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Home > NJ Real Estate Commission > Licensing and Education > License Candidate Fingerprinting
Real Estate License Candidate Fingerprinting

Please Note:

License candidates now have the option to take real estate salesperson, broker and instructor license examinations remotely or in person at one of the PSI Services testing centers. In-person and remote exams may be scheduled online at: https://www.psiexams.com/njre

New Fees Effective June 1, 2019

ALL Candidates for New Jersey Real Estate Licenses are required to complete the fingerprinting process known as Live Scan as a condition of securing a real estate license.

This includes all new candidates for individual Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker-Salesperson, Real Estate Broker and Salesperson Referral licenses as well as any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license to conduct business as a Real Estate brokerage company.

Candidates for Real Estate Instructor licenses and for directors and principals of applicants for Real Estate School licenses are required to complete the fingerprinting process as a condition of securing the respective real estate licenses. 


Individual candidates have one year from the completion date of their pre-licensure education to take and pass the State examination administered by PSI Services LLC AND to file a fully completed application for licensure with the Licensing Services Bureau, Real Estate.  In order to avoid problems with the expiration of their one year of eligibility for licensure and to make a timely filing, candidates MUST complete the fingerprinting process as soon as possible after PASSING the State examination.

Applications for licensure WILL NOT be accepted without a fully completed application, the appropriate license fee and evidence of the completion of the fingerprinting process. 

Evidence of completion of the fingerprinting process MUST include:

(1) a copy of the applicant’s completed Universal Form (IDG_NJAPP_051719_V1) (see below); and

(2) a copy of the payment receipt issued by IDEMIA, the Live Scan fingerprint vendor, at the time of completion of the fingerprinting.

 
To Get Fingerprinted...
 
 
Instructions for Live Scan: Electronic Fingerprinting Process

Criminal History Background Investigation

New Jersey law requires that every applicant and any officer, director, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license as a Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker/Salesperson, Real Estate Broker, Salesperson Referral, Real Estate Instructor, or Real Estate School issued by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission must submit fingerprints and written consent for a criminal history record check. Previously, fingerprinting involved the manual ink and roll method; however new technology allows for electronic impressions.

To provide for a timely and efficient criminal history background review, the New Jersey Real Estate Commission/Department of Banking and Insurance will be utilizing the State Police coordinated non-criminal justice fingerprinting process known as Live Scan. The State of New Jersey has contracted with a vendor, IDEMIA, to perform this service. The company has established permanent sites throughout the State as well as several mobile units available to meet their contractual agreement.
Applicant Notification
and Record Challenge:  		Your fingerprints will be used to check the criminal history records of the FBI.  You have the opportunity to complete or challenge the accuracy of the information contained in the FBI identification record.  The procedure for obtaining a change, correction, or updating an FBI identification record are set forth in Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 16.34.
 

How to Schedule an Appointment

Prior to contacting the vendor, each candidate MUST complete the appropriate Universal Form (IDG_NJAPP_051719_V1) depending upon the license type they are seeking.

Appointment scheduling is available via the Internet 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The Department encourages everyone to schedule their appointment using the vendor website to avoid telephone holding times.

For applicants who do not have internet access, appointments are available through the toll-free call center at 1-877-503-5981 on a first call, first served basis Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Hearing impaired scheduling is available at 1-800-673-0353. English and Spanish operators are available through the Call Center.

 
Please Note...
  • Make sure that you are completing the correct Universal Form (IDG_NJAPP_051719_V1) by identifying the license type in section #4 on the form.
  • Once the proper form is completed you may schedule an appointment. Do NOT discard the Universal form as it will need to be presented at your scheduled appointment.
 
Processing Fee

All applicants must pay the criminal history record check fee directly to IDEMIA. The total cost for this process is $66.05. Payment will be required at the time of scheduling. The following forms of payment are accepted: Visa, MasterCard, American Expresss, Discover and prepaid debit cards, or electronic debit (ACH) from a checking account.
 
Cancellation Fee

An appointment fee of $12 plus tax ($12.80) is charged to cover the cost of a scheduled appointment for applicants who do not cancel/reschedule by 5 p.m. EST on the business day prior to the scheduled appointment (Saturday noon for Monday appointments). An appointment fee of $12 plus tax ($12.80) also applies to applicants who are turned away from the printing sites due to their inability to present proper ID or who fail to present the proper and current version of the Universal Fingerprint form. All refunds are issued by IDEMIA.
 
Selecting the Proper Universal Form

The Real Estate Commission issues several different license types that require fingerprinting. The proper Universal Form must be completed for scheduling and presented at the appointment or you will be turned away from the scanning center and charged an appointment fee, as described above. The license type is identified in field #4 of the Universal Form. In addition, please be sure to use the most current version of the form.

 

Proper Identification

ACCEPTABLE ID REQUIREMENTS - ID MUST include Photo, Name, Address (Home/Employer) and Date of Birth. Acceptable ID MUST be issued by a Federal, State, County, or Municipal entity for Identification purposes. Examples of acceptable ID are 1) Valid Photo Driver's License or Valid Photo ID issued by any State DMV or NJ MVC, 2) Passport. Acceptable ID MUST meet all of the underlined requirements above and MUST be present on one (1) ID. Combinations of documents are NOT acceptable. If acceptable ID is not presented you will not be fingerprinted.

 

PLEASE NOTE...

If you live, work or go to school in New Jersey you MUST be fingerprinted in person at one of the IDEMIA facilities. 

If you do NOT live, work or go to school in New Jersey and if you are NOT located within ten miles of one of New Jersey’s borders, you must contact the Licensing Services Bureau, Real Estate  for instructions as to the procedure you need to follow to comply with the fingerprinting requirement. Call 609-292-7272 or send an e-mail to relic@dobi.nj.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
 
Who needs to schedule a fingerprint scan for criminal history purposes as a condition of receiving a real estate license?
  • All new applicants for New Jersey Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker/Salesperson, Real Estate Broker or Salesperson Referral licenses
  • Any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license to conduct business as a Real Estate broker company
  • Any new individuals becoming affiliated with an existing licensed Real Estate broker company as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest
  • All new applicants for Real Estate Instructor licenses
  • Any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license as a Real Estate School
  • Any new individuals becoming affiliated with an existing licensed Real Estate School as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest
 
If an individual has been fingerprinted in the State of New Jersey for another purpose, is the individual required to go through the process again?

Yes.  Regulations concerning dissemination of criminal history information prohibit its use outside the intended purpose. Federal and State security and privacy regulations dictate that dissemination of this information may only be for the purpose expressed in the form field identified as "Reason Fingerprinted." Sharing of criminal history information is therefore prohibited.
 

How do I begin the process?

The first step is to download the current version of the Universal Form (IDG_NJAPP_051719_V1).

Following completion of the proper universal form, contact the Live Scan fingerprint vendor for New Jersey to schedule an appointment.

 
What do I bring to the scanning center?

Scanning centers are located throughout the State. You must bring to the scanning center:
  1. Photo identification. ID MUST include Photo, Name, Address (Home/Employer) and Date of Birth. Acceptable ID MUST be issued by a Federal, State, County, or Municipal entity for Identification purposes. Examples of acceptable ID are 1) Valid Photo Driver's License or Valid Photo ID issued by any State DMV or NJ MVC, 2) Passport. Acceptable ID MUST meet all of the underlined requirements above and MUST be present on one (1) ID. Combinations of documents are NOT acceptable. If acceptable ID is not presented you will not be fingerprinted.
  2. A properly completed Universal Form (IDG_NJAPP_051719_V1).
 

When should I schedule the fingerprint scan?

For real estate salesperson, broker-salesperson, broker and salesperson (referral) candidates, the Department suggests that you schedule the fingerprint scan immediately after you pass the real estate licensing exam.

For a real estate instructor, we recommend that you schedule your fingerprint scan no more than three (3) months prior to submitting your application for licensure regardless of when you pass the state exam.  Your fingerprint confirmation receipt must be submitted with your application.

For a real estate Director/Principal of a real estate school, we recommend that you schedule your fingerprint exam no more than three (3) months prior to submitting your application for licensure.  Your fingerprint confirmation receipt must be submitted with your application.

The scheduled appointment will be within 7 to 10 days of completing the scheduling process. Remember that we suggest you take advantage of online appointment scheduling. Real Estate salesperson, broker-salesperson, broker and salesperson referral candidates MUST complete the fingerprinting process in sufficient time to file a license application prior to the eligibility expiration date as it appears on their passing score report issued by PSI Services LLC.  This date is one year from the date of pre-licensure education course completion.

NOTE: The eligibility expiration date is NOT one year from the date of passing the State examination.
 
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