NY to PA: transferring your real estate license from New York to Pennsylvania
If you’re a New York real estate agent looking to get licensed in Pennsylvania, the good news is that PA has a specific reciprocal method for agents coming from states with comparable licensing requirements. New York qualifies. The less good news: you’re still taking the PA state exam. There’s no getting around that.
But the reciprocal method saves you from completing Pennsylvania’s 75-hour pre-licensing education requirement. For a working agent who already knows real estate, that’s a significant time saver. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Does PA have reciprocity with NY?
Sort of. Pennsylvania doesn’t call it “reciprocity” in the traditional sense. The PA Real Estate Commission offers a “reciprocal method” of licensure for applicants who hold an active license in a state that PA considers to have equivalent licensing requirements. New York is on that list.
What the reciprocal method gives you: a waiver of PA’s 75-hour pre-licensing education requirement. You won’t need to sit through courses covering material you already learned in New York.
What the reciprocal method does not give you: a pass on the PA state exam. You still need to take and pass the Pennsylvania-specific portion of the real estate exam. This tests you on PA real estate law, tax rules, contract forms, and disclosure requirements. It’s different from what you learned in New York, and you need to study for it.
The requirements
Here’s what Pennsylvania requires from New York licensees applying through the reciprocal method.
Active New York license. Your NY license must be current, active, and in good standing with the New York Department of State (DOS). If your license is inactive, expired, or has any disciplinary issues, resolve those before you apply.
License certification from New York. You’ll need the New York DOS to send a certification of your license status directly to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission. New York calls this a “Letter of Good Standing” or license verification. Contact the NY DOS Division of Licensing Services to request it. There’s usually a small fee ($10 to $15) and it can take one to two weeks to process.
Pass the PA state exam. This is the state-specific portion only — you do not need to take the national portion. The exam is administered by PSI (not Pearson VUE, which handles many other states). More on this below.
Background check. Pennsylvania requires a criminal background check. You’ll need to submit fingerprints for both a PA State Police check and an FBI check. This runs about $22 for the PA check and around $24 for the FBI check through IdentoGO.
Complete the application. Submit the PA Real Estate Commission application for licensure through the reciprocal method. The form is available on the PA Licensing System (PALS) website at pals.pa.gov.
The PA state exam
The Pennsylvania state portion exam is your main hurdle. It covers PA-specific real estate law, and it’s different enough from New York that you can’t wing it.
What it covers:
- Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA) — this is the core statute governing real estate practice in PA
- PA-specific agency law and disclosure requirements
- Pennsylvania transfer tax rules (the split between state and local transfer taxes trips up a lot of out-of-state agents)
- PA property tax assessment and exemption rules
- Pennsylvania-specific contract provisions and forms
- Seller’s property disclosure statement requirements
Scheduling the exam. Register through PSI at psionline.com. Search for “Pennsylvania Real Estate” and select the state portion exam. You can take the exam at PSI testing centers in Pennsylvania and some other states.
Exam fee. The PSI exam fee is approximately $49. Paid when you schedule.
Passing score. You need a 75% to pass. Results are available immediately after you complete the exam.
If you’ve been practicing in New York for any length of time, the national real estate concepts are second nature. The PA state section is where you need to focus your prep time. Give yourself at least a week of dedicated study on Pennsylvania-specific material. Practice questions specific to PA law are the most efficient way to prepare. See our state portion exam prep guide for the study approach that works best for transferring agents.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| PA application fee | $97 |
| PSI exam fee | ~$49 |
| PA State Police background check | ~$22 |
| FBI background check (IdentoGO) | ~$24 |
| NY license certification | $10-$15 |
| Total | ~$202-$207 |
That’s roughly $200 all in, not counting any exam prep materials you purchase. Compare that to what a first-time applicant pays in PA: the same fees plus $400 to $600 for 75 hours of pre-licensing education. The reciprocal method saves you real money.
Step-by-step timeline
Here’s a realistic timeline for the whole process.
Week 1: Request your license certification from the New York DOS. Start studying for the PA state exam. Schedule your fingerprinting for the PA and FBI background checks.
Week 2: Complete your fingerprinting. Continue studying. Your NY certification may arrive at the PA commission during this period (or it may take into week 3).
Week 2-3: Schedule and take the PA state exam through PSI. If you pass, you’ll have your score report immediately.
Week 3: Submit your PA application through PALS with your exam score, background check results, and proof that your NY certification has been sent.
Week 4-5: PA Real Estate Commission processes your application. Processing times vary, but two to three weeks from complete application to license issuance is typical.
Week 5-6: Receive your PA license. Affiliate with a Pennsylvania broker and you’re ready to practice.
Total time from start to finish: four to six weeks if you don’t hit any snags. The biggest variable is how quickly New York processes your license certification and how fast the PA commission works through their application queue.
One thing to watch out for
PA requires you to complete 14 hours of continuing education within the first two years of licensure, including a mandatory 7-hour “Broker Basics” course for sales associates. This catches some reciprocal-method licensees off guard because it’s different from New York’s CE structure. Make sure you understand PA’s CE requirements from day one so you don’t end up scrambling before your first renewal.
For the big-picture view of how state-to-state transfers work across all states, see our real estate reciprocity guide. And if you’re also considering insurance licensing in Pennsylvania, the process is completely different — check our non-resident insurance licensing playbook for how that side works.