Missing Classes in the NJ 75-Hour Course: How the Attendance Rule Works
The short answer: To complete a New Jersey pre-licensing course, you must attend at least 80% of the required class hours and earn a passing grade (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(s)). For the 75-hour salesperson course, that works out to at least 60 hours. The state rule doesn't set a make-up procedure, so what happens after a missed class depends on your school's policy.
Below is what the rule says, the math, and the questions to ask a school before you enroll.
What exactly does the attendance rule say?
Here's the full sentence from the Real Estate Commission's education rules:
"To receive credit for a course, the student must receive a passing grade and attend at least 80 percent of the class instruction as set forth at N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1." (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(s), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026)
The hours it points to are set in the companion rule: a salesperson candidate "shall complete the 75-hour course" (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(f), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026). Attendance and a passing grade are both required. Strong test scores don't make up for missing too many hours, and perfect attendance doesn't replace a passing grade.
How many hours can you miss?
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Required salesperson course hours (11:5-2.1(f)) | 75 |
| Minimum attendance at 80% (11:5-2.2(s)) | 60 |
| Most you could miss and still meet the rule | 15 |
That 15-hour figure is the arithmetic ceiling, not a budget. Your school decides how it counts late arrivals, early departures and partial sessions, so ask. Two related details from the rules:
- Breaks are capped. No more than five minutes of each course hour may go to breaks (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(d)).
- The final exam counts. Time a school sets aside for its final exam counts toward the course hours (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(d)).
Who keeps track of your attendance?
Your instructor and your school. The rules list "taking attendance" among the administrative tasks instructors handle during class time (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(d)). Each school must keep a detailed record for every pre-licensing student for at least three years, including (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(r)):
- Total hours of instruction you took
- The real estate subjects you completed
- Your attendance record
- The names of your instructors and guest lecturers
Those records must be available to the Commission for inspection.
Does the state require schools to offer make-up classes?
Not in the education rules. Neither N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1 nor 11:5-2.2 sets a make-up procedure. Instead, each school must give the Commission its own policy on standards for satisfactory course completion, the issuance of the Course Completion Certificate, conditions for dismissal, conditions for refunds and its final examination policy, and must report changes to that policy within 10 business days (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(g), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026).
So make-up options vary from school to school. The only way to know a school's rules is to ask, ideally in writing, before you pay.
What happens if you fall below 80%?
You haven't satisfactorily completed the course, so the school doesn't issue your Course Completion Certificate (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(t)). Without a completed course you can't qualify for the state exam (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(b)), and the school is the one that sends your eligibility to PSI (PSI bulletin). Your options at that point come from the school's own policies, so ask how it handles students who fall short.
One upside: your one-year deadline to pass the exam and apply runs from your course completion date (NJREC fingerprinting), so a delay in finishing doesn't eat into that year. Our timeline guide explains the deadline.
What if a disability keeps you from attending classes?
A person with a permanent disability that prevents attending regularly scheduled classes may ask the Commission to approve special instruction through a licensed school. The request must be supported by sworn statements from doctors or others who know the facts, and a licensed school has to be willing to take it on (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(p)).
Can you switch to another school partway through?
Not freely. A school can't accept a student who is currently enrolled at another licensed school unless the student submits written approval from the Commission, which is given on a showing of good cause (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(q), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026). Also check your contract. It has to spell out the school's policy on returning unearned tuition if you withdraw or are dismissed (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(o)).
What should you ask a school before you enroll?
- How do you count attendance for late arrivals, early departures or a dropped connection in a live online class?
- If I miss a session, can I make it up? How, by when, and is there a cost?
- How will I know my attendance total during the course?
- What happens if I fall below 80%? What are your dismissal and reinstatement policies?
- What's your refund policy if I have to withdraw?
- If my schedule changes, can I move to a later class?
If your schedule is unpredictable, compare formats first. Our guide to live Zoom vs self-paced vs in-person courses covers the trade-offs, and school final exam vs the state exam explains the passing-grade side of completion. The 75-hour course guide covers what the course teaches.
This page is general information, not legal advice. To see one school's course details, here's Business Elementary's 75-hour pre-licensing course.
Sources
- N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2, Licensed schools and instructors; requirements (via Cornell LII), subsections (g), (o), (p), (q), (r), (s), (t): https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-11-5-2-2
- N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1, Education requirements (via Cornell LII), subsections (b), (d), (f): https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-11-5-2-1
- N.J.A.C. 11:5 as amended, R.2026 d.020 (New Jersey Register adoption notice, 58 N.J.R. 804, effective Jan. 20, 2026): https://www.nj.gov/dobi/proposed/aa260120njac11_5.pdf
- NJREC, License Candidate Fingerprinting (one-year deadline): https://nj.gov/dobi/division_rec/licensing/fingerprint.html
- PSI, NJ Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 2/1/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1667
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours of the 75-hour course can I miss in NJ?
The rule requires at least 80% attendance, which is 60 of 75 hours, so the math allows no more than 15 hours missed. Your school decides how partial sessions count (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(s)).
Do NJ real estate schools have to offer make-up classes?
The education rules don't require a specific make-up procedure. Each school files its own completion, dismissal, refund and final exam policies with the Commission (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(g), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026).
Does the school's final exam count toward my hours?
Yes. Time set aside for the final exam counts toward the minimum course hours (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(d)).
Can I transfer to a different school in the middle of the course?
Only with written approval from the Commission, which is given on a showing of good cause (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(q), as amended effective Jan. 20, 2026).
What if a disability prevents me from attending scheduled classes?
You can ask the Commission to approve special instruction through a willing licensed school, supported by sworn statements (N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(p)).