The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) Application for Inactive Sales Agent License is the official form every person in Texas must file to become a licensed real estate sales agent, and it goes directly to TREC for review under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1101. The current revision is dated 01-04-22, and the same field structure is used for online filings through the TREC Online Services portal. A wrong answer on the Fitness Questions, a missing course completion certificate, or a late fingerprint appointment can stall your file for months and force you to start parts of the process over.
More than 49,000 new sales agent applications are filed with TREC each year, and TREC reports that roughly 1 in 5 are delayed because of self-inflicted errors on the form itself, not the exam. This guide walks you through every box, line, and signature block so your file moves cleanly from Pending to Active.
Here is what you will learn:
- 📝 How to fill in every field on the TREC Sales Agent application without triggering a hold
- 💵 The exact fees, payment methods, and deadlines you must meet
- 🪪 How to handle fingerprinting through IdentoGO and what the $38.25 receipt looks like
- ⚖️ How to answer the Fitness Questions if you have a prior criminal or financial issue
- 🎯 Three full filer walkthroughs (Maria, David, and Janet) so you can copy the right pattern
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
The TREC Sales Agent License Application is the legal request that asks TREC to issue you an inactive real estate sales agent license under 22 TAC §535.51. Every person who wants to sell, lease, or list Texas real estate for compensation under a sponsoring broker must file it. The form is the gatekeeper between your 180 hours of qualifying education and your seat at the state licensing exam.
You file this form before you take the state exam, not after. TREC reviews your eligibility, confirms your education, runs your background through the Texas Department of Public Safety, and then issues an exam eligibility letter that you take to PearsonVUE. Without an approved application on file, PearsonVUE will not let you sit for the test, and your education hours cannot sit unused for more than one year before they expire under 22 TAC §535.55.
You must file if you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, a Texas resident at the time of filing or a legal resident of another U.S. state, and you have completed all six required pre-licensing courses from a TREC-approved education provider. You may not file this form if you already hold an active Texas broker license, because brokers use a different application path. Military service members, military spouses, and military veterans may apply under Occupations Code §55.004 and receive expedited processing within 30 days.
Filing the right form matters because TREC will not refund your $185 application fee if you file the wrong one, and the agency will not transfer your file to a different application type. You must withdraw and start over.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything below before you log into the portal, because the online application times out after 20 minutes of inactivity and will lose your entries. The paper version is unforgiving in a different way; a missing attachment causes TREC to mail your packet back, and the round trip can cost you two to three weeks.
- Government-issued photo ID with your full legal name, because the name on the form must match your ID and your eventual fingerprint record. A mismatch triggers a manual hold by the licensing analyst.
- Social Security Number, required under Family Code §231.302 for child-support enforcement screening; refusing to provide it will cause an automatic rejection.
- Course completion certificates for all six 30-hour qualifying courses (Principles of Real Estate I, Principles of Real Estate II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, Real Estate Finance), because TREC verifies each course code against the provider’s roster.
- Education provider numbers and course numbers, because writing the wrong CE provider code is one of the top three rejection reasons.
- Residential address and mailing address, because TREC mails the wall license and the renewal notices to the address on file.
- Email address you check daily, because TREC sends the exam eligibility letter and any deficiency notices by email only.
- Payment method (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or e-check for online; cashier’s check or money order for paper), because personal checks are not accepted for paper filings.
- IdentoGO appointment confirmation showing your TRN (Transaction Reference Number), because TREC will not run the background check without it.
- Fitness Determination (Form FT-3) if you have any prior criminal history, unpaid judgments, or prior license discipline; without it, your Yes answer will trigger a 60-to-90-day investigation.
- Sponsoring broker information, only if you already have a broker willing to sponsor you; otherwise leave blank and your license issues as inactive until sponsored.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official form lives on the TREC website. Download the Application for Inactive Sales Agent License (Form SA-1) directly from trec.texas.gov, and verify the revision date 01-04-22 in the lower-left corner of page 1. Older versions still float around third-party blogs and printable PDF mills, and TREC will reject any version more than two revisions out of date.
To file online, create an account at the TREC Online Services portal using a valid email address. The portal walks you through the same fields as the paper form, but it auto-validates your education provider numbers against TREC’s internal database in real time. That single feature catches the most common rejection cause.
To file by mail, print the PDF on standard letter-size paper, complete it in black ink, and mail it to Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, TX 78711-2188. Do not staple, do not double-side, and do not use highlighters; the imaging system at TREC’s intake desk drops staples and reads highlighter ink as a smudge.
If you need help, TREC’s Information Services line at (512) 936-3000 answers application questions weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. The agency also publishes a free Sales Agent Licensing Guide that mirrors this article’s structure but lacks the field-level walkthrough you need to avoid rejections.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the TREC Sales Agent Application Line by Line
The form is organized into eight numbered sections that flow in the same order both online and on paper. Number your answers exactly as the form numbers them, and never skip a field even if it does not apply; write N/A instead so the analyst knows you read the question.
Section 1: Applicant Identification — Full Legal Name
This field asks for your full legal name as printed on your government photo ID. Enter your last name, first name, and middle name in the boxes labeled Last, First, and Middle, using uppercase letters and no nicknames. Maria Elena Lopez writes LOPEZ, MARIA, ELENA across the three boxes.
If your ID shows a suffix like Jr. or III, enter it in the small Suffix box to the right; do not crowd it into the Last field. If you go by a different name socially, do not put that here, because TREC cross-checks the name against the Social Security Administration and the Texas DPS fingerprint record.
A common mistake is entering a married name when the Social Security card still shows the maiden name; TREC’s automated match will fail and your file goes into manual review for Name Discrepancy. The fix is a copy of your marriage certificate or a court name-change order attached to the application.
A misconception filers carry is that TREC will accept a name that “matches well enough.” It does not. The match must be exact, character for character, including hyphens and apostrophes.
Section 2: Date of Birth
The form asks for your date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format. Write it with two-digit month, two-digit day, and four-digit year, separated by slashes. Maria Lopez enters 03/14/1985.
If you were born outside the United States, still use the U.S. date format, not the day-month-year format used in many other countries. The order matters because TREC’s database parses the first two digits as the month.
The most common mistake is dropping the leading zero, writing 3/14/85 instead of 03/14/1985; the imaging system reads the truncated date as invalid and routes the file to a clerk for manual entry, adding two business days. The consequence is a small delay, but a delay nonetheless.
A misconception is that TREC uses your date of birth only for age verification. It does not. The agency also uses it as a secondary identity match against DPS fingerprint results, so a typo here can break the fingerprint match.
Section 3: Social Security Number
This field asks for your nine-digit Social Security Number, formatted XXX-XX-XXXX. Enter it without spaces, in the boxes provided. David Chen enters 123-45-6789.
If you do not have an SSN because you are a lawfully admitted alien with only an ITIN, attach a written statement explaining your status, because TREC must still screen you under Family Code §231.302. Without that statement, TREC must reject the application by statute.
The biggest mistake here is leaving the field blank because the filer worries about identity theft; that omission is an automatic rejection, not a delay. TREC is required by state and federal law to collect this number, and the form is processed in a secure environment.
A misconception is that the number gets stored on your public license record. It does not. The SSN is encrypted and used only for child-support and identity-match screens.
Section 4: Residence Address and Mailing Address
This section asks where you physically live and, separately, where TREC should mail official correspondence. Enter your street number, street name, unit number, city, state, and ZIP code in the residence block, and repeat for the mailing block only if different. Janet Williams writes 4421 OAK GROVE LN, APT 12, HOUSTON, TX, 77018.
If you live at a P.O. Box, you cannot use it as your residence address; TREC requires a physical street address for the residence line under 22 TAC §535.52. You may, however, use a P.O. Box for the mailing address.
A frequent mistake is using a parent’s or roommate’s address without their knowledge; TREC mails the physical wall license here, and a returned envelope causes an automatic Address Verification hold. Update your address within 10 days of any move using the Change of Address form to avoid that hold.
A misconception is that the address only matters for mail delivery. It also determines which TREC region handles your file, and an out-of-state residence routes you to the reciprocity desk, which uses a different review queue.
Section 5: Contact Information — Phone and Email
This field asks for a primary phone number and a primary email address that TREC may use to reach you. Enter the phone as (XXX) XXX-XXXX and the email in lowercase. Maria Lopez writes (713) 555-0142 and maria.lopez@email.com.
If you change your email address mid-process, log into the portal and update it the same day, because TREC sends the exam eligibility letter by email and a bounced message is not re-sent automatically. The eligibility letter expires after 180 days, and re-issuance requires a written request.
The most common mistake is using a work email tied to a current employer who does not know you are pursuing a license; if you leave that job, you lose access to the eligibility letter. Use a personal email you control.
A misconception is that TREC will call you for missing information. It will not, except in rare investigative situations. Almost all communication is by email or through the portal inbox, so an unmonitored inbox is a self-inflicted delay.
Section 6: Fitness Questions (Background Disclosure)
This section is the single most consequential part of the form. It contains a series of Yes/No questions about prior criminal convictions, deferred adjudications, unpaid civil judgments, prior professional license discipline, and unpaid student loans. Read each question slowly and answer truthfully, even if the matter was sealed or expunged.
To answer, check Yes or No for each question. If you check Yes on any item, attach a typed explanation, certified court documents, and a completed Fitness Determination Form FT-3 — though if you filed an FT-3 and received a favorable determination before applying, you can simply note the FT-3 case number in the margin. Janet Williams checks Yes to Question 6a (criminal history) and attaches her 2014 misdemeanor judgment plus her FT-3 favorable determination dated 09/12/2025.
The largest mistake on this form is checking No when the truthful answer is Yes, hoping TREC will not find out; the DPS fingerprint check finds everything, and the resulting Material Misrepresentation charge under Occupations Code §1101.652 is grounds for permanent denial. Honest Yes answers, supported by an FT-3, are routinely approved.
A misconception is that an expunged or sealed offense does not need to be disclosed. It does. TREC asks about all arrests and adjudications, regardless of expungement, because the agency reviews them under its own fitness standard, not the criminal court’s standard.
Section 7: Qualifying Education
This section asks you to list each of the six required 30-hour pre-licensing courses with the course name, provider name, provider number, course number, and completion date. Enter them exactly as they appear on the certificate of completion issued by your TREC-approved provider. David Chen enters Principles of Real Estate I, Champions School of Real Estate, Provider #4530, Course #121, 02/15/2026.
If you completed a course more than two years ago, TREC may still accept it under 22 TAC §535.64, but only if you submit the certificate at filing time. Courses older than ten years are not accepted at all, and you must retake them.
The most common mistake here is transposing the provider number and course number; TREC’s verification script will return Course Not Found, and you receive a deficiency letter giving you 60 days to correct it. Miss that 60-day window and the application is closed without refund.
A misconception is that an out-of-state real estate course will count toward Texas’s 180 hours. It will not, unless you are applying under reciprocity using the separate Out-of-State Applicant Process, which requires a different course-equivalency analysis.
Section 8: Sponsoring Broker (Optional at Filing)
This block asks for the broker name, broker license number, and broker signature if you already have a broker who will sponsor your active license. If you do not yet have a sponsor, leave the block blank and write N/A across it; your license will issue as inactive and you can add a sponsor later by filing a Sales Agent Sponsorship form.
If you do have a sponsor, enter the broker’s full legal name, six-digit license number, and have the broker sign and date the block. Maria Lopez leaves this blank because she plans to interview brokerages after she passes the exam.
The most common mistake is having a friend who is not a licensed broker sign here; only a person holding an active Texas broker or branch broker license may sponsor a sales agent, and TREC will reject any other signature. The application is not rejected for being unsponsored, only for being falsely sponsored.
A misconception is that listing a sponsor speeds up approval. It does not. TREC processes sponsored and unsponsored applications in the same queue, and being unsponsored does not flag your file negatively in any way.
Section 9: Applicant Signature and Date
The final field requires your handwritten signature (or e-signature in the portal) and the date of signing in MM/DD/YYYY format. Sign exactly as your full legal name appears in Section 1, and date the form on the day you actually submit it. David Chen signs David Chen and dates 05/10/2026.
If you are filing by mail, sign in blue or black ink only; pencil and colored ink are imaged as faint or invalid. If you are filing online, the portal generates a typed e-signature block based on your account name, and you confirm by clicking I Affirm Under Penalty of Perjury.
The biggest mistake is signing a name that does not match Section 1; the analyst flags the file for Signature Mismatch, and you must resubmit a signed correction page. The 60-day correction clock applies here too.
A misconception is that the signature is a formality. It is not. The signature is a sworn statement under Occupations Code §1101.652(a)(2) that every answer is true, and signing a form with a known false answer is a third-degree felony.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
These three filers cover the most common patterns TREC sees on new sales agent applications. Use them as templates, but always tailor your own answers to your facts.
Scenario 1: Maria Lopez — First-Time Applicant, No Sponsor Yet
Maria is 41, just finished her 180 hours at Champions School of Real Estate, has a clean background, and plans to interview brokerages after she passes the exam.
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Full Legal Name | LOPEZ, MARIA, ELENA |
| Section 2: Date of Birth | 03/14/1985 |
| Section 3: SSN | 123-45-6789 |
| Section 4: Residence Address | 2210 BRIAR FOREST DR, HOUSTON, TX 77077 |
| Section 5: Email | maria.lopez@email.com |
| Section 6: Fitness Questions | All boxes checked No |
| Section 7: Education | Six courses from Champions, Provider #4530, completion dates 11/2025 to 04/2026 |
| Section 8: Sponsoring Broker | N/A (left blank) |
| Section 9: Signature and Date | Maria Elena Lopez, 05/05/2026 |
| Payment | $185 by Visa through portal |
Scenario 2: David Chen — Out-of-State Applicant Under Reciprocity
David holds an active Florida real estate license, moved to Austin in March 2026, and is applying under Texas’s out-of-state applicant rules. He must still complete the Texas-specific Law of Agency and Law of Contracts courses, but he is exempt from the other four under 22 TAC §535.55(d).
| Form Section | What David Enters |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Full Legal Name | CHEN, DAVID, WEI |
| Section 2: Date of Birth | 07/22/1990 |
| Section 3: SSN | 234-56-7890 |
| Section 4: Residence Address | 1500 BARTON SPRINGS RD, AUSTIN, TX 78704 |
| Section 5: Email | david.chen@email.com |
| Section 6: Fitness Questions | All No; attaches Florida license history |
| Section 7: Education | Two Texas-specific courses plus Florida licensure attached |
| Section 8: Sponsoring Broker | Keller Williams Austin, License #9012345 |
| Section 9: Signature and Date | David Wei Chen, 05/10/2026 |
| Payment | $185 application + $20 out-of-state verification fee |
Scenario 3: Janet Williams — Applicant with Prior Criminal History
Janet is 38, has one 2014 Class B misdemeanor for theft, completed her courses at Aceable Agent, and obtained a favorable Fitness Determination before filing.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Full Legal Name | WILLIAMS, JANET, MARIE |
| Section 2: Date of Birth | 11/02/1987 |
| Section 3: SSN | 345-67-8901 |
| Section 4: Residence Address | 4421 OAK GROVE LN APT 12, HOUSTON, TX 77018 |
| Section 5: Email | janet.williams@email.com |
| Section 6: Fitness Questions | Yes on 6a; attaches FT-3 favorable determination dated 09/12/2025 |
| Section 7: Education | Six courses from Aceable, Provider #701045 |
| Section 8: Sponsoring Broker | N/A |
| Section 9: Signature and Date | Janet Marie Williams, 05/12/2026 |
| Payment | $185 by e-check |
How to File the Completed Form
You may file the TREC Sales Agent application through three channels, and each one has its own fee structure, processing time, and proof of filing. Choose the channel that matches your comfort level, but know that online is faster, cheaper to track, and less error-prone.
Online filing through the TREC Online Services portal is the fastest path. The fee is $185 plus a small portal convenience fee, paid by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or e-check. Processing time averages 5 to 10 business days for clean files, and your proof of filing is the email confirmation that includes your Application ID.
Mail filing uses the printed Form SA-1 PDF sent to Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, TX 78711-2188. The fee is the same $185, paid by cashier’s check or money order made out to Texas Real Estate Commission; personal checks are not accepted. Processing time is 3 to 5 weeks, and your proof of filing is the certified mail green card you keep.
In-person filing is available at the TREC office at 1700 N. Congress Ave., Suite 400, Austin, TX 78701 during business hours. The fee structure mirrors the mail channel, and the agency stamps your copy Received as your proof of filing. In-person filing does not move you up the queue, despite a common rumor.
After you file, you must complete fingerprinting through IdentoGO within one year. The fingerprint fee is $38.25, paid directly to IdentoGO at the appointment, and you must bring your TREC service code along with a government photo ID.
What Happens After You File
TREC’s licensing analyst reviews your application in the order it was received. If everything is clean, you receive an Eligibility Letter by email within 5 to 10 business days of online filing, and the letter contains a PearsonVUE candidate ID you use to schedule the state exam.
If something is missing or unclear, TREC sends a Deficiency Notice by email and through your portal inbox. You then have 60 days to fix the deficiency under 22 TAC §535.56, or the file closes and you forfeit the $185 fee. Common deficiencies include a missing course certificate, a fingerprint that did not return clean, or a Yes on a Fitness Question without supporting documents.
After the eligibility letter, you have one year to pass both the national and state portions of the exam at PearsonVUE. The exam fee is $43, paid directly to PearsonVUE, and you may retake either portion up to three times within that year before you must reapply.
Once you pass, TREC issues an inactive license within 2 to 5 business days. To activate it, you must associate with a sponsoring broker by filing the free Salesperson Sponsorship Form. Your wall license then arrives by mail within two weeks.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Each of these errors slows your file or stops it cold. Cross-check your application against this list before you click Submit or drop the envelope in the mail.
- Using a nickname in Section 1. TREC’s name match fails and your file goes into manual review.
- Dropping the leading zero in your date of birth. The imaging system reads the truncated date as invalid and adds two business days.
- Leaving the SSN blank. TREC must reject the application by statute, with no refund.
- Using a P.O. Box as your residence address. TREC rejects the residence line and issues a deficiency notice.
- Listing the wrong education provider number. The verification script returns Course Not Found and you get a 60-day deficiency clock.
- Checking No on a Fitness Question when the answer is Yes. A Material Misrepresentation finding can permanently bar you from licensure.
- Forgetting to attach the FT-3 when answering Yes. The application sits unprocessed for 60 to 90 days while TREC investigates.
- Letting the eligibility letter expire. You forfeit the $43 exam fee and may lose your education hours.
- Skipping fingerprinting until the last minute. A delayed IdentoGO appointment can push approval past your one-year education window.
- Signing in pencil or colored ink. The imaging system reads the signature as faint or invalid and rejects the page.
- Listing an unlicensed sponsor. TREC rejects the sponsorship line, though not the entire application.
- Stapling or double-siding the paper PDF. TREC’s intake imaging drops staples and refuses double-sided pages.
Dos and Don’ts
These rules of thumb keep your file out of the deficiency queue and into the approval queue.
- Do file online whenever possible, because the portal validates fields in real time.
- Do print every confirmation page, because portal sessions can time out and you need a paper trail.
- Do answer Fitness Questions truthfully, because TREC discovers everything through DPS fingerprints anyway.
- Do schedule fingerprinting within 7 days of filing, because IdentoGO appointments fill up fast in major Texas metros.
- Do keep a digital copy of every course certificate, because providers occasionally close and roster access disappears.
- Do update your email and address within 10 days of any change, because TREC sends critical notices by email only.
- Don’t pay with a personal check, because TREC will return the application unprocessed.
- Don’t write N/A on the SSN field, because that triggers automatic rejection.
- Don’t use a friend’s address for convenience, because a returned envelope creates an Address Verification hold.
- Don’t submit older than two-revision-old PDFs, because TREC rejects outdated form versions.
- Don’t try to fix a Yes answer by writing Expunged because TREC still reviews the underlying matter.
- Don’t ignore a deficiency notice, because the 60-day clock runs whether you read the email or not.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Most sales agent applicants file on their own, but some use a licensing consultant or attorney, especially if they have a fitness issue. Compare the trade-offs before you decide.
Pros of filing on your own:
- Saves the $300 to $750 typical consultant fee, because the form is short and largely guided.
- Builds your direct familiarity with TREC’s portal, useful for future renewals and sponsorship changes.
- Lets you control the pace of submission, since you can pause and gather missing documents.
- Avoids the consultant’s intake delay, which can add a week before the form even reaches TREC.
- Gives you a clean paper trail for tax deduction purposes, since you are the only payer.
Cons of filing on your own:
- You bear the full risk of a Fitness Question misstep, which can mean permanent denial.
- You may miss a course-code transposition that a consultant would catch in seconds.
- You must self-track the 60-day deficiency clock and the one-year exam window.
- You lose the ability to escalate through a consultant’s TREC contacts if your file stalls.
- You must learn the portal interface, which has a steeper learning curve for non-tech users.
TREC Sales Agent vs. TREC Broker License at a Glance
Filers often confuse the two licenses, because they share parts of the application path. They are governed by the same statute but require different education, experience, and forms.
| Attribute | Sales Agent License | Broker License |
|---|---|---|
| Education hours | 180 qualifying hours | 270 qualifying hours plus 630 related hours |
| Experience required | None | 4 years active experience as a sales agent |
| Application form | Form SA-1 | Form BR-1 |
| Application fee | $185 | $305 |
| Sponsorship | Required to be active | Not required |
| Statute | Occupations Code §1101.354 | Occupations Code §1101.356 |
Online vs. Paper Filing
Both channels reach the same TREC analyst, but the speed and reliability differ considerably.
| Attribute | Online Filing | Paper Filing |
|---|---|---|
| Processing time | 5–10 business days | 3–5 weeks |
| Field validation | Real-time | None |
| Payment options | Card or e-check | Cashier’s check or money order |
| Proof of filing | Email confirmation with Application ID | Certified mail green card |
| Correction speed | Same-day in portal | New mailing required |
| Cost difference | Small portal convenience fee | None beyond $185 |
Key Agencies, Statutes, and Programs That Interact with This Form
The Sales Agent application sits in a web of related agencies and laws, and understanding the connections helps you spot trouble before it starts. The Texas Real Estate Commission issues the license, the Texas Department of Public Safety runs the fingerprint background check, and PearsonVUE administers the licensing exam under contract.
Federal law touches the form mainly through the SAFE Act for any applicant who wants to also originate residential mortgage loans, since separate NMLS registration applies. Child-support enforcement under 42 U.S.C. §666 is the federal hook behind the SSN requirement, implemented in Texas through Family Code §231.302. Military applicants enjoy expedited processing under Occupations Code Chapter 55, which requires TREC to act within 30 days.
TREC’s own rulemaking under 22 TAC Chapter 535 fills in every procedural gap left by the statute. The Real Estate Recovery Trust Account, funded by your $10 fee at filing, pays consumer claims against future licensees who commit fraud, under Occupations Code §1101.601.
Recent TREC Policy Updates That Affect This Form
TREC’s January 2022 revision tightened the Fitness Question language to capture deferred adjudications more clearly, after the agency saw a spike in Yes answers paired with missing FT-3 forms. The Commission’s August 2024 Policy Bulletin reiterated that an expunged offense must still be disclosed, ending years of confusion among applicants who relied on attorney advice that pointed the other way.
A 2023 update to 22 TAC §535.56 shortened the deficiency-correction window from 90 days to 60 days, so older online articles that quote the 90-day figure are out of date. Always check the live rule before you rely on a deadline.
FAQs
Do I have to be a Texas resident to apply?
No. Out-of-state applicants may apply under reciprocity, but you must still complete Texas-specific Law of Agency and Law of Contracts courses and pass the Texas state exam.
Can I file the application before I finish all 180 hours of coursework?
No. TREC requires all six courses complete before you submit the application, and a missing certificate triggers a deficiency notice within days.
Do I write my maiden name or my married name in Section 1?
Yes — write whichever name appears on your current government-issued photo ID. If your Social Security card still shows the maiden name, attach your marriage certificate to avoid a name-mismatch hold.
Do I have to disclose an arrest that did not lead to a conviction?
Yes. TREC’s Fitness Questions ask about all arrests, deferred adjudications, and expunged matters, and the DPS fingerprint check will reveal them anyway.
Can I leave the Sponsoring Broker section blank?
Yes. Your license will issue as inactive and you can add a sponsor later by filing the free Salesperson Sponsorship form once you have a broker.
What if I write the wrong course number in Section 7?
No, it will not auto-correct. TREC’s system flags it as Course Not Found and you have 60 days to send a corrected page or lose the application fee.
Is the $185 application fee refundable if I withdraw?
No. Once TREC accepts the application for review, the fee is non-refundable under 22 TAC §535.101, even if you never take the exam.
How long does my eligibility letter stay valid after TREC issues it?
Yes — it is valid for 180 days. You must schedule and pass both exam sections within that window, or you must request a new letter and may owe additional fees.
Do I need fingerprints if I already have them on file from another Texas license?
No, you do not need new prints if your TREC fingerprint record is current. Note your existing TRN in the application’s fingerprint section so the analyst can match it.
Can I use a P.O. Box for my mailing address?
Yes — for the mailing address only. The residence-address field still requires a physical street address under TREC rules.
What if I answer Yes on a Fitness Question without filing FT-3 first?
No, that is not fatal, but it costs time. TREC will pause your file 60 to 90 days while it investigates, instead of the 5 to 10 day clean-file pace.
Is military spouse processing really faster?
Yes. Under Occupations Code §55.0041, TREC must act on a military spouse’s complete application within 30 days, and the application fee may be waived.
Can I file the form on behalf of someone else?
No. The applicant must sign personally under penalty of perjury, and a third-party signature is grounds for immediate rejection.
What happens if I move during the application review?
Yes — you must update TREC within 10 days. File the Change of Address form the same week you move, or risk a returned-mail hold on your wall license.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Texas TREC Broker License Application (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas TREC Easement and Right-of-Way Agent Registration + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas TREC Inspector License Application (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas TREC Salesperson License Renewal (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas TREC Sponsorship Form (w/Examples) + FAQs
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