How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Utah (2026 Guide)

Ready to get your Utah real estate license?

If you want to become a real estate agent in Utah, the licensing process is straightforward, though it does have one of the heavier education requirements in the country. Your legal title will be “sales agent” and you’ll need to complete 120 hours of pre-licensing courses, pass the state exam, get fingerprinted, and find a sponsoring principal broker.

We’re going to walk you through the entire process and help you get your Utah real estate license so you can start your new career.

We’ll cover:


5 Steps to Get a Real Estate License in Utah

The Utah Division of Real Estate (DRE) has a few requirements to become a sales agent. You must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma (or equivalent), and provide a valid Social Security number. If you meet the prerequisites, you can complete the following steps:

STEP 01 | Complete the 120-Hour Sales Agent Pre-License Course

  • Utah requires 120 hours of DRE-approved pre-license education, covering national real estate principles along with Utah-specific law and practice. You can take the course online or in person through a certified school.

STEP 02 | Schedule + Pass the Utah Real Estate Exam

  • Once you complete your 120-hour course, you can schedule your state exam with Pearson VUE. Testing centers are located in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, Orem, and St. George. The exam fee is about $69.
  • The exam has 130 questions (80 national, 50 Utah-specific), and you’ll need a scaled score of 70 on each section to pass. You’ll have 240 minutes total to complete both portions. You must pass the exam within 1 year of completing your pre-license course. See our FAQs section to learn more.

STEP 03 | Get Fingerprinted

  • You’ll need to provide two fingerprint cards (or an electronic submission) along with a signed Fingerprint Waiver for your background check. These are typically issued at the testing center when you take your exam.

STEP 04 |  Find a Sponsoring Principal Broker

  • A Utah sales agent license can’t be active without supervision by a principal broker. In order to activate your license, you’ll need to select a brokerage. Keep reading below for tips on what to look for when picking a firm.

STEP 05 |  Submit Your Utah Real Estate License Application

  • Once you’ve passed your exam and lined up a sponsoring broker, create a UtahID account and submit your Sales Agent application to the DRE. You’ll need to request licensure within 90 days of passing your exam, and pay a license fee of $154. Once your principal broker submits the affiliation, the DRE issues your active license.

How Long Does It Take to Get a UT Real Estate License?

Once you decide to become a real estate agent in Utah, you’re probably excited and want to get started immediately.  Before you leave your current position, it’s important to understand how long the process can take.  Here is what an average timeline looks like:

  • 4 to 10 weeks to complete your 120-hour Utah pre-licensing course
  • 1 to 2 weeks to get your state real estate exam scheduled
  • About 30 days for the DRE to process your fingerprint background check and application
  • 1 to 3 weeks to interview and select a sponsoring principal broker

While this timeline may seem a little daunting, there are a few ways to expedite things. First, taking an online course is the way to go.  Instead of attending scheduled in-person classes, you can learn at your own pace online.  We also highly recommend interviewing brokerages while you are finishing up your real estate course, so you are ready to hang your license with a broker as soon you pass the state exam.  All in all, it’s realistic to become a real estate agent in Utah in about 6 to 14 weeks.


Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Utah

There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate agent in Utah…

  • Pre-License Real Estate Course – $300 to $700
  • State Exam Fee – $69
  • License Application Fee – $154
  • Fingerprinting / Background Check – about $20 to $40
  • State exam prep courses or materials – $25 to $150 (optional)

** Total Cost to Get Licensed = $543 to $963


More Costs to Expect as a Brand New Realtor

Getting a license is just the beginning! What many aspiring agents don’t always realize is that there are several other expenses to consider when you become a real estate agent in Utah. Keep in mind you are officially opening your own business, so there are always start-up costs involved.

One thing that’s unique to Utah: all new sales agents must complete a 12-Hour New Agent Course plus a 3-Hour Mandatory Course (plus 3 additional hours) to reach the standard 18-hour continuing education requirement at their first renewal — so your first renewal cycle is a bit more involved than later ones.

Additional Costs to Budget For

ExpenseEstimated cost
New-agent continuing educationApproximately $150–$300 for the 18 hours required at the first license renewal
License renewalApproximately $100–$150 every two years
Local, state, and national REALTOR® associationsCosts vary by location and organization. See examples below.
Multiple Listing Service (MLS)Approximately $150–$175 per quarter
SentriLock or Supra eKEY accessApproximately $100–$200 per year
Brokerage joining feeTypically $0–$500, with approximately $250 being common
Monthly brokerage feesApproximately $0–$350 per month
Business cards and signageVaries based on the brokerage and the materials purchased
Marketing and advertisingVaries based on how the agent chooses to promote their business

Examples of Utah REALTOR® Association Dues

AssociationEstimated dues
Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®Contact the association for current dues, which are billed annually each June
Utah Central Association of REALTORS®Approximately $1,751 per year

Because REALTOR® association dues, MLS access, and electronic-key service may be bundled together, check with your brokerage and local association before adding every expense separately.

Estimated Total Cost

When you combine the expenses required to earn your license with the most common costs of launching your real estate business, you should plan to spend approximately $1500 to $2500. Please note that this estimate does not include ongoing monthly brokerage fees or optional marketing expenses.

Total estimated cost to become a real estate agent in Utah: $1,443–$2,663

WHAT EXPENSES TO EXPECT AS A NEW AGENT >>


Find the Top Real Estate Schools

To get your real estate license, you’ll have to attend a school that’s approved by the Utah Division of Real Estate. There are dozens of approved real estate schools throughout the state. Some are online, others in person, and a few do a combination of the two.

Here are a few of the most popular:

SEE WHICH SCHOOL IS BEST FOR YOU >

When shopping for the best online real estate schools, you’ll want to compare pricing, but there are a few other things you will need to consider:

  • Do they share their “pass rate”? This will tell you what percentage of their students passed the state exam on the first try.
  • Does the school offer any guarantees if you don’t pass? For example, one school will pay the fee for you to retake the state exam.
  • Are practice tests given to the students or is there any additional charge?
  • Do they offer a separate exam prep course or a weekend cram course?

How to Select a Utah Real Estate Broker

In Utah, you must affiliate with a principal broker in order to actively help home buyers and sellers. Picking the right brokerage to work with can be key to your success as a newly licensed agent.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A BROKER >>

While many newly licensed agents are looking for the best commission splits when shopping for brokers, we would highly recommend that you make that #2 or #3 on your list. The most important thing you should look for in a brokerage is how they support brand new real estate agents. Do they have a formal training program? Will you have at least 3 people you can reach out to if you have questions? Are they available outside traditional business hours? Do they have mentors – and what exactly will the mentors do to assist you? All important things to consider when you are ready to become a real estate agent in Utah!

Become a Real Estate Agent in Utah: FAQs

What if I fail the real estate exam in Utah?

It’s not uncommon for people not to pass the exam on the first try, so don’t be too hard on yourself! You can generally rebook after a short waiting period (typically about 24 hours) and only need to retake the portion you failed. Just remember you must pass the exam within 1 year of completing your pre-license course.

How difficult is the state real estate exam?

The exam has 130 questions (80 national, 50 Utah-specific), and you’ll need a scaled score of 70 on each section to pass. You’ll have 240 minutes total to complete both portions. Utah’s state-specific questions lean heavily on DRE regulations and Utah Code 61-2f, so spend extra study time there.

I have a real estate license in another state. Does Utah offer reciprocity?

Utah has formal reciprocity agreements with only three jurisdictions: Georgia, Mississippi, and Alberta, Canada. If you’re licensed anywhere else, you may still qualify for a partial waiver of education and/or the national exam if your license is active and in good standing — you’d still need to complete Utah-specific requirements. Contact the DRE directly to confirm what applies to your specific situation.

Can I get a Utah real estate license if I have a misdemeanor or felony on my record?

It depends on the conviction. Under Utah’s Administrative Rules, you don’t qualify for a license if you have any felony within the last 5 years (from conviction, plea, or completion of your sentence), or a misdemeanor involving fraud, misrepresentation, theft, or dishonesty within the last 3 years. Outside of those specific windows, the DRE reviews applications individually. If you have concerns about your background, we’d recommend contacting the DRE directly before investing in a pre-license course.

How much do real estate agents make in Utah?

According to Indeed.com, the average Utah real estate agent makes about $94,017 a year. Keep in mind real estate agents are commission-based, so your actual earnings depend heavily on how many homes you sell and the price points in your market — the Salt Lake City metro, Park City’s luxury market, and the Wasatch Front tech corridor tend to be among the state’s strongest markets.

PRO TIP: To calculate how many homes you’ll need to sell, look up the average home sales price in your city (just google it!). For example, if the median sales price in your area is $550,000 and you earn 2.5% commission on a sale, your gross commission would be about $13,750 per sale. To earn the Utah average, you’d have to sell about 7 homes.

What if I get my license in the middle of the year – do I still need to pay the full annual dues for the Board of Realtors?

Most of the local boards have a pro-rated schedule, so you will pay less depending on the time of year that you join. Here’s an example of a pro-rated schedule.

Is Getting a Real Estate License Worth It?

Honestly, it depends on what your goals are.  If you just want to sell a few homes each year to friends and family, you’ll have to crunch the numbers to see if the cost of getting and maintaining your real estate license is worth it.

If you plan to jump in and make a career in selling homes in Utah, then absolutely!  The Salt Lake City and Park City markets in particular have stayed strong.  It can be a challenge moving from a salaried position to a commission-based business, so it’s important to have at least six months of savings in the bank.  If you don’t have that yet, then you may want to keep your current job for a short period of time until you lay the foundation for your new real estate business.