Obtaining a North Carolina Real Estate Broker License is crucial if you’re looking to advance your real estate career. Despite the streamlined online application process, many aspiring real estate brokers find the requirements and procedures complex and challenging.
This How to Get a Broker License in North Carolina article will guide you through each step of the process, ensuring you have a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve this license and elevate your real estate career as quickly as possible.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online pre licensing education packages due to their high-quality study resources, money-back-guarantee, and flexible pricing.
The CE Shop
In order to get your North Carolina real estate broker license and take your career to the next level, there are several key steps you’ll need to complete. These include:
In the sections below, we’ve explored each of these steps in more detail.
Note: If you’re just starting out, you’ll need to check out our North Carolina Real Estate License guide instead.
Before proceeding with the application process for your North Carolina real estate broker license, you’ll need to first make sure that you meet the following general prerequisites outlined under the North Carolina Real Estate Commission Rule 58A .0110(e):
Keep in mind that in North Carolina, what other states typically refer to as “salespersons” or “agents” are called “brokers.” If you’re familiar with the term “broker” from other states, this role is referred to as “broker-in-charge” in North Carolina.
Beyond the general requirements mentioned earlier, you must also fulfill specific educational prerequisites to be able to apply for a North Carolina real estate broker license.
In particular, this will involve completing a 12-hour Broker-in-Charge (BIC) course approved by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (the Commission). This BIC course is offered online as a self-paced program, allowing you the flexibility to complete it at your own convenience.
To register, visit the Commission’s training portal and pay the $110 registration fee.
Once that is completed, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, which you must present at the exam site in order to sit for your state licensing exam.
Importantly, you must complete the BIC course no earlier than one year before submitting your license application and no later than 120 days after. Otherwise, you won’t be eligible to proceed with your BIC licensing process.
Even though completing a course is mandatory, it would be a mistake to think of it as just “checking a box”. This is because your pre-licensing education is what will prepare you to both pass your exam and become a licensed broker.
For this reason, we always encourage our readers to invest in high-quality and reliable courses, as their study materials (like real estate practice tests and flashcards) can be invaluable during the exam prep stage.
Recommended Course
Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online pre licensing education packages due to their high-quality study resources, money-back-guarantee, and flexible pricing.
The CE Shop
To move forward with your North Carolina BIC license application, you must undergo a background check conducted by CriminalRecordCheck.com (CRC) — the only provider approved by the Commission.
To order your criminal record report, contact CRC by email, phone, or through its website. The cost will be approximately $30 if you’ve lived in North Carolina for the past seven years. However, the cost can be significantly higher if you’ve lived in multiple states during the last seven years.
Keep in mind that the Commission only accepts criminal record reports prepared within six months of filing your license application, so be sure to time your request accordingly.
After completing your pre-licensing education and ensuring that you satisfy all other licensing requirements, you’ll be ready to move on to submitting your license application.
To do this, visit the Commission’s website and submit the “Request for BIC Eligible Status and/or Broker-In-Charge Designation” form along with the required $100 fee.
The Commission will then review all aspects of your application, including your character and background, to ensure you meet the necessary qualifications before authorizing you to serve as a BIC.
Note: The process for becoming a BIC in North Carolina doesn’t require a separate state licensing exam beyond the standard broker license exam. Instead, the focus is on verifying that you meet the additional qualifications for BIC status.
If you’ve managed to get this far, congratulations!
If everything is in order with your application and the Commission doesn’t need further clarifications, you can expect to receive your licensing documents within five business days.
Be sure to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment. You’ve put in a lot of work and effort and deserve a celebration!
In order to keep your real estate broker license valid, you’ll need to renew it by June 30 each year. To do this, visit the Commission’s website and pay the required $45 fee.
In addition to renewing your license, you must complete eight hours of continuing education (CE) during each licensing period.
Four of these hours must be completed through the Broker-in-Charge Update (BICUP) course while the remaining four can be fulfilled by taking a Commission-approved elective course.
We always encourage our readers to think of the post licensing course they take as an investment in their future career — higher quality, more reliable course content is a central part of ensuring you continue to grow professionally.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online post-licensing education packages due to their high-quality study resources, money-back guarantee, and flexible pricing.
The CE Shop
Note: You don’t need to complete CE courses in the license period in which your broker license was initially granted. Instead, the CE requirement will begin in the following licensing period.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 17100
Raleigh, NC 27619
Physical Address:
1313 Navaho Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: (919) 875-3700
It will take you a minimum of two years of full-time work experience as a licensed associate broker just to qualify for a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) license in North Carolina.
After that, completing the other steps — such as the pre-licensing education, the background check, and submitting your application — will typically take about four months.
To get a real estate broker license in North Carolina, you’ll need to pay $110 for the BIC pre-licensing course, $100 for submitting your license application, and around $30 for the criminal background check, totaling approximately $240.
Interested in getting started? Check out our How to Become a Real Estate Broker guide.
To get a real estate broker’s license in North Carolina, you must complete the required pre-licensing education, have at least two years of full-time brokerage work experience, pass a background check, and submit your license application to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
A Broker-in-Charge (BIC) in North Carolina is a licensed real estate broker who oversees and manages the operations of a real estate office.
This role involves supervising other brokers, ensuring the office complies with state regulations, and handling other key responsibilities like trust accounts and advertising.
In North Carolina, what are typically referred to as “real estate agents” or “salespersons” in other states are called “brokers.”
Whether you’re working as a real estate agent or managing a real estate brokerage, you’ll be classified as a broker with those who manage the brokerage firm designated as a Broker-in-Charge (BIC).
No, Brokers-in-Charge in North Carolina don’t need to take an additional license examination. The only exam they must pass is the one required to initially obtain their broker license.
After that, to become a BIC, they must complete a 12-hour BIC course, pass a background check, and submit their BIC license application to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
Information on this page was researched and gathered from a multitude of sources and was most recently updated on August 16, 2024
Any Information on this site is not guaranteed or warranted to be correct, accurate, or up to date. StateRequirement and its members and affiliates are not responsible for any losses, monetary or otherwise. StateRequirement is not affiliated with any state, government, or licensing body. For more information, please contact your state's authority on insurance.
When readers purchase services discussed on our site, we often earn affiliate commissions that support our work. Learn More
Our goal at StateRequirement is to be the #1 professional licensing resource in the world. All of our information is gathered from deep research of trusted governmental, educational sources, and first-hand experience. Thank you for your support.
Stay Connected:
