North Carolina Real Estate Continuing Education FAQs

Yes. If you hold a North Carolina real estate license and want to keep it eligible for active status, you must complete North Carolina-approved Continuing Education even if you live in another state.

Since July 1, 2023, North Carolina no longer allows out-of-state brokers to rely on another state’s CE requirements instead of completing North Carolina CE.

For brokers who are required to complete CE, the annual requirement is:

• 4 hours of the appropriate North Carolina Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

Out-of-state brokers must take the correct North Carolina Update course and a North Carolina-approved elective to remain eligible for active license status. These courses may be available online as well as in person.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, our online CE options make it easier for North Carolina brokers who live outside the state to complete their required education without traveling to North Carolina.

No. If your North Carolina real estate license is on inactive status, completing Continuing Education is optional while you remain inactive. However, you must still renew your license each year to keep it current.

Keep in mind that you cannot perform brokerage activities or receive compensation for brokerage services while your license is inactive.

If you decide to reactivate your license later, any CE deficiency may have to be made up before your license can return to active status. The exact requirements depend on how long your license has been inactive and whether you have a CE deficiency.

How Do I Reactivate My Inactive License?

Start by checking your license and CE record through the NCREC Licensee Login. Then:

1. Complete any required CE or other education needed for reactivation.
2. Make sure the required education has been reported to NCREC.
3. Submit Form REC 2.08, License Activation and Broker Affiliation.
4. Wait until your license shows active status before performing any brokerage activity.

If you have been inactive for more than two license years and have a CE deficiency, additional education may be required before activation.

For Provisional Brokers, Postlicensing is a separate requirement. Even if your license is inactive, you must still complete all 90 hours of Postlicensing education within 18 months of your initial license date to remove provisional status.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we recommend staying current with CE even if you plan to remain inactive for a while. It can make returning to active status much easier later.

No. A newly licensed North Carolina broker does not have to complete Continuing Education before the first renewal of the license.

The CE requirement begins before the second renewal following initial licensure and continues before each annual renewal after that.

For example, if you receive your license during a license year, you will renew it for the first time during the next May 15-June 30 renewal period without having to complete CE first. After that first renewal, you must complete the required CE by June 10 before your second renewal.

Once CE is required, you must complete 8 hours each license year:

• 4 hours of the appropriate Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we recommend checking your NCREC license record if you are unsure when your first CE requirement begins.

You can check your North Carolina real estate Continuing Education credits directly through your North Carolina Real Estate Commission license record.

To check your CE:

1. Go to the NCREC website.
2. Select Licensing.
3. Choose Licensee Login.
4. Log in using your license number and password.
5. Select CE License Information.

Your CE record will show your Update hours, elective hours, completed courses and course dates. If either your Update Hours or Elective Hours shows 0, you have not yet completed that part of your current CE requirement.

After completing a CE course, your Education Provider reports your completion to the Commission. You should keep your course completion certificate and verify that the credit appears on your NCREC record. If your course has not appeared within about 10 days, contact the Education Provider so they can check the reporting status.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we recommend checking your CE record after each course instead of waiting until the June 10 deadline. That gives you time to correct any reporting issues before they affect your license status.

Yes. You can take more than eight hours of Continuing Education in North Carolina.

North Carolina brokers who are required to complete CE need 8 hours each license year, including:

• 4 hours of the appropriate Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

You may take additional approved elective courses for professional development. In fact, North Carolina allows credit for up to two approved elective courses in a license year. One elective can satisfy your current year requirement, and one additional elective may carry over to the next license year.

The Update course does not carry over. GENUP and BICUP must be completed during the license year for which that course was written. The Commission’s 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course also cannot be carried over as an elective.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we encourage brokers to choose electives based on topics that will actually help their business, even if they have already completed their required CE for the year.

Yes. You can complete your Update course and CE elective on the same day.

For brokers who are required to complete Continuing Education, North Carolina requires 8 hours of CE each license year, consisting of:

• 4 hours of the appropriate Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

There is no requirement that the two courses be taken on different days. Many Education Providers offer an Update course and elective back-to-back so brokers can complete all 8 hours of required CE in one day.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we often schedule CE courses so brokers can complete their Update course and elective together, making it easier to finish the annual requirement in one day.

Just make sure you register for the correct Update course for your license status and complete all attendance requirements for both courses.

Ready to complete your CE?
View Ignite School of Real Estate’s upcoming GENUP, BICUP and CE elective classes and choose the schedule that works best for you.

Register for an Upcoming CE Class

A North Carolina real estate CE elective is a four-hour Continuing Education course approved by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

For brokers who are required to complete CE, the annual 8-hour requirement includes:

• 4 hours of the appropriate Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a Commission-approved elective

Newly licensed brokers are not required to complete CE before their first license renewal. The CE requirement begins before the broker’s second renewal following initial licensure and continues each license year after that.

CE electives cover a wide range of topics, such as contracts, risk management, ethics, property issues, technology and brokerage practices. They give brokers the opportunity to choose education that is useful to their business while meeting the Commission’s education requirement.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer approved CE electives designed to be practical, engaging and useful in real-world brokerage, not just something to check off a requirement.

Choosing between GENUP and BICUP depends on your current North Carolina license status.

If you are a Provisional Broker, take GENUP.

If you are a full broker who is not BIC-Eligible, take GENUP.

If you are a Broker-in-Charge or currently BIC-Eligible, take BICUP. (bulletins.ncrec.gov)

Not sure which course to choose?

Before registering:

1. Go to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission website.
2. Log in to your license record.
3. Look for the option “Print BIC Eligible Document.”
4. If that option appears, you are BIC-Eligible and should take BICUP.
5. If that option does not appear, you should take GENUP. (bulletins.ncrec.gov)

Do not choose BICUP simply because you have experience, manage other brokers or hope to become a BIC in the future. Your current BIC-Eligible status determines which Update course you should take.

If you are not a BIC or BIC-Eligible and mistakenly take BICUP, you will not receive CE credit for the BICUP course. If you are BIC-Eligible and take GENUP instead, the GENUP may satisfy your Update requirement for active license status, but you will lose your BIC/BIC-Eligible status. (bulletins.ncrec.gov)

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we recommend checking your NCREC license record before registering so you select the correct Update course the first time.

The main difference between GENUP and BICUP is who is required to take each course.
– GENUP, or the General Update Course, is for Provisional Brokers and brokers who are not BIC-Eligible.
– BICUP, or the Broker-in-Charge Update Course, is for Brokers-in-Charge and BIC-Eligible brokers.
Both are four-hour Update courses required as part of North Carolina’s annual Continuing Education requirement. For the 2026-2027 license year, BICUP covers the GENUP topics plus additional information about BIC responsibilities.

If you are BIC-Eligible and take GENUP instead of BICUP, you may maintain active license status if your other CE requirements are satisfied, but you will lose your BIC/BIC-Eligible status.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer both GENUP and BICUP. Before registering, check your NCREC license record to make sure you choose the correct Update course for your license status

Yes. North Carolina real estate Continuing Education can be completed online.

The required GENUP or BICUP Update course must be taken live, either in person or through a synchronous online class where you participate with an instructor in real time. Approved CE electives may be offered live online, in person or as self-paced online courses.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer online CE options so brokers can complete their required education without always having to travel to a classroom.

If you prefer live interaction, you can choose a live online GENUP, BICUP or elective course. If you want more flexibility, you may also choose an approved self-paced elective when available.

If you do not complete your required North Carolina Continuing Education by June 10 at 11:59 p.m., your license will be placed on inactive status effective July 1.

You may continue practicing through June 30, provided your license is otherwise current and active. Beginning July 1, you must stop all brokerage activity until your license is returned to active status. This includes working with clients, advertising, social media and other activities that require an active real estate license.

How Do I Reactivate My License After Missing the CE Deadline?

If your license becomes inactive because of a CE deficiency, follow these steps:

1. Check your CE record through the NCREC Licensee Login to see exactly what you are missing.
2. Complete the current license year’s CE requirement, which includes the General Update Course and one Commission-approved elective.
3. Make up the previous year’s CE deficiency with electives. Depending on what you completed before the deadline, you may need an additional 4 or 8 hours of elective CE.
4. Make sure all course credits have been reported to NCREC.
5. Submit Form REC 2.08, License Activation and Broker Affiliation, after all required education has been completed.
6. Do not resume brokerage activity until your license is back on active status.

If you are a Broker-in-Charge or BIC-Eligible broker, becoming inactive also causes you to lose BIC-Eligible status and any BIC designation. Additional education and forms are required to regain that status.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we strongly recommend completing your CE early. Waiting until the last few days can leave you with fewer class choices and very little room for unexpected problems.

North Carolina real estate brokers who are required to complete Continuing Education must finish their CE by June 10 at 11:59 p.m. each year to remain eligible for active license status. For the current 2026-2027 license year, the deadline is June 10, 2027.

Brokers must complete 8 hours of CE, including:

• 4 hours of the appropriate Update course, either GENUP or BICUP
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

The CE period runs from July 1 through June 10. Keep in mind that the CE deadline is different from the June 30 license renewal deadline.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we recommend completing your CE early rather than waiting until June. Finishing early gives you more class choices and helps you avoid last-minute scheduling problems.

North Carolina real estate brokers must complete 8 hours of continuing education each license year to remain eligible for active license status.

The 8 hours include:

• 4 hours of an Update course
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

Provisional Brokers and brokers who are not BIC-Eligible take the General Update Course (GENUP).

Brokers-in-Charge and BIC-Eligible brokers take the Broker-in-Charge Update Course (BICUP).

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer GENUP, BICUP and approved CE electives in flexible formats throughout the license year.