How to verify a real estate license in New Jersey

The five trades at a glance

How do I verify a real estate agent or broker?

The Real Estate Commission, part of the Department of Banking and Insurance, issues licenses to brokers, broker-salespersons and salespersons under N.J.S.A. 45:15-1 et seq. Its home page links to a Licensee Search. Ask the agent for their name and license reference number and compare them with the record, including the employing broker.

Useful details from the Commission:

• Renewal cycle: the current cycle runs 2025-2027, and licenses renew by June 30, 2027. The Commission says a license that expired on June 30, 2025 can be reinstated until June 30, 2027, so an “expired” record is not always a permanent end.
• Written proof: for a certified status or history, you can ask the Commission in writing. The fee listed is $25 for current status and $50 for a history across more than one employing broker since 1999.
• Referral agents: the Commission also licenses salespersons working for a real estate referral company.
• Protection: the Commission administers a Real Estate Guaranty Fund that protects people harmed by embezzlement or conversion by licensees, funded by licensee assessments rather than taxpayer money.

Under the 2024 law, your agent must also give you a Consumer Information Statement and a written brokerage services agreement. See our real estate commission guide.

How do I verify a mortgage loan originator?

New Jersey requires a license for anyone who, for compensation, takes a residential mortgage application or negotiates loan terms on New Jersey property. The Department of Banking and Insurance says an originator must work for one, and only one, licensed New Jersey residential mortgage lender, correspondent lender or broker.

Applicants must complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved education (4 hours of New Jersey content), pass the national and state SAFE tests, and clear federal and state background checks. Licenses are processed through NMLS. The Department lists exemptions, such as licensed attorneys negotiating a loan as an ancillary matter for a client, and real estate agents not engaged in the mortgage business.

To check a person, look up the originator’s NMLS identification number on the federal NMLS Consumer Access website, or call the Department’s Licensing Services Bureau at (609) 292-7272. We could not open the NMLS site from our research environment, so confirm what it shows yourself. See our private mortgage insurance and FHA loans guides for loan basics.

How do I verify a home inspector?

Home inspectors are licensed by the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, which has a Home Inspection Advisory Committee. N.J.S.A. 45:8-67 says no person shall provide, or present themselves as able to provide, a home inspection for compensation unless licensed. A licensed inspector must:

• complete a 180-hour approved course including 40 field hours, or have performed at least 250 supervised fee-paid inspections;
• pass the committee’s exam;
• carry errors and omissions coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence, filed with the board.

The law does not apply to certain people acting within their own profession, including code officials, engineers, architects, licensed real estate agents and appraisers. This is the Division of Consumer Affairs courtesy copy revised in 2013, so check for later changes. Search for the inspector by name in the Division’s verification system, choosing the matching profession; if you cannot find a listing, call the automated line below. See also our home inspection cost guide.

How do I verify an appraiser?

Appraisers are credentialed by the State Real Estate Appraiser Board, within the Division of Consumer Affairs, under the Real Estate Appraisers Act (P.L. 1991, c.68). The Board’s application packet describes four levels:

• Trainee;
• Licensed Residential: non-complex one- to four-unit homes under $1,000,000, or complex ones under $250,000;
• Certified Residential: one to four units without regard to value or complexity;
• Certified General.

Search for the appraiser in the Division’s verification system, choosing the matching profession, then check the federal Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) Appraiser Registry, which lets you search for appraisers authorized by a state to work on federally related transactions. See our appraisal cost guide.

How do I verify a land surveyor?

The State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors regulates land surveyors. We could not open an official statute or board page for surveyors during our research. Search the Consumer Affairs verification system under the Board’s licensees, or call the automated line at 973-273-8090. See our land survey cost guide.

How does the Consumer Affairs system work?

The Division of Consumer Affairs License Verification System is described as “real-time” with access to the most current license information. Business licenses (for example, home improvement contractors) are found through Business Search; individual licensees through Person Search. The page lists an automated telephone line, 973-273-8090, where you can verify by entering a license number.

What if a license is expired or suspended?

• Do not pay a deposit or sign an agreement until the status is clear.
• For an agent, ask the employing broker. The Commission can issue a certification of status for a fee.
• For a complaint about a real estate licensee, use the Department’s Consumer Assistance form, which the Commission links.
• Ask your attorney before relying on any work done by an unlicensed person. See our real estate attorney page.