Relocating licensees
Moving Out of Nevada With a Nevada Real Estate License
You do not have to go inactive, and you should not let it lapse. Nevada has no residency requirement for licensees. Change brokers instead, and keep earning referral income from wherever you land.
Three things to know
What relocation does, and does not, do to your license
Nevada does not require you to live here
A Nevada real estate license is tied to a broker, not to a home address. Licensees who relocate keep their license as long as it remains placed with a licensed Nevada broker, renewed on time, and current on continuing education. Update your address of record with the Division after you move.
Your brokerage is usually the thing that breaks
The common failure is not the state, it is the office. A full-service brokerage expects you in the market: floor time, showings, local MLS access you can no longer use. That is why so many relocating agents go inactive by default, when a broker change would have kept them active.
Referral income travels with you
An active license lets you be paid a referral fee on a transaction anywhere in the country. Your old Las Vegas or Reno network keeps generating introductions long after you move, and your new city generates them too.
Find your situation
Four ways agents leave Nevada
You are moving and will get licensed in your new state
Fine, and the two are not mutually exclusive. Many agents hold a license in their new state for production and keep the Nevada license parked for referrals back into Nevada. Check your new state's rules on holding licenses in multiple states and on receiving referral fees, since those vary.
You are moving and leaving the business
Do not default to letting the license expire. Parking it costs a flat membership and preserves your ability to be paid when your Nevada contacts start calling. See our guide for retiring agents.
You are moving temporarily, for a job or family
Parking is the obvious answer. You stay active and in good standing, avoid reinstatement headaches, and can move back to a full-service Nevada brokerage whenever you return.
You already went inactive after moving
You may be able to reinstate and place your license with a new broker. Time elapsed matters: short lapses are simpler than long ones. Contact us with your dates and we will tell you which form applies.
Before and after the move
A four-step checklist
- 1
Confirm your license status before you go
Look up your current status with the Nevada Real Estate Division. Knowing whether you are active, inactive, or lapsed determines which form you file and how much it costs.
- 2
Change brokers instead of going inactive
Have your current broker sign Form 505 to terminate, then file Form 504 to place your license with Just Referred, with the $20 state fee. Filed together, your license never leaves active status.
- 3
Update your address of record
Nevada licensees are responsible for keeping contact information current with the Division. Do this promptly after your move so renewal notices reach you.
- 4
Keep referring, from wherever you land
Submit referrals through the CRM: Nevada clients to Nevada agents, and new-city clients to vetted agents there. You are paid at closing.
An example
The agent who moved to Boise
A North Las Vegas agent relocated to Idaho for a spouse's job and assumed the license was finished. He went inactive, paid renewal anyway, and spent two years unable to be paid on the Nevada introductions that kept arriving: a former client selling a rental in Aliante, two coworkers from his old office, a cousin buying in Henderson.
He reinstated and placed the license with a referral-only broker. Nothing about his life changed except that the introductions he was already making now route through a brokerage and pay him at closing. The Nevada network did not stop working when he left the state; his license did.
Questions relocating agents ask
Nevada licenses from out of state
- Can I keep my Nevada real estate license if I move out of state?
- Yes. Nevada does not impose a residency requirement on licensees. As long as your license stays placed with a licensed Nevada broker, you renew on time, and you complete continuing education, it remains active regardless of where you live.
- Do I have to put my license on inactive status when I leave Nevada?
- No, and it is usually the wrong move. Inactive status means you cannot be paid any part of a commission, including referral fees, while still facing renewal and education obligations. Transferring to a referral-only broker keeps the license active instead.
- Can I earn referral fees on out-of-state transactions with a Nevada license?
- Yes. An active license held with a broker is what allows compensation to flow to you, and referral fees are routinely paid across state lines between brokerages. The client works with a licensed agent in their own state; you are paid for the introduction.
- Can I practice real estate in my new state with a Nevada license?
- No. Licensing is state by state. Your Nevada license lets you refer, not to list, show, or negotiate in another state. To practice there, you need that state's license, and some states offer reciprocity or a shortened path for existing licensees.
- What forms do I need to change brokers before moving?
- Active licensees use Form 505 for termination and Form 504 for the transfer, with a $20 state fee. Inactive under 30 days also uses Form 504. Inactive longer than 30 days generally requires Form 544 reinstatement first. Confirm current forms and fees with the Division.
- Will continuing education still apply if I live elsewhere?
- Yes. Nevada CE requirements follow the license, not your address. Approved providers offer the required hours online, which is how most out-of-state Nevada licensees complete them.
- How much does it cost to keep a Nevada license active from out of state?
- With Just Referred, $12.95 per month or $125 per year, plus the state renewal fee and continuing education you would owe anyway. No MLS, association, or desk fees, which is the point: you cannot use local MLS access from another state.
Related: parking your Nevada license, options for retiring agents, and the FAQ.
Forms, fees, residency, and reinstatement rules come from the Nevada Real Estate Division. Confirm current details with the Division, and check the licensing rules of your new state separately.
Leaving Nevada? Take your license with you.
Transfer to Just Referred before you move and keep your Nevada license active and earning from anywhere in the country.
- Monthly
- $12.95/mo
- Annual
- $125/yr
No setup fees. Cancel anytime.