Navigating Oregon Real Estate Continuing Education Requirements

Maintaining an active real estate license in Oregon requires ongoing professional development. Brokers, principal brokers, and property managers must complete continuing education to stay current with laws, regulations, and best practices. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Oregon real estate continuing education requirements, ensuring licensees remain compliant and informed.

Who Needs Continuing Education?

In Oregon, continuing education is mandatory for:

Brokers
Principal Brokers
Property Managers

These professionals must complete at least 30 hours of continuing education to renew an active license, as stipulated by ORS 696.174 - 696.184.

Requirements for the 1st Active License Renewal

If you are renewing an active license for the first time, or reactivating a license after an inactive first renewal, specific courses are required. These courses are designed to build upon the foundational knowledge gained during pre-licensing education. Licensees must complete the appropriate Oregon Real Estate Agency-approved Advanced Practices course and the Law and Rule Required Course (LARRC) to renew their license.

Brokers must take the 27-hour Broker Advanced Practices (BAP) course and the 3-hour LARRC.
Principal brokers must take the 27-hour Principal Broker Advanced Practices (PBAP) course and the 3-hour LARRC.
Property managers must take the 27-hour Property Manager Advanced Practices (PMAP) course and the 3-hour LARRC.

Subsequent Renewals

For subsequent renewals after the first one, the requirements shift slightly. While the LARRC remains mandatory, licensees gain more flexibility in choosing the remaining course hours.

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All licensees must complete a 3-hour Law and Rule Required Course (LARRC).
The remaining 27 hours can be fulfilled with courses from certified providers.

Key Details About Continuing Education Courses

Several essential details pertain to continuing education courses to ensure they meet Oregon Real Estate Agency standards:

Timing: Only classes taken within the 2 years before renewal or reactivation will count toward your continuing education hours.
Provider Certification: The remaining 27 hours of required continuing education must be completed from certified providers. A list of certified providers can be found on the Oregon Real Estate Agency website.
Course Content: Excess credits cannot be carried over to the next reporting period. Courses may not be taken for credit more than once in each renewal.

What Information Must Be On The Certificate Of Completion?

The certificate serves as proof of completion and must include specific information:

The licensee’s name and license number
The name of the course
The name of the certified continuing education provider and the provider number assigned by the Agency
The required course topic(s) or whether the course is the Law and Rule Required Course, one of the Advanced Practices courses, or the Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision course
The date and time of the course
The length of time of the course
The name of the instructor of the course

Licensees must retain all certificates of attendance for 3 years after the license renewal or reactivation date. The Agency randomly audits continuing education records. You are required to provide copies of the certificates of attendance to the Agency upon request.

Entering Hours in eLicense

Oregon utilizes an online system called eLicense for managing real estate licenses and continuing education records. Licensees are responsible for entering their continuing education information into eLicense.

Before your license renewal month: Log into your eLicense account and select "Add Continuing Education."
On or after the 1st day of your renewal month: You will enter your continuing education as part of your online renewal.
Renewing an inactive license: You will need to complete the required continuing education before reactivating, including Advanced Practices courses. Contact the Agency for more information.

The eLicense system has replaced the paper Continuing Education Record Form.

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What If You Can't Complete Your Continuing Education On Time?

Life happens, and sometimes completing continuing education on time is challenging. The Oregon Real Estate Agency offers options for those who may need more time:

Renew your license inactive: You can renew your license in an inactive status with $110 inactive renewal fee.
Let your license expire: Once you complete your continuing education, you can renew your license late for $230 renewal fee and $30 late fee.

The Agency may also waive the continuing education requirements if it receives satisfactory evidence of your inability to complete courses because of poor health or other circumstances beyond your control under ORS 696.174.

Maintaining Records and Potential Audits

Licensees must maintain accurate records of their completed continuing education courses. The Oregon Real Estate Agency conducts random audits to ensure compliance. If audited, licensees must provide copies of their certificates of completion.

Oregon REALTORS® and Continuing Education

Oregon REALTORS® also require continuing education. As an Oregon-based REALTOR®, you must follow both the State Agency license renewal requirements and the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics requirements. The Association offers CE opportunities throughout the year in various locations across the state and online. Following each Oregon REALTORS® CE course, CE certificates will be available via your Member Profile within two weeks (10 business days). Either print the hard copy certificate or “Print to PDF” and save it electronically. Oregon REALTOR® only retains CE certificates for courses you have taken with Oregon REALTORS® in the past three years. Oregon REALTORS® only has records of the courses you have taken with us.

Additional Resources

Several resources are available to assist Oregon real estate licensees in meeting their continuing education requirements:

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Oregon Real Estate Agency (OREA): The official website provides detailed information on licensing, continuing education requirements, and approved course providers.
Oregon REALTORS®: The association offers various CE opportunities and resources for its members.
Certified Continuing Education Providers: Numerous providers offer courses that meet OREA standards.

Online Education and Key Considerations

Online education has become a popular and convenient way to fulfill continuing education requirements. When choosing online courses, keep the following in mind:

The Oregon Real Estate Commission requires a timing mechanism for all distance education courses to ensure that courses cannot be completed in less time than the approved credit hours.
Course completion is based on Central Time Zone.

License Renewal Process

Renewing your Oregon real estate license involves several key steps:

Take the required continuing education
Enter the continuing education course information into eLicense
Renew your license in eLicense
Keep your certificates of completion for 3 years. (Your certificates will be available for you to reference or print for 5 years in our system.)

Costs Associated with Renewal

Understanding the costs associated with renewing your license is essential for budgeting and planning:

Active license renewal: \$230
Inactive license renewal: \$110

If you miss the due date for your Oregon real estate license renewal. Can I still renew? If you fail to renew your license before the license expiration day, you have one year to renew your license. Renew as you would for an active license, and pay the \$30 late fee in addition to the \$230 renewal fee.

Reciprocity

Oregon has reciprocal licensing agreements with the following states/provinces:

Alabama
Alberta
Georgia
Nebraska
South Dakota

Contact OREA for more information.

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