Tennessee Real Estate CE Requirements, Explained

The base requirement: 16 hours, 6 of them Core

The Tennessee Real Estate Commission requires affiliate brokers and brokers to complete 16 hours of continuing education each two-year renewal period: a 6-hour mandatory TREC Core course plus 10 hours of TREC-approved electives. Successful completion of all 16 hours is a condition of renewal and must be done on or before the license expiration date.

The 6-hour TREC Core course

• The Core course is updated every two years and covers Tennessee real estate law, legal updates, and regulatory practice.
• Because it tracks current law, the Core course counts only for the renewal period in which you take it - it does not carry over.
• The other 10 hours can be any TREC-approved electives relevant to your practice.
• CE Broker is the official tracking system for TREC - your reported hours and compliance status live there, but you stay responsible for finishing on time.

New brokers: 120 post-license hours first

• Brokers licensed on or after January 1, 2001 must complete 120 hours of Commission-approved post-license education before the third anniversary of their broker license.
• During that first three-year post-license window, ordinary CE for renewal is not separately required - the 120 hours take its place.
• After the 120-hour requirement is met, brokers move onto the standard 16-hour CE cycle every two years.
• This 120-hour requirement applies to brokers; affiliate brokers complete the standard 16-hour CE from the start.

When is your deadline?

Tennessee licenses renew every two years, and all 16 hours must be completed on or before the expiration date printed on your license. Let providers report your hours to CE Broker before that date, so finish with a margin. Keep your certificates in case the Commission asks you to prove the Core course specifically, not just the total.

How CredTally keeps this on autopilot

• Track the 16-hour total with a separate bucket for the 6-hour TREC Core course and your 10 elective hours, so the Core piece is never an afterthought.
• Store each certificate as you finish, filed with the credit it proves.
• Reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before your two-year expiration date - early enough to beat any CE Broker reporting lag.
• One-click export of a dated packet - summary plus every certificate - for any audit or broker review.
• Licensed in Tennessee 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

More guides