NC Broker-in-Charge FAQs

If you lose BIC-Eligible status in North Carolina, you can regain it, but the steps must be completed in the correct order.

Steps to Regain BIC-Eligible Status

1. Return your broker license to active status.
   If your license is inactive because of a CE deficiency or has expired, you must first complete the requirements needed to return the license to active status.
2. Make sure you still meet the BIC experience requirement.
   You must have at least two years of qualifying brokerage experience, equivalent to 40 hours per week, within the previous five years.
3. Complete the 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course.
   When regaining BIC-Eligible status, you must complete the 12-hour BIC Course before applying, even if you completed the course previously.
4. Submit Form REC 2.25.
   Submit the Request for BIC Eligible Status and/or BIC Designation to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. If you also need to return as the BIC of an office, you can request the BIC designation as part of the process.

Important Course-Timing Warning

Do not take the 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course while your broker license is inactive. Your license must first be returned to active status.

Also, do not take the course too early. Because the 12-hour BIC Course must be completed within the required timeframe for your BIC-Eligible request, taking it before you are ready to apply could mean you have to take it again.

Important: Returning your broker license to active status does not automatically restore BIC-Eligible status. You must separately complete the BIC requirements and request that status from the Commission.

Once your BIC-Eligible status is restored, remember to complete BICUP and a four-hour Commission-approved elective each license year to maintain it.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer BICUP and approved CE electives to help BICs and BIC-Eligible brokers stay current with their annual education requirements.

If a North Carolina Broker-in-Charge does not complete the required CE by June 10, the broker’s license becomes inactive on July 1. The broker also automatically loses BIC-Eligible status and the current BIC designation.

The broker may continue brokerage activity through June 30 if the license is otherwise current and active. Beginning July 1, the broker must stop performing brokerage activities until the license is returned to active status.

Step 1: Return the Broker License to Active Status

The first priority is fixing the broker’s license status.

1. Complete the current license year’s CE, including GENUP and one approved elective.
2. Make up the prior year’s CE deficiency with electives. Depending on what was completed before the missed deadline, this may require an additional 4 or 8 hours of elective CE.
3. Make sure the required CE has been reported to NCREC.
4. Submit Form REC 2.08, License Activation and Broker Affiliation, to return the license to active status.

Do not perform brokerage activities until the license has been properly returned to active status.

Step 2: Regain BIC-Eligible Status

Once the broker license is active again, the broker can work on regaining BIC-Eligible status.

The broker must:

1. Meet the BIC experience requirement.
2. Complete the 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course before redesignation when required.
3. Submit Form REC 2.25, Request for BIC Eligible Status and/or BIC Designation, to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

Important: Do not take the 12-hour BIC Course while your broker license is inactive. Return the license to active status first.

Step 3: Restore the BIC Designation and Brokerage Affiliations

After BIC-Eligible status is restored, the broker can request to be designated again as the Broker-in-Charge.

When a BIC’s license becomes inactive, brokers affiliated with that BIC also lose their affiliation with the brokerage. After the BIC has regained BIC-Eligible status and the BIC designation, the affected brokers must be re-affiliated with the brokerage using Form REC 2.08.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we strongly recommend completing BICUP and your approved elective well before June 10. Missing the CE deadline can affect not only your own license, but also your BIC status and the brokers affiliated with your office.

A Broker-in-Charge can take GENUP instead of BICUP, but there are important consequences.

If a BIC or BIC-Eligible broker completes GENUP plus the required elective, the broker may still satisfy the Continuing Education requirement needed to keep the real estate license active. However, the broker will lose BIC-Eligible status and any current Broker-in-Charge designation.

That means the broker would no longer be qualified to continue serving as a BIC until the requirements for regaining BIC-Eligible status are satisfied.

To maintain both an active license and BIC-Eligible status, a BIC or BIC-Eligible broker should complete:

• 4 hours of BICUP
• 4 hours of a Commission-approved elective

Registration warning: If your NCREC license record shows that you are BIC-Eligible or currently designated as a BIC, register for BICUP, not GENUP.

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

A North Carolina Broker-in-Charge (BIC) must complete 8 hours of Continuing Education each license year to maintain active license status and BIC-Eligible status.

The 8 hours include:

• 4 hours of BICUP, the Broker-in-Charge Update Course
• 4 hours of a North Carolina Real Estate Commission-approved elective

BICUP includes the same core topics covered in GENUP, plus additional material focused on Broker-in-Charge responsibilities. For the 2026-2027 license year, BICUP includes all GENUP topics plus BIC responsibilities.

A BIC or BIC-Eligible broker should not substitute GENUP for BICUP if they want to keep BIC-Eligible status. Taking GENUP instead may allow the broker to maintain active license status if the other CE requirements are met, but the broker will lose BIC-Eligible status and any BIC designation.

For the 2026-2027 license year, the required CE must be completed by June 10, 2027.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer BICUP and Commission-approved CE electives to help North Carolina BICs complete their annual education requirements.

BIC-Eligible means a North Carolina broker has met the qualifications to serve as a Broker-in-Charge.

A Broker-in-Charge, or BIC, is a BIC-Eligible broker who is currently designated with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission as responsible for a particular office or brokerage operation.

In simple terms:

• BIC-Eligible = qualified to serve as a BIC
• Broker-in-Charge = currently serving as the BIC

A broker can maintain BIC-Eligible status without currently serving as a Broker-in-Charge.

Where Does BICUP Fit In?

BICUP does not make a broker BIC-Eligible. BICUP is the annual four-hour Update course that brokers who are already BIC-Eligible or designated as a BIC must complete to maintain BIC-Eligible status.

BIC-Eligible brokers must complete BICUP plus a four-hour Commission-approved elective each license year by the CE deadline. Taking GENUP instead of BICUP may satisfy the Update requirement for active license status, but it does not satisfy the requirement for maintaining BIC-Eligible status.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer BICUP and approved CE electives to help BICs and BIC-Eligible brokers maintain their annual education requirements.

BIC-Eligible means a North Carolina broker has met the qualifications required to serve as a Broker-in-Charge.

A broker can be BIC-Eligible without currently serving as a BIC. In simple terms:

• BIC-Eligible = qualified to serve as a Broker-in-Charge
• BIC designation = currently serving as the Broker-in-Charge for an office or brokerage operation

To keep BIC-Eligible status, a broker must maintain an active license and complete the required annual CE, including BICUP and a four-hour approved elective.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer BICUP and approved CE electives to help brokers maintain their BIC-Eligible status.

To become a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) in North Carolina, you must first qualify for BIC-Eligible status. BIC-Eligible status means you meet the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s requirements to serve as a BIC. A BIC designation means you are actually serving as the Broker-in-Charge of a particular office or brokerage operation.

How Do I Become BIC-Eligible?

Follow these steps:

1. Hold an active North Carolina broker license.
   You must be a full broker. A Provisional Broker cannot qualify for BIC-Eligible status.
2. Meet the experience requirement.
   You must have at least two years of qualifying real estate brokerage experience equivalent to 40 hours per week within the previous five years.
3. Complete or plan for the 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course.
   You may complete the Commission’s 12-hour BIC Course within one year before submitting your application or complete it within 120 days after submitting Form REC 2.25. The 12-hour BIC Course is offered by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission as a self-paced online course.
4. Submit Form REC 2.25.
   Submit the Request for BIC Eligible Status and/or BIC Designation to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
5. Receive BIC-Eligible status.
   Once you meet the requirements and the Commission grants BIC-Eligible status, you are qualified to serve as a Broker-in-Charge.
6. Request BIC designation when you are ready to serve as a BIC.
   If you will be responsible for an office or brokerage operation that requires a BIC, submit the appropriate request on Form REC 2.25 to be designated as the Broker-in-Charge. You must be BIC-Eligible before you can receive a BIC designation.

What Is the Difference Between BIC-Eligible and BIC?

BIC-Eligible means you are qualified to serve as a Broker-in-Charge. You can maintain BIC-Eligible status even when you are not currently serving as a BIC.

A BIC designation means you are currently registered with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission as the Broker-in-Charge responsible for a particular office or brokerage operation.

BIC is not a separate real estate license. You still hold a North Carolina broker license. BIC-Eligible and BIC are statuses associated with that license.

How Do I Keep My BIC-Eligible Status?

Once you become BIC-Eligible, you can maintain that status by:

• Renewing your broker license on time each year.
• Keeping your license on active status.
• Completing BICUP by June 10 each year.
• Completing a four-hour Commission-approved CE elective by June 10 each year.

If your license expires or becomes inactive, you can lose both your BIC-Eligible status and BIC designation, if applicable. Additional steps may then be required before you can regain them.

At Ignite School of Real Estate, we offer BICUP and Commission-approved CE electives to help Brokers-in-Charge and BIC-Eligible brokers maintain their annual education requirements.