Texas Real Estate CE and Renewal Requirements

How License Renewal Works in Texas

Your Texas real estate license is not a one-and-done deal. It renews every two years, and TREC requires continuing education (CE) to keep it active.

The requirements are different for your first renewal versus subsequent renewals. Your first renewal has a heavier education load because TREC wants to make sure new agents get additional training during their early years in the business.

Missing your renewal deadline does not permanently kill your license, but it does create headaches and penalties. Staying on top of it is simple if you know what is required and plan ahead.

First Renewal Requirements (Within First 2 Years)

TREC Legal Update I (4 hours)||Covers recent changes to Texas real estate law and TREC rules. Required every renewal cycle.

TREC Legal Update II (4 hours)||Additional legal updates focused on practice issues and enforcement actions.

Sales Apprentice Education (SAE)||TREC requires 270 total qualifying real estate course hours. Your initial 180 pre-license hours count toward this total, so you need approximately 90 additional hours of SAE coursework. You must also complete a 30-hour Real Estate <a href="https://neuhausre.com/texas-broker-license-requirements-2026/" title="Becoming a Texas Broker in 2026">Broker</a>age course.

Total: ~98 additional hours||Between the 90 hours of SAE, the 30-hour Brokerage course (which may overlap with SAE), and 8 hours of legal updates, your first renewal has a significant education component. Plan accordingly.

Subsequent Renewal Requirements (Every 2 Years After)

TREC Legal Update I (4 hours)||Same course, updated content each cycle. Keeps you current on law changes.

TREC Legal Update II (4 hours)||Same as above. Both legal updates are mandatory every cycle.

3 Hours of Contract-Related Coursework||Required every renewal cycle. Covers contract updates and practice issues.

7 Hours of Elective CE Courses||Choose from TREC-approved elective topics. Options include ethics, <a href="https://neuhausre.com/texas-broker-license-requirements-2026/" title="Becoming a Texas Broker in 2026">broker</a> responsibility, technology, and specialty practice areas.

Total: 18 hours per cycle||Much lighter than the first renewal. Most agents knock this out in a week or two of online study.

Where to Take CE Courses

Just like pre-license education, you can take CE courses online or in a classroom. Online is the popular choice for obvious reasons.

Aceable offers TREC-approved continuing education courses with the same quality platform they use for pre-license education. If you did your initial coursework through Aceable, sticking with them for CE makes the process seamless.

Other approved CE providers include Champions School of Real Estate and Colibri Real Estate. The key requirements are TREC approval and courses that match what you need for your specific renewal cycle.

Pro tip: do not wait until the last month before your renewal deadline. TREC processes renewals, and if there is any issue with your CE completion records, you want time to resolve it before your license lapses.

Renewal Costs

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