Where to take the 55-hour Maine Sales Agent course
Both national schools carry Maine and both are on the Commission's approved list. The thing that separates them is what happens in year two, when you need a different, longer course to keep working.
The CE Shop
- Approved by the Commission for both the 55-hour Sales Agent course and the 60-hour Associate Broker course, so the school that gets you licensed can also get you upgraded
- That matters more in Maine than anywhere else, because the upgrade is compulsory and the deadline is fixed at two years
- Sold in tiered packages including a course-only option, so you can skip exam prep if you would rather not pay for it
- Free trial of the Maine course, so you can see whether the platform suits you before committing 55 hours to it
Colibri Real Estate
- Also approved by the Commission for the 55-hour Sales Agent course, so it is a complete alternative for getting licensed
- Four package tiers from course-only upward, which gives you a finer choice of how much exam preparation to buy
- Maine exam prep sold separately, useful if you have already finished the 55 hours elsewhere
- Not approved for Maine's 60-hour Associate Broker course, so plan on a different provider for the upgrade you will owe in two years
How to get your Maine licence
Four steps to get licensed — and then a fifth that most states do not have at all.
Complete the 55-hour Sales Agent course
Fifty-five hours minimum, with a final grade of at least 75 per cent. Maine allows the course to be taken fully online with no cap on distance delivery, which is not true of every New England state.
Pass the exam within a year
Pearson VUE, in Westbrook or Bangor. The general portion is 80 questions and the Maine Law portion 40, each scored to 75. Your course completion certificate is valid one year and you must bring the original to the test centre — retakes are unlimited while it lasts, and worthless after.
Apply within a year of passing
A second, separate one-year clock. Applying costs $121, which covers the $100 licence fee and the $21 criminal records check.
Get a designated broker to sign
An active licence needs a written statement from the designated broker who will employ you. A sales agent works "in a training capacity" by statutory definition, so there is no independent path.
Upgrade before the two years are up
Take the 60-hour Associate Broker course at 75 per cent, complete a Commission-approved core course, and have two years of active affiliation behind you. You can apply from 30 days before your sales agent licence expires — and you should, because the licence does not renew.
From the Maine Real Estate Commission, its Sales Agent course outline and rules adopted 26 October 2025, 32 M.R.S. §§ 13191, 13194, 13197, 13199 and 13200, and the Maine candidate handbook published by Pearson VUE (December 2025), verified August 2026. Exam fee deliberately omitted: the current handbook says $88 while an outdated copy of the same handbook still hosted on maine.gov says $85 — check the figure when you book. Maine's licensing statute, rules and application contain no errors and omissions insurance requirement, and the Commission describes the $21 as a criminal records check rather than a fingerprint fee.
Maine FAQs
Is it true my Maine licence cannot be renewed?
Yes, and the statute is blunt about it: "Sales agent licenses shall be issued for 2 years and may not be renewed. A new sales agent license may not be reissued within 5 years following the date the previous sales agent license was issued." So the sales agent licence is a two-year on-ramp, not a career licence. Let it expire without upgrading and you cannot simply start again — you are shut out of the entry-level licence for five years measured from the day the old one was issued, which is roughly three years of dead time. The Commission may extend a sales agent licence by one year for documented extenuating circumstances, but that is at the Director's sole discretion and is not something to plan around.
What exactly do I need to become an Associate Broker?
Four things, and most write-ups list only two. The 60-hour Associate Broker course passed at 75 per cent; a completion certificate for a Commission-approved core course; two years licensed as a sales agent and affiliated with a brokerage agency within the previous five years; and an application filed no sooner than 30 days before your sales agent licence expires. The core course requirement is the one people miss. So is the word "affiliated" — the Commission advises against parking a sales agent licence on inactive status precisely because it burns the affiliation clock you need.
How many hours does Maine require, and can I do them online?
Fifty-five hours for the Sales Agent course, with a final grade of at least 75 per cent, and yes — the Commission's own course outline permits internet and webinar delivery with no percentage cap. That is worth noting if you are comparing New England states, because Maine's neighbours are considerably stricter about live instruction.
Do I need continuing education as a Maine sales agent?
No. Because the sales agent licence never renews, a sales agent never reaches a CE renewal — the Commission says plainly that sales agent licences do not require continuing education credits to maintain. The 21 hours you will see quoted, including a three-hour core course, start biting once you are an associate broker. Do not confuse that core course with the one you need to apply for the associate broker licence in the first place, and note that the mandatory core changed on 1 April 2025 and rotates every two years.
How long are my course and exam results good for?
One year each, on two separate clocks. You must pass the exam within one year of completing the course, and then apply within one year of passing. Retakes are unlimited while the course completion certificate is alive, but once it expires you retake the whole 55 hours. Separately, if you later let a licence lapse for more than 90 days, Maine makes you sit the examination again rather than simply paying a late fee.