Alabama Real Estate CE Requirements, Explained
Last reviewed June 2026 against the official sources linked below. Requirements change — always confirm with your board before relying on them.
Total hours
15 hrs / 2 years
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years (even years)
Mandatory
3-hr Risk Management course
Issued by
Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC)
Alabama keeps the number small - 15 hours every two years - but pins part of it to a specific required course and gives brokers an extra one. The cycle is fixed to the calendar, not your birthday, so everyone in the state is racing the same September 30 deadline in even years.
Here is the full picture for salespersons and brokers, including the post-license course that throws new agents off in year one.
The base requirement: 15 hours every 2 years
The Alabama Real Estate Commission requires 15 clock hours of continuing education to renew an active license each two-year cycle. For salespersons, 3 of those hours must be the mandatory course Risk Management: Initial Contact to Accepted Offer, with the remaining 12 hours as approved electives.
Brokers owe one more mandatory course
- Qualifying and associate brokers must complete the 3-hour Risk Management course AND a separate 3-hour Mandatory Broker CE course.
- That leaves 9 elective hours for brokers, versus 12 for salespersons, inside the same 15-hour total.
- There is no post-license course requirement for brokers - that obligation falls only on new salespersons.
- AREC allows a maximum of 9 continuing education hours to be earned on any single calendar day, so the full 15 cannot be crammed into one sitting.
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Start tracking — freeNew salespersons: the 30-hour post-license course
If you hold an original salesperson license, you must complete a 30-hour post-license course - due within the first six months of licensure for active licensees (within one year for inactive licensees). Completing that course satisfies the 15 hours of CE for your first renewal, so you are not doing both at once. Miss it, though, and your license is at risk before you ever reach a normal CE cycle.
When is your deadline?
Alabama active licenses must complete CE by September 30 of every even-numbered year, with the license itself expiring August 31. Because the deadline is fixed for the whole state rather than tied to your individual date, it is easy to assume you have more runway than you do. Keep your certificates - AREC can audit.
How CredTally keeps this on autopilot
- Track the 15-hour total with a dedicated bucket for the Risk Management course - plus the Mandatory Broker CE course if you are a broker - so the required hours never get lost in the electives.
- Store each certificate the moment you finish a course, filed with the credit it proves.
- Reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before the September 30 even-year deadline - early enough that the 9-hour daily cap never boxes you in.
- One-click export of a dated packet - summary plus every certificate - if AREC audits you or a broker asks.
- Licensed in Alabama plus another state, or also an appraiser or MLO? Every license sits on its own card with its own deadline in one dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Alabama real estate agents need?
Fifteen clock hours every two years. For salespersons, that includes the mandatory 3-hour Risk Management: Initial Contact to Accepted Offer course plus 12 elective hours.
Do Alabama brokers have extra CE requirements?
Yes. Brokers must complete the 3-hour Risk Management course and a separate 3-hour Mandatory Broker CE course, leaving 9 elective hours within the 15-hour total.
When is the Alabama real estate CE deadline?
Continuing education must be completed by September 30 of every even-numbered year. The license itself expires August 31 of even years.
Is there a post-license requirement for new Alabama salespersons?
Yes. New salespersons must complete a 30-hour post-license course within six months of licensure, which also satisfies the 15 CE hours for the first renewal. Brokers have no post-license requirement.
Official sources
CredTally is a record-keeping tool and is not affiliated with any licensing board. This guide is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
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