How to Renew Your Tennessee Real Estate License (2026 Guide)

Tennessee renews real estate licenses every two years, and you will need 16 hours of continuing education including the mandatory 6-hour TREC Core Course. One detail that surprises people: Tennessee has no statewide renewal date. Your license expires two years from the day it was issued or last renewed, so your deadline is personal to you.

Tennessee renewal at a glance

When does a Tennessee real estate license expire?

Two years from the date your license was issued or last renewed. There is no common statewide expiration date in Tennessee, so you cannot rely on a peer's deadline as a reminder. Check your own expiration date in your CORE account.

Your continuing education must be complete on or before your expiration date. CE is a condition of renewal, not an afterthought.

What are Tennessee's continuing education requirements?

All affiliate brokers and brokers complete 16 hours per cycle:

• 6 hours — the TREC Core Course (mandatory). TREC designates the Core topics by cycle, so confirm the current version before enrolling.
• 10 hours — TREC-approved electives on topics such as agency, contracts, license law and rules, fair housing, ethics, property management, and closing procedures.

The Core requirement is enforced independently of the total. Completing 16 hours without the Core will still block your renewal.

Tennessee permits distance education, so the full 16 hours including the Core can be completed online through TREC-approved providers. Distance courses must be finished within one year of enrollment. Our Tennessee real estate continuing education courses cover both the Core and electives.

A few licensees are exempt, and one exemption is ending

Grandfathered licensees — affiliate brokers licensed before 1980 without a gap, and brokers licensed before 2005 — have historically been CE-exempt. However, under T.C.A. §62-13-303(h), beginning January 1, 2026, all principal brokers who oversee at least one affiliate must complete CE, including those previously grandfathered.

Worth knowing: if you ever let a grandfathered license expire, that status is gone permanently.

How CE Broker and CORE work together

Tennessee uses two separate systems, and mixing them up causes needless panic at renewal time:

• CE Broker is TREC's official CE tracking system. Your course provider — not you — reports completions into it, and providers have 10 business days to upload rosters. A free Basic account lets you view your course history and compliance status.
• CORE (core.tn.gov) is where renewal actually happens. You do not need a CE Broker account to renew; CORE will tell you whether your education status is compliant.

Keep your own completion certificates regardless. Providers occasionally report late, and your records are the fastest way to resolve a discrepancy.

How do you renew a Tennessee real estate license?

1. Complete your 16 hours, including the 6-hour Core, on or before your expiration date.
2. Confirm your CE shows as compliant — check CE Broker or your CORE renewal screen.
3. Verify your E&O insurance and firm affiliation are current. Both are required for an active license.
4. Submit your renewal in CORE and pay the $75 fee.

How much does it cost to renew a Tennessee real estate license?

The renewal fee is $75, the same for affiliate brokers and brokers. Course costs are separate.

Late penalties stack up quickly:

• $50 per month (or portion) for the first 120 days after expiration
• $100 per month for days 121 through 365
• $50 per month continuing education penalty, charged separately
• $200 minimum penalty for an errors and omissions insurance lapse

What happens if your Tennessee license expires?

• Within 60 days: you can still renew directly in CORE, paying the applicable late fees.
• Up to 12 months: you can request reinstatement through CORE.
• More than 1 year: you must retest and reapply for licensure.
• More than 2 years: in lieu of retesting, you may complete the approved 30-hour T.R.A.C.E. course to reinstate. Most people in this situation find the course easier than sitting the exam again.

The takeaway

Tennessee is manageable if you know your own date. Sixteen hours every two years, six of which must be the TREC Core, finished on or before your personal expiration date. Renew in CORE for $75, confirm your CE is showing in CE Broker, and keep your E&O current. If you have already lapsed, act before the one-year mark, because that is when retesting enters the picture.

Requirements and fees verified against the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TN Department of Commerce & Insurance) and T.C.A. §62-13-307 as of July 2026. Confirm the current Core Course topics with TREC before enrolling.