How to Get Your Louisiana Real Estate License

Louisiana offers Salesperson and Broker licenses through the Louisiana Real Estate Commission.

Salesperson License Requirements

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Complete 90 hours of LREC-approved real estate education — the 30-hour portion covering Louisiana License Law, Commission Rules, Law of Agency, and Civil Law cannot be substituted with out-of-state coursework credit
• Apply to LREC and receive authorization to test before scheduling with Pearson VUE
• Pass the Salesperson exam (135 scored questions combo, or the two portions separately), scaled score 70 on each
• Complete a background check through the LREC website link
• Be supervised by a licensed Louisiana broker and provide proof of Errors and Omissions insurance before license issuance

Broker License Requirements

• Have been actively licensed in any state for at least 4 years, with 2 of those 4 years immediately preceding your broker application
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Complete 150 classroom hours (or equivalent) in LREC-approved courses, including the mandatory 30-hour Real Estate 203 Broker Responsibilities course
• Pass the Broker exam, scaled score 75 on each portion
• Complete a background check
• Provide proof of mandatory Errors and Omissions insurance

Applicants Currently Licensed in Another State

Partial credit may be granted for out-of-state real estate coursework, but the 30-hour portion covering Louisiana License Law, Commission Rules, Law of Agency, and Civil Law has no substitution — every Louisiana applicant must complete it. If you've passed an equivalent exam in another state within the past 5 years, LREC may waive the national portion of the Louisiana exam, requiring only the state portion.

Step 1: Confirm both portions are passed

If you took the combo exam, verify you cleared both the national and state portions — you retain a passing score for one year, so if you passed only one, schedule the other before your authorization expires.

Step 2: Complete your background check

Required through the LREC website link before your license application can be processed.

Step 3: Affiliate with a sponsoring broker

Your license needs a supervising Louisiana broker to activate.

Step 4: Obtain Errors and Omissions insurance

Required before license issuance.

Step 5: Submit your license application to LREC

Once both exam portions are passed and your background check clears, complete the licensing process with LREC directly.

Realistic income expectations

Median Louisiana agent income runs around $45,000; brokers average $62,000.

• Year 1: $22K-$40K
• Year 2-5: $40K-$65K
• Top 25%: $65K-$115K+

New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette are Louisiana's strongest markets, with roughly 60,000 home sales a year statewide across about 22,000 active licensees.

The first 30 days

Week 1: Set up MLS access, learn your brokerage's systems. Week 2: Announce your license to your network. Week 3: Shadow your sponsoring broker on active transactions. Week 4: Start prospecting.