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Continuing Education

Colorado State | Dept. of Regulatory Agencies | Div. of Real Estate | Real Estate Broker Information

1. Who must take continuing education?

a. Brokers renewing an active license.
b. Brokers applying to activate a license.
c. Expired licensees applying within 3 years to reinstate their license on active status.

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2. Who is NOT required to complete continuing education?

Licensees renewing an inactive license or converting to inactive status upon renewal.

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3. How does a licensee meet the continuing education requirements?

A licensee may choose from any of the following options to meet their continuing education requirement. All hours must be completed within the license cycle:

1. Complete 12 hours of the annual commission update course (4 hours per course) and 12 elective credit hours to meet the 24 hour total continuing education requirement. A licensee may not take the same version of the annual update course. If a licensed broker takes 4 different versions of the update course during the license cycle, the fourth may be counted towards the elective requirement.
2. Complete the state portion of the Colorado broker's exam.
3. Complete the 24 hour Broker Transition course (only permitted once).
4. Complete the 24 hour Brokerage Administration course (only permitted once).
5. Complete 48 hours in Colorado Contracts & Regulations and 24 hours in Real Estate Closings.

Please note: The 4-Hour Annual Commission Update Course is not the Mandatory Ethics Course that is often offered by the Realtor Associations. The Mandatory Ethics Course is valid for elective CE credits.

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4. What if I currently hold a real estate license in another jurisdiction?

Effective February 1, 2009, licensees carrying a license in another jurisdiction must meet the requirements for holding a Colorado license. Each licensee must complete a total of 12 hours of commission update course hours (3 4-hour courses per license cycle) and 12 hours of elective credits. Any credits taken to satisfy the CE requirements in another jurisdiction may be counted towards the 12 elective credit requirement.

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5. When must continuing education be completed?
Before renewing any active license.
Before applying to re-activate an inactive license (See 1b).
Before applying to reinstate an expired license on active status.

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6. Who may offer elective continuing education courses?

For information on this subject please click on the following link.

 

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7. What subjects qualify for continuing education electives? (C.R.S. 12-61-110.5(3))

Real estate law;
Property exchanges;
Real estate contracts;
Real estate finance;
Real estate appraisal;
Real estate ethics;
Real estate time‑sharing;
Real estate marketing principles;
Real estate construction;
Land development;
Real estate energy concerns;
Water and waste management;
Commercial real estate;
Real estate securities and syndications;
Property management;
Real estate computer principles;
Brokerage administration and management;
Agency;

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8. What types of courses would not qualify as continuing education?

A. Sales or marketing meetings conducted in  a real estate brokerage practice.
B. Orientation, personal growth, self-improvement, self-promotion or marketing sessions.
C. Motivational meeting or seminars.
D. Examination preparation or exam technique courses.

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9. What are the continuing education format or testing requirements?

A. Courses must be at least 1 hour in length, (at least 50 instructional minutes).
B. Maximum of 8 hours of credit may be earned per day.
C. No credit may be given for the same course more than once per calendar year.
D. Instructors may count classroom teaching hours once per year per course taught.
E. Hours in excess of 24 may not be carried forward into the next license period.
F. No school/provider may waive, or excuse attendance for the full number of hours.
G. No challenge exam or equivalency may substitute for all or part of the required hours.
H. No credit may be given for remedial education stipulated by the Commission for disciplinary purposes.
I. The Commission Update course requires a written test with a 70% or better score.
J. Elective courses may or may not be tested at the discretion of the provider.

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10. How does a licensee prove completion of continuing education?

By retaining their own file of course completion certificates for at least 4 years, and providing them to the Commission upon request only.

Licensees, DO NOT send certificates to the Division of Real Estate unless requested.

The acts of renewing, reactivating or reinstating an active licensee attests to the student having complied with the continuing education requirements.

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Continuing education course providers must provide course completion certification to students showing:

Provider Information: name, address and authorized signature.
Course Information: title, total hours, course subject/content.
Student Information: name, address, real estate license number and date(s) of attendance.

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11. What happens if I fail to complete continuing education (e.g. the Commission Update Course)?

The Commission Update Course is a requirement for all active licensees. If you fail to complete these courses during each renewal cycle, and/or you fail to complete the additional hours of elective continuing education during a renewal period, you may be found delinquent on a continuing education random audit and assessed a fine under the license law.

If you miss one of the Commission Update Courses during a license period, you may correct the delinquency by one of the following alternative methods of completing your full continuing education requirement:

a. Take and pass the Colorado part of the Broker examination.
b. Once in your life, complete the 24-hour Brokerage Administration course.
c. Once in your life, complete the 24-hour Broker Transition course.
d. Complete 48-hours in Colorado Contracts & Regulations AND 24-hours in Real Estate Closings. Total = 72 hours

Continuing education delinquencies are enforced by random audit, and are generally disciplined by fines ranging from $250 to $600 depending on the severity of the delinquency and when the delinquent hours are made up.

12. I currently also hold an appraiser's and/or mortgage loan originator's license. Does the continuing education that I take for these licenses count towards my real estate broker continuing education requirement?

Commission rule B-6(c) allows for acceptance of continuing education approved by and taken in satisfaction of another occupational licensing authority's education requirements. This applies if the course material falls into the acceptable subject matter listed in 12-61-110.5(3) C.R.S. Education taken for these licenses will apply towards the 12 hour elective requirement. Licensees must still complete 12 commission update course hours within the 3 year license cycle.

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