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Plan your first year in Hawaii real estate, from completing the 60-hour course and licensing exam to choosing a brokerage, budgeting for startup costs, and building early career momentum.
By Leap Real Estate Team | 8 minutes read
Starting a real estate career in Hawaii begins with getting your salesperson license and positioning yourself for your first year in business. To do that, you’ll need to meet the basic eligibility rules, complete a 60-hour Commission-approved prelicensing course, pass the Hawaii salesperson exam, and apply for licensure through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). If you want a flexible study path while you map out your launch, Leap Real Estate’s Hawaii prelicensing course can help you complete the required education online.
Hawaii’s licensing process is straightforward on paper, but your first year will move faster if you think beyond the exam. You’ll be entering a brokerage system, building habits, and learning how to generate business in a market where experience matters quickly.
At a minimum, applicants generally must:
Before enrolling in school, confirm that you meet the age, education, and work-authorization rules. Hawaii requires candidates to be at least 18 when they take the exam and to hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
If you have prior criminal convictions, disciplinary history, or anything else that could affect your application, deal with it early. The Commission may ask for extra documents or explanations, and that can slow down your first-year start date.
Hawaii requires salesperson candidates to complete 60 class hours in a Commission-approved prelicensing curriculum.
The course typically covers:
If you’re trying to enter the market efficiently, choose a course format that fits your schedule and lets you move steadily toward exam readiness. Leap Real Estate’s Hawaii prelicensing course is built for online flexibility, but you should still confirm the provider’s current approval status, completion rules, and certificate process before enrolling.
When you finish, keep your completion certificate. You’ll need acceptable proof of education for exam registration or testing.
Hawaii uses PSI Services LLC for the salesperson licensing exam. After you meet the education requirement, you’ll schedule directly with PSI.
The exam has two parts:
To pass, applicants must earn at least 70 on both portions. According to the PSI candidate bulletin, the exam fee is $61, whether you take one section or both. The fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable, and it remains valid for one year from payment.
Before testing, review the current PSI bulletin for identification requirements, scheduling, testing-site rules, and retake procedures.
The prelicensing course gets you ready to qualify, but it also gives you your first framework for how business works in Hawaii. Use your exam prep to build habits you’ll need immediately after licensing:
If you don’t pass on the first try, follow PSI’s current retake rules. Waiting periods, fees, and rescheduling steps can change, so verify them before you book another attempt.
After passing the exam, submit the salesperson application and required supporting documents through the DCCA process. You’ll usually need proof of passing the exam, education records, identification, and the applicable license fee.
Disclose any requested information about criminal history or disciplinary matters. Missing or incomplete disclosures can create delays that push back your first year in the field.
Hawaii does not publish a single universal processing time for every applicant. A clean application may move faster than one requiring extra review, so it helps to respond quickly if the regulator asks for more information.
Background-screening procedures depend on the current application rules. Follow the exact instructions in the latest DCCA materials rather than relying on an older checklist.
If fingerprinting is required, use the designated vendor, form, and submission method listed by the state. Confirm the current fee, appointment rules, ID requirements, and processing time before you schedule.
A Hawaii salesperson cannot operate independently. You must be affiliated with a Hawaii-licensed brokerage and principal broker before you practice.
This is one of the biggest first-year decisions you’ll make. When interviewing brokerages, ask about:
A strong brokerage can shorten your learning curve. If you’re still in school while comparing options, Leap Real Estate’s Hawaii prelicensing course can help you stay on track without locking you into a rigid schedule.
Your total cost depends on your school, materials, exam attempts, background screening, and brokerage setup. Published state and exam costs include:
| Expense | Current published amount or guidance |
|---|---:|
| Hawaii salesperson examination | $61, according to the PSI candidate bulletin |
| New salesperson license fee | $282 in an even-numbered year; $382 in an odd-numbered year, according to DCCA’s published fee schedule |
| Prelicensing education | Varies by provider |
| Fingerprinting or background screening | Verify the current amount and procedure with the regulator or designated vendor |
| Exam prep and retakes | Varies |
| Brokerage and business expenses | Varies by brokerage and business model |
The license fee is not necessarily prorated, so confirm the amount due when you file. In practice, your startup budget should also cover study materials, transportation, professional clothing, marketing, association dues, and early business expenses.
For most people, this is a multi-month process, not a quick sprint. Your timeline depends on:
A self-paced online course can help you move sooner, but it won’t eliminate exam scheduling or application review time.
Online learning is often a good fit for people who work full time, live on a neighbor island, or want to build a first-year plan around their own schedule. Before buying any online course, confirm:
For a Hawaii-focused online option, see Leap Real Estate’s Hawaii prelicensing course.
A new license is just the starting point. In your first year, your success will depend on how well you learn your brokerage’s systems, local market norms, and compliance expectations.
Hawaii’s official materials identify the 60-hour salesperson course as the prelicensing requirement and separately address continuing education for renewal. Ask your broker and the Commission whether any additional onboarding, post-license training, or renewal-related education applies to your license timing.
Active Hawaii licensees must complete 20 hours of Commission-approved continuing education during each licensing biennium before renewal.
The DCCA renewal fee is $268. Renewal deadlines and special transition rules can vary by cycle, so confirm the dates that apply to your license.
Continuing education may cover law, ethics, agency, contracts, fair housing, risk management, and other approved real estate topics. Keep your completion records in case they’re needed.
Real estate income in Hawaii is not guaranteed. Most salespeople are paid through commissions or commission splits, so earnings can vary with transaction volume, price point, brokerage terms, expenses, and time invested.
The best way to approach year one is with a budget and a runway. Savings can help cover license costs, marketing, transportation, and the uneven income that often comes with building a client base.
For broader earnings data, review the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Hawaii labor-market resources. Neither source promises first-year income.
A Hawaii salesperson license can support work in areas such as:
You’ll still need to follow Hawaii’s supervision and brokerage rules, and some roles may require more education, experience, or a different license.
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