Moving to New Jersey With a Pennsylvania Real Estate License: What You Need to Do
The short answer: A Pennsylvania license doesn't carry over to New Jersey, but it can let you skip NJ's 75-hour salesperson course. If you're at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and are actively licensed in PA (or were within the last three years), you can apply for a NJ education waiver. PA salespersons first licensed before August 2018 must first complete 15 extra hours. After approval you have one year to pass the NJ exam, get fingerprinted and apply through a NJ brokerage (NJREC information for PA licensees).
The general rules for every waiver category are in our guide to NJ real estate education waivers. This page covers the Pennsylvania specifics.
Can you use your PA license to work in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey requires its own license for anyone doing brokerage work here, directly or indirectly, and for anyone advertising as able to (N.J.S.A. 45:15-1). Until you hold an active NJ license, you can't list, show or negotiate New Jersey property. Our guide to activities that require a NJ license explains where that line falls.
There is one cross-border exception. A NJ broker may pay a referral fee to a broker licensed in another state who keeps a bona fide office there (N.J.S.A. 45:15-3.1). The exception names licensed brokers of another state, not salespersons.
Do you qualify to skip the 75-hour course?
NJREC's information sheet for Pennsylvania licensees lists the minimum qualifications (NJREC PA salesperson sheet):
| Requirement | What NJREC asks for |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 18 |
| Education | High school diploma, GED or equivalent |
| PA license | Active now, or active at some point in the last three years |
If your PA license lapsed more than three years ago, the waiver route isn't open to you. You'd take the 75-hour course like any other NJ candidate.
Do you need extra hours first?
That depends on when you were first licensed in Pennsylvania (NJREC PA salesperson sheet):
- First licensed as a PA salesperson before August 2018, when PA required 60 pre-licensing hours: complete 15 hours to make up the difference. You can take the 15-hour refresher course offered by NJ pre-licensure schools, or 15 hours of courses that count toward a PA broker license.
- First licensed after August 2018, when PA required 75 hours, or licensed as a PA broker: no extra courses.
What are the steps after that?
NJREC lays out five steps (NJREC PA salesperson sheet):
- Confirm your education status (above).
- Mail the salesperson education waiver application in one envelope with the $25 fee, a verification or certification of your PA license, and the 15-hour certificate if you needed one. The sheet says the PA certification comes through the PALS portal for $15, and you can print it or have PA email it to NJREC. Approval, or a request for corrections, arrives by email.
- Pass the NJ salesperson exam. The approval email has what you need to schedule with PSI. You can test remotely or at a PSI center, and you can retake it as many times as needed within your eligibility period.
- Get fingerprinted through IdentoGO, using the information in your approval letter. See our fingerprinting guide.
- Apply for the license through a NJ-licensed brokerage. NJREC prefers online applications from the brokerage. Online applications must be submitted, and paper ones postmarked, within a year of your waiver approval.
The one-year clock starts on the day your waiver is approved by email, and it covers steps 3 through 5. You can't start working until the license application itself is approved and you're actively licensed. Waiver approval alone isn't enough.
What's on the exam for a PA licensee?
The waiver covers the course, not the test. NJREC's sheet says you take the full "combo (state and national questions)" exam (NJREC PA salesperson sheet). PSI's outline includes 30 New Jersey items on topics like licensing, Commission powers and the rules governing licensee conduct (PSI candidate bulletin).
Pennsylvania practice won't prepare you for everything, such as NJ's attorney review period. Our NJ law items study guide is a good place to start. If you plan to test from home, review the PSI remote exam setup first.
When does taking the 75-hour course make more sense?
NJREC lists the full course as Option 2 for PA licensees (NJREC PA salesperson sheet). You'd take it if your PA license lapsed more than three years ago. Some licensees may also want a full NJ course rather than the 15-hour make-up, especially if New Jersey contracts and agency rules are new to them. On this route, the one-year window starts on the day you complete the course and pass the school exam, and the remaining steps match.
What if you're a Pennsylvania broker?
NJREC has a separate sheet for PA brokers who want a NJ broker license. If you've been actively engaged full-time as a licensed broker for the three years before applying, it lists a broker waiver application, a current PA license history issued within 30 days, a $25 processing fee, and a letter on company letterhead certifying your full-time work. Once approved, you complete two 30-hour NJ courses (Agency/Ethics and Office Management), then receive a Certificate of Examination Eligibility for the broker exam (NJREC PA broker sheet). That sheet is older than the salesperson sheet, so confirm the current steps with NJREC at (609) 292-7272. Our guide to becoming a NJ broker covers the standard path.
If you decide on the full course instead of the waiver, you can see Business Elementary's 75-hour pre-licensing course here.
Sources
- NJREC, Information for Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensees Interested in Obtaining a NJ Real Estate Salesperson License (downloaded Oct 29, 2026): https://www.nj.gov/dobi/division_rec/licensing/forms/pasalesperson.pdf
- NJREC, Pennsylvania Broker Licensees (broker waiver steps; downloaded Oct 29, 2026): https://www.nj.gov/dobi/division_rec/licensing/forms/pabroker.pdf
- NJREC, Applications and Forms (waiver criteria sheets and waiver applications): https://www.nj.gov/dobi/division_rec/licensing/recforms.htm
- N.J.S.A. 45:15-1 (license required; via Justia): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-45/section-45-15-1/
- N.J.S.A. 45:15-3.1 (referral fees to out-of-state brokers; via Justia): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-45/section-45-15-3-1/
- PSI, New Jersey Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 2/1/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1667
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New Jersey have reciprocity with Pennsylvania?
Not a license swap. NJ offers a waiver of the education requirement for qualifying PA licensees, and you still pass the NJ exam and apply through a NJ broker (NJREC PA salesperson sheet).
How long do I have after my waiver is approved?
One year from the approval email to pass the exam, get fingerprinted and have a brokerage submit your application (NJREC PA salesperson sheet).
Do PA licensees take only the New Jersey part of the exam?
No. NJREC's sheet describes the exam as the combined state and national salesperson exam (NJREC PA salesperson sheet).
Is there a limit on exam attempts?
NJREC's sheet says the exam can be taken as many times as needed to pass within your eligibility period (NJREC PA salesperson sheet). If you fail, here's how to read your PSI score report.
Do I need a New Jersey sponsoring broker?
Yes. Your NJ license application goes through a brokerage licensed in New Jersey (NJREC PA salesperson sheet). See how to find a sponsoring broker.