(225 ILCS 454/5-70)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2030)

Sec. 5-70. Continuing education requirement; managing broker or broker.

(a) The requirements of this Section apply to all managing brokers and brokers.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each person who applies for renewal of a license as a managing broker or broker must successfully complete 12 hours of real estate continuing education courses recommended by the Board and approved by the Department during the current term of the license. In addition, those licensees renewing or obtaining a managing broker's license must successfully complete a 12-hour broker management continuing education course approved by the Department during the current term of the license. The broker management continuing education course must be completed in the classroom or through a live, interactive webinar or online distance education format. No license may be renewed except upon the successful completion of the required courses or their equivalent or upon a waiver of those requirements for good cause shown as determined by the Secretary upon the recommendation of the Board. The requirements of this Article are applicable to all managing brokers and brokers except those managing brokers and brokers who, during the current term of licensure:

(1) serve in the armed services of the United States;

(2) serve as an elected State or federal official;

(3) serve as a full-time employee of the Department; or

(4) are admitted to practice law pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court rule.

(c) (Blank).

(d) A person receiving an initial license during the 90 days before the renewal date shall not be required to complete the continuing education courses provided for in subsection (b) of this Section as a condition of initial license renewal.

(e) The continuing education requirement for brokers and managing brokers shall consist of a single core curriculum and an elective curriculum, to be recommended by the Board and approved by the Department in accordance with this subsection. The core curriculum shall not be further divided into subcategories or divisions of instruction. The core curriculum shall consist of 4 hours during the current term of the license on subjects that may include, but are not limited to, advertising, agency, disclosures, escrow, fair housing, residential leasing agent management, and license law. The amount of time allotted to each of these subjects shall be recommended by the Board and determined by the Department. The Department, upon the recommendation of the Board, shall review the core curriculum every 4 years, at a minimum, and shall revise the curriculum if necessary. However, the core curriculum's total hourly requirement shall only be subject to change by amendment of this subsection, and any change to the core curriculum shall not be effective for a period of 6 months after such change is made by the Department. The Department shall provide notice to all approved education providers of any changes to the core curriculum. When determining whether revisions of the core curriculum's subjects or specific time requirements are necessary, the Board shall consider recent changes in applicable laws, new laws, and areas of the license law and the Department policy that the Board deems appropriate, and any other subject areas the Board deems timely and applicable in order to prevent violations of this Act and to protect the public. In establishing a recommendation to the Department regarding the elective curriculum, the Board shall consider subjects that cover the various aspects of the practice of real estate that are covered under the scope of this Act.

(f) The subject areas of continuing education courses recommended by the Board and approved by the Department shall be meant to protect the professionalism of the industry, the consumer, and the public and prevent violations of this Act and may include without limitation the following:

(1) license law and escrow;

(2) antitrust;

(3) fair housing;

(4) agency;

(5) appraisal;

(6) property management;

(7) residential brokerage;

(8) farm property management;

(9) transaction management rights and duties of parties in a transaction;

(10) commercial brokerage and leasing;

(11) real estate financing;

(12) disclosures;

(13) residential leasing agent management;

(14) advertising;

(15) broker supervision and designated managing broker responsibility;

(16) professional conduct; and

(17) use of technology.

(g) In lieu of credit for those courses listed in subsection (f) of this Section, credit may be earned for serving as a licensed instructor in an approved course of continuing education. The amount of credit earned for teaching a course shall be the amount of continuing education credit for which the course is approved for licensees taking the course.

(h) Credit hours may be earned for self-study programs approved by the Department.

(i) A managing broker or broker may earn credit for a specific continuing education course only once during the current term of the license.

(j) No more than 12 hours of continuing education credit may be taken in one calendar day.

(k) To promote the offering of a uniform and consistent course content, the Department may provide for the development of a single broker management course to be offered by all education providers who choose to offer the broker management continuing education course. The Department may contract for the development of the 12-hour broker management continuing education course with an outside vendor or consultant and, if the course is developed in this manner, the Department or the outside consultant shall license the use of that course to all approved education providers who wish to provide the course.

(l) Except as specifically provided in this Act, continuing education credit hours may not be earned for completion of pre-license or post-license courses. The courses comprising the approved 45-hour post-license curriculum for broker licensees shall satisfy the continuing education requirement for the initial broker license term. The approved 45-hour managing broker pre-license brokerage administration and management course shall satisfy the 12-hour broker management continuing education requirement for the initial managing broker license term.

(Source: P.A. 101-357, eff. 8-9-19; 102-970, eff. 5-27-22.)