Requirements checklist
- Age and residency — verify current Tennessee Real Estate Commission eligibility rules.
- 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate course — completed before you can sit for the PSI exam.
- PSI Affiliate Broker exam — national and Tennessee state-specific portions.
- 30-hour Course for New Affiliates — completed before license issuance and documented with the application.
- Fingerprints / background check — submitted through a state-contracted vendor.
- Principal broker affiliation — every active Affiliate Broker must work under a supervising principal broker.
- E&O insurance — verify official-source rules on continuous coverage requirements for active licensees.
Why “Affiliate Broker,” not “salesperson”
Tennessee is one of the states that does not use the generic title salesperson or agent for its entry-level license. The correct term is Affiliate Broker, and an Active Affiliate Broker works under Principal Broker supervision; Initial Retired Affiliate status does not authorize active licensed activity.
Education requirement detail
Tennessee splits pre-licensure education into two stages: the 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate course before the exam, and the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates before license issuance and documented with the application. See the course guide for a full comparison.
Background check detail
Applicants generally submit fingerprints for a criminal history record check as part of the licensing process. Background clearances are typically time-limited, so plan your application timeline around this step. Verify exact validity periods and any conviction-review rules with the Commission.
Issuance Depends on More Than the Exam
A passed exam does not by itself create an active license. Choose the active or Initial Retired path that applies to you.
- 30-hour Course for New Affiliates: an issuance requirement distinct from the 60-hour pre-exam course.
- Background/fingerprint clearance: processed through a state-contracted vendor to the TBI and FBI; treat the clearance as time-bound and confirm current validity windows with TREC.
- Principal Broker affiliation: is required for active Affiliate Broker status and active practice. An applicant without a firm may apply as an Initial Retired Affiliate.
- E&O insurance: documentation is required for the active path and ongoing active status. Initial Retired status does not authorize licensed activity.
Exam eligibility, issuance, and active status are different
The 60-hour course controls exam eligibility. The separate 30-hour Course for New Affiliates controls license issuance and must be documented with the application. Keep course certificates, examination records, fingerprint/background instructions, and CORE submission records.
An active Affiliate Broker addresses Principal Broker affiliation and E&O documentation. Initial Retired Affiliate status may be available before a firm is found, but it does not authorize activity requiring an active license.