Real Estate Broker (REB) - Licensure by Examination

To become licensed as a real estate broker through the licensure by examination method, submit an application in LicensE, pay all required fees, and complete the required education and examination.

Applicants licensed in another state should select the Endorsement method and review the requirements.

Review the sections below for specific method requirements.

Applicants must satisfy the education requirement by completing one of the following: 

• Board-approved 72-hour Broker pre-license education program within 4 years of submitting the application for licensure and any of the following:

  • Wisconsin Real Estate Salesperson license.

  • Board-approved 72-hour Salesperson pre-license education program.

  • 10 semester-hour credits in real estate or real estate-related law courses.

• 20 semester-hour credits in real estate or real estate-related law courses.

• Licensed to practice law in Wisconsin.

The following providers are board-approved for the 72-Hour Broker Pre-License Course:

• Action Real Estate School

• Common Sense Real Estate, LLC

• Continuing Ed Express, LLC

• DF Institute

• First Class Real Estate School

• Hayes University School of Real Estate

• Jean Abegglen School of Real Estate

• Laurel Stone School of Real Estate

• Madison College

• Milwaukee Area Technical College

• Moraine Park Technical College

• Perry Real Estate College

• The Real Estate Institute

• Robbins and Lloyd Career Institute

• Sensibi Real Estate Academy

• Shorewest Real Estate Institute

• Turnkey School of Real Estate

• Waukesha County Technical College

All applicants are required to pass the Wisconsin Real Estate Broker examination. Contact Pearson to schedule an appointment to take the exam.

The department only requires completion of the state exam. Scores are valid for 1 year.

Applicants must satisfy the experience requirement by completing one of the following and Form 3036:

• At least 2 years of experience as a licensed salesperson under the direct supervision of a licensed broker, within 4 years of submitting the licensure application. 

  • Experience must qualify the applicant for at least 40 transaction points.

• Applicants licensed to practice law in this state may satisfy the requirement by uploading evidence of any of the following:

  • Experience related to real estate.

  • At least 1 year of experience as a licensed salesperson under the direct supervision of a licensed broker. 

    • Experience must qualify the applicant for at least 20 transaction points.

• Applicants who hold a current certificate of financial responsibility may satisfy the requirement by uploading evidence of any of the following:

  • Experience related to real estate.

  • At least 1 year of experience as a licensed salesperson under the direct supervision of a licensed broker. 

    • Experience must qualify the applicant for at least 20 transaction points.

Review the statute and code for more information regarding transaction points.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

Create or log into your LicensE account

Select Apply for a License

Category: Business

License Type: Real Estate Broker

Application Method: Licensure by Examination

This page is optional. Applicants can request to associate with a Wisconsin firm during the application process by completing the Association section of the application and Form 812.

First, slowly type the firm’s license number, entering a space before and after the (-). Next, select a license from the drop-down list. The required fields will auto-fill once a firm is selected.

Applicants must work with their employer to complete Form 812. This form must be uploaded to the application using the third-party portal at LicensE.

Note: This page only accepts Wisconsin license numbers.

Applicants are asked to enter their transaction history in the Experience section of the application. 

Please skip this page and record applicable experience on Form 3036 - Broker Experience Record.

The following documents are required. Applicants may upload documents to the Supporting Documents page:

• Certificate of Passing the Wisconsin Broker Exam from Pearson

• Certificate of Completion or Transcripts of an Approved Education Pathway

• Form 3036 - Experience Record

• WI Salesperson License

The following documents may be required. Applicants may upload documents to the Supporting Documents page:

• Form 812 - Notice of Firm Association

• Form 813A - Nonresident Irrevocable Consent

• Form 814 - Consent to Examine and Audit Trust Account

• Form 3193 - Notice of Broker Engaging in Independent Practice

• Other Experience or Law License(s)

Next steps may be found below, in the "What Happens Next?" section.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.