Licensed In Another State-Rule 5.3 Licensing

• You will need to contact your state licensing agency and request a certificate of license history (letter of good standing) to be sent either directly to you or directly to the Commission's e-mail at realestatecommission@iowa.gov.  This request form will also have to be completed and submitted to the Commission's office.  If you qualify, you will be sent the appropriate authorization letter, which will include the phone number and website of the Commission’s testing service (PSI) and you will be responsible for scheduling your examination.  You must present the authorization letter to the testing service at the time of your testing and retain a copy of the letter for your records to be used at the time of application.  PSI has Iowa testing sites located in West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs.  Please review the PSI Bulletin for additional information.  Please note that you must pass the appropriate exam(s) by the effective date provided in the authorization letter. 
• Submit to a state and national criminal history background check through the Iowa Real Estate Commission.
• Once you have successfully passed the examination(s) and your criminal history background is complete, submit a completed application (the testing service will give you an application or instructions on how to apply when you pass the exam) for licensure and include the following:
  • The letter from the Commission authorizing you to sit for the exam
  • Proof of errors and omissions insurance coverage in Iowa
  • Licensing fee of $125
  • Pass notice(s) from the testing service
    Exams are valid until the last working day of the sixth month following the exam pass date.  Example: A test passed on any day in June of 2017 is valid until December 29, 2017.

A broker applicant may qualify under 193E Iowa Administrative Code § 5.3 to sit for both the national portion and Iowa portion of the broker real estate examination, without taking any additional education, based upon their broker license from another jurisdiction.  Rule 5.3 applies to:

• Applicants that are licensed as a broker or broker associate in jurisdictions that do not have reciprocity agreements with Iowa.  These states are AK, AL (effective 10-09), AZ, CO (effective 2-1-09), CT, DE, DC, FL, HI, ID (effective 3-23-09), IL, IN, KS, KY (effective 7-15-09), MD, ME, MI,  MO, MT (effective 12-12-08), NC (effective 9-30-12), NE (effective 7-18-08), NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD (effective 7-1-09), TN (effective 10-1-12), TX, UT, VA, WA, WV (effective 4-1-17), WI, WY (effective 5-1-09) and all US territories. 
• Applicants that are licensed as a broker or broker associate in another jurisdiction and move into Iowa and apply for licensure based on their license in another state.  Reciprocity does not apply once applicants have moved into Iowa. 
• Applicants that are licensed as a broker or broker associate in another jurisdiction must have at least 24 months of active real estate licensure to qualify for a broker’s license under 193E Iowa Administrative Code § 5.3.  See also 193E Iowa Administrative Code § 3.1. 

Applicants must submit a written request for authorization to sit for the examination, along with certification of the applicant’s current qualifying license from the licensing authority that issued the license.  To qualify for licensure via 193E Iowa Administrative Code § 5.3, an applicant must have an active broker license or their broker license cannot have been inactive or expired for more than 6 months immediately preceding the date of successful passage of the real estate examination. 

5.3 Waiver Request Form

• You will need to contact your state licensing agency and request a certificate of license history (letter of good standing) to be sent either directly to you or directly to the Commission's e-mail at realestatecommission@iowa.gov.  This request form will also have to be completed and submitted to the Commission's office.  If you qualify, you will be sent the appropriate authorization letter, which will include the phone number and website of the Commission’s testing service (PSI) and you will be responsible for scheduling your examination.  You must present the authorization letter to the testing service at the time of your testing and retain a copy of the letter for your records to be used at the time of application.  PSI has Iowa testing sites located in West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs.  Please review the PSI Bulletin for additional information.  Please note that you must pass the appropriate exam(s) by the effective date provided in the authorization letter.  5.3 Waiver Request Form
• Submit to a state and national criminal history background check through the Iowa Real Estate Commission.
• Once you have successfully passed the examination(s) and your criminal history background is complete, submit a completed application (the testing service will give you an application or instructions on how to apply when you pass the exam) for licensure and include the following:
  • The letter from the Commission authorizing you to sit for the exams
  • Proof of errors and omissions insurance coverage in Iowa
  • Licensing fee of $170
  • Pass notice(s) from the testing service
    Exams are valid until the last working day of the sixth month following the exam pass date.  Example: A test passed on any day in June of 2017 is valid until December 29, 2017.

Broker officers will also need to license their firm if the firm is not yet licensed in Iowa.   Please contact our Licensing Specialist at (515) 725-9027 or by e-mail realestatecommission@iowa.gov for details.