Transfer Your Real Estate License to Louisiana: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) ↗
Louisiana recognizes real estate licenses from 9 named states (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania). Licensees from those states apply to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) under the agreement — Reciprocal applicants take NO Louisiana examination (neither the national nor the state portion) and complete no pre-license course; the license is granted on a license-for-license basis (you may obtain only the same license type held in your resident state). Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity or the Welcome Home Act endorsement must complete an education and/or examination review — LREC may accept an equivalent out-of-state exam passed within the last five years and may grant partial pre-license education credit.. From any other state, you apply as a new applicant. Fee: $90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.).
Moving to Louisiana from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Reciprocity with 9 states
Louisiana's agreement is a list, and the list is the law: if your state appears on it, the streamlined track below applies; if not, no amount of experience substitutes — you use the new-applicant track. Check the list before anything else, and remember it describes states Louisiana recognizes, which says nothing about the reverse direction.
Louisiana recognizes nine named reciprocal states on a residency-based, license-for-license basis with no course and no exam; a separate Welcome Home Act endorsement path exists for licensees from other states, and everyone else uses an education/exam review. Reciprocal licenses must be renewed annually (unlike the biennial resident license). The $90 fee is the total on the standard Salesperson License Application, which reciprocal applicants use. New-applicant salesperson pre-license education is 90 hours. Real estate has no interstate compact.
Louisiana requirements at a glance
| Exam | Reciprocal applicants take NO Louisiana examination (neither the national nor the state portion) and complete no pre-license course; the license is granted on a license-for-license basis (you may obtain only the same license type held in your resident state). Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity or the Welcome Home Act endorsement must complete an education and/or examination review — LREC may accept an equivalent out-of-state exam passed within the last five years and may grant partial pre-license education credit. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 90 hours |
| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.) |
| Processing time | LREC does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocal applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be a current legal resident of one of the nine reciprocal states and hold an active license of the same type there (license-for-license).
- Order a Certified License History from your resident state and every other state where you hold or have held a real estate license, showing active/inactive status.
- Maintain legal residency in your reciprocal state and renew the Louisiana reciprocal license annually (renewing the resident-state license does not renew the Louisiana license).
- Provide proof of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance coverage.
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history review as directed by LREC.
- Pay the fees ($90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.)) and allow LREC does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocal applications.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Louisiana:
Frequently asked questions
Does my real estate license transfer to Louisiana?
Louisiana recognizes real estate licenses from 9 named states (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania). Licensees from those states apply to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) under the agreement — Reciprocal applicants take NO Louisiana examination (neither the national nor the state portion) and complete no pre-license course; the license is granted on a license-for-license basis (you may obtain only the same license type held in your resident state). Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity or the Welcome Home Act endorsement must complete an education and/or examination review — LREC may accept an equivalent out-of-state exam passed within the last five years and may grant partial pre-license education credit.. From any other state, you apply as a new applicant. Fee: $90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.).
Do I have to retake real estate exams in Louisiana?
Reciprocal applicants take NO Louisiana examination (neither the national nor the state portion) and complete no pre-license course; the license is granted on a license-for-license basis (you may obtain only the same license type held in your resident state). Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity or the Welcome Home Act endorsement must complete an education and/or examination review — LREC may accept an equivalent out-of-state exam passed within the last five years and may grant partial pre-license education credit..
What does a Louisiana real estate license cost an out-of-state applicant?
$90 ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.) ($90 total due with the Salesperson License Application (the same form used by reciprocal applicants): $45 initial license fee + $10 Research and Education Fund + $10 Recovery Fund + $25 application processing fee. The fingerprint-based criminal history review is billed separately by the state police / FBI. Reciprocal licenses renew annually.).
How long does the Louisiana process take?
LREC does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocal applications — LREC does not publish a stated processing time for reciprocal applications.
Which states does Louisiana have real estate reciprocity with?
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (9 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC)). Licensees from all other states use the standard application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- LREC — Become Licensed: Reciprocal (nine reciprocal states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania; license-for-license; no course or exam; residency requirement; annual renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Previously/Currently Licensed in Another State (reciprocity, Welcome Home Act endorsement, or education/exam review; may accept equivalent out-of-state exam within 5 years; partial education credit) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Salesperson Pre-Licensing Education (90-hour salesperson pre-license requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LREC — Initial Salesperson License Application Part-A (fee schedule: $45 license + $10 Research and Education + $10 Recovery + $25 processing = $90 total) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]