application may not be processed and approved by the expiration date, and the licensee may have to cease real estate licensing activity from January 1, 2027 until properly licensed.
• For Principal brokers and broker entity licenses it is more critical, as any untimely filing will place all real estate licensees associated with the principal broker and the entity at risk, even salespersons who successfully renewed.

• If the license is not renewed prior to December 31 of an even-numbered year (e.g. 2026, 2028, etc.) for failure to submit a renewal application or failure to pay renewal fees, the license shall be forfeited on January 1 of the subsequent odd-numbered year (e.g. 2027, 2029, etc.).
• Applicants seeking to restore forfeited real estate licenses must submit a complete restoration application with all required fees, penalties, and documents (See “Restore A Hawaii License” Memorandum).
• Restoration Options are as follows:
  • For licenses forfeited under one year, applicants restoring to active licensing status, must submit proof of completion of continuing education requirements. Restoring to inactive licensing status requires no CE.
  • For licenses forfeited over one year and under four years, whether for active or inactive licensing status, applicants must complete one of the following:
    • Complete at least thirty hours of elective CE; or
    • successfully complete the prelicensing course for the level of license forfeited; or
    • pass the prelicensing examination for the level of license forfeited.
  • For licenses forfeited over four years but less than five years, applicants must pass the prelicensing examination for the level of license forfeited.

NOTE:  To obtain a restoration application you must contact the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division – Real Estate Branch at 1-844-808-3222, Press option 1, then option 8.

• Submit brokerage firm, PB, BIC and RBO renewals as early as possible to insure the successful renewals of associating licensees.
• Principal Brokers please review the “Renewal Notice To Principal Brokers” Memorandum.

• Address changes can be made during the online renewal process.  All other changes should be made via the Change Form.

You will know that you have successfully renewed when you are able to retrieve your pocket card via the MyPVL account (effective April 18, 2019, pocket ID cards are no longer being mailed).  Sometimes the notice of a NSF fee check is not received until after the license pocket card is issued. At that point, the licensee is not considered successfully renewed and if after January 1, 2027, will be considered a forfeited licensee and cannot conduct real estate activity.

No. No refunds are given. However, the best option available is to, upon passing of the broker’s examination, NOT renew your salesperson’s license and submit your broker’s license application with an effective date of January 1, 2027. Please note: In this scenario, the licensee is still responsible for completing the continuing education requirements.

• All individual licensees (except for those who received their salesperson license in 2026) desiring to renew their licenses on an active status shall complete mandatory core courses, Parts A and B (three (3) hours each), and fourteen (14) hours of elective credit hours. All continuing education courses shall be from the Hawaii Real Estate Commission’s approved list. Persons who received their salesperson license in 2026 are deemed to have fulfilled their CE requirement.
• Failure to complete the continuing education requirements will result in renewal on an inactive license status.
• Those licensees desiring to renew their license on an inactive status do not have to complete the continuing education requirements until they decide to change to an active status.

In order to view your CE History, you must log into your MYPVL account. Once logged in, click on your license number. Next, look for the “RECE” tab. Click on the tab and hit “View CE History. Please view our PDF on “Reviewing Your CE History.”

• While you will be able to complete the online renewal, the license is at risk as the application may not be processed and approved by the license expiration date which means you will not be able to conduct real estate activity from January 1, 2027.
• Principal brokers and brokers in charge who fail to complete the continuing education requirements before submitting renewal applications jeopardize the licenses of the brokerage entity and all associating licensees, who may be placed on an inactive status.

• You may still complete the online application.
• If no change form was previously submitted to change the applicable information, submit a completed change form.
• If a change form or other application was previously submitted on the incorrect information, the licensee should contact the Licensing Branch at 586-3000 to verify the status of the change form or application.
• If a change form or other application was not received by the Licensing Branch, the licensee needs to re-submit a new change form or new application form, as no copies will be accepted.

The licensee may face enforcement action and may have to refund all compensation earned during the unlicensed period.

Most real estate licenses are dependent on the timely successful renewal of the associating real estate broker licenses. It affects the renewal of licenses of all associating broker-salespersons and salespersons, which could be held in suspense and eventually placed on an inactive status on January 1, 2025. Inactive licensees cannot conduct real estate licensing activity and will have to submit change forms to change to active status, plus there may be applicable fees.

• Failure to follow instructions;
• Failure to complete application;
• Failure to renew on time;
• Late completion of continuing education requirements;
• Incorrect checks routing number;
• Insufficient fund for check payments;
• Untimely renewal of broker entity or principal broker;
• A “YES” answer to any of the three (3) questions asked on the renewal application.

• Once the Online Renewal System goes live,  you may request a paper application from the Professional and Vocation Licensing Division – Real Estate Branch.  Request may be made by any of the following:
  • Via Telephone: 1-844-808-3222, press option 1, then option 8 to reach the Real Estate Branch
  • Via email:
    [email protected]
  • By Mail:
    DCCA-PVL
    P.O. Box 3469
    Honolulu, HI 96801
  • In Person:
    King Kalakaua Building
    335 Merchant Street, Room 333
    Honolulu, HI 96813