All applicants for licensure as a real estate professional are required by law to possess good character, trustworthiness, honesty and integrity. See N.J.S.A. 45:15-9. Consequently, all applicants for licensure must submit to a criminal history record check. In addition, when taking the state examination (after successfully completing the real estate licensure course), the applicant will be required to answer screening questions about their qualifications to receive a real estate license. For example, a licensee must be over the age of 18 and must have a high school diploma or its equivalent on the date of the examination.

However, the screening questions also make inquiry into criminal histories. N.J.S.A. 45:15-12.1 specifically prohibits licensure to anyone that has been convicted of forgery, burglary, robbery, any theft offense other than shoplifting, criminal conspiracy to defraud or other like offenses within the 5 (five) years preceding the application for licensure.

Convictions for shoplifting or other offenses or convictions for those offenses stated in the preceding paragraph which occurred more than five (5) years ago or the loss of a real estate or other professional license for cause, may constitute grounds for the denial of a license under N.J.S.A. 45:15-9. The Commission considers the date and nature of all convictions and other indicia of the applicant’s character, honesty, trustworthiness and integrity when evaluating an applicant’s qualifications for licensure.

After successfully passing the real estate licensure examination, you will be required to sign a form on which you certify that your screening question answers are accurate and truthful. That form is part of your application for licensure. Providing false information in response to your screening questions is grounds for the denial of your application and for the suspension or revocation of any license issued to you, as well as the imposition of a substantial fine. See N.J.S.A. 45:15-17(n). 

If answers to screening questions raise concerns with the Commission about the qualifications of an applicant, the candidate will be given the opportunity to submit a full, written explanation of their response.      

***THEREFORE,  IT IS BETTER TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF DISCLOSURE THAN TO ANSWER IN A WAY THAT MAY RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER YOUR ANSWERS WERE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL.***