There is some confusion regarding how much Ethics training is required to maintain a real estate license. To renew your license with the Department of Real Estate, one three-hour general Ethics course is required every four years.

However, members of trade unions such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and its subsidiary branches and boards [including the California Association of Realtors (CAR)] must complete two and a half hours of Ethics focused primarily on NAR’s Code of Ethics guidelines as part of keeping their board memberships. Whether or not a state-approved Ethics course satisfies the NAR Ethics requirement is a decision NAR leaves up to the individual boards.

The take-away message? Realtors just require more hours of Ethics training than do other licensees.