How to verify a real estate license in Texas (5 professions)

The five professions and where to check them

Real estate agents and brokers (TREC)

Under Texas Occupations Code § 1101.351, no one may act as a broker or sales agent without a TREC license. A sales agent must work under a sponsoring broker.

The TREC License Holder Search takes a name (“last, first”) or a license number. A check on October 13, 2026 showed, for each record:

• license number and type (for example “Real Estate - Sales Agent License”);
• status: Active, Inactive, Un-Sponsored, Expired, Suspended, Surrendered or Revoked;
• expiration date and registered business names (DBAs);
• for a sales agent, the sponsoring broker and that broker’s license;
• continuing education history, and buttons for “License & License History” and “Disciplinary Actions”.

Our guide to real estate commissions explains who pays the broker.

Home inspectors (TREC)

TREC also licenses inspectors. Occupations Code § 1102.001 sets three levels:

• Apprentice inspector: in training, under the direct supervision of a real estate or professional inspector;
• Real estate inspector: inspects under the indirect supervision of a professional inspector;
• Professional inspector: may inspect on their own.

Search with the license type set to “Inspector”. TREC’s FAQ notes that § 1102.303 bars one person from acting as both inspector and broker or agent in the same deal. For prices, see our home inspection cost guide.

Appraisers (TALCB and the national registry)

Under Occupations Code § 1103.201, only a licensed or certified appraiser, or a supervised trainee, may appraise real estate in Texas. TALCB’s pages describe the scope of each credential:

• Appraiser trainee: works under a supervisory appraiser;
• Licensed residential: non-complex 1–4 unit homes under $1,000,000, complex ones under $400,000;
• Certified residential: 1–4 unit homes of any value or complexity;
• Certified general: all types of property.

TALCB’s search runs on the same TREC License Holder Search (“Real Estate Appraiser”). The federal Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) also keeps a national Appraiser Registry, searchable by state, credential type and name. Each record shows the state, credential number and type, status, and the number of state credentials the person holds. Its filters list certified general, certified residential and licensed appraisers only, so trainees do not appear there. See our appraisal cost guide.

Mortgage loan originators (SML and NMLS)

Texas Finance Code § 180.051 requires a residential mortgage loan originator to hold a state license, renewed every year. Loan officers of banks and credit unions are instead registered in the federal registry (§ 180.003). SML sends the public to NMLS Consumer Access for both.

NMLS Consumer Access is free and searches by name, company, city, ZIP, NMLS ID or license number. Its About page says it covers state-licensed companies and individuals and federally registered loan originators, is updated nightly on business days, and does not show applications not yet approved. Its terms of use, relevant to the public:

• you must accept the terms and pass a character check before you see a record;
• use is limited to deciding whether to do business with a company or person;
• most disclosures appear within two business days of filing, and records stay visible five years after a registration ends;
• the operator does not guarantee that the information is accurate or complete.

Land surveyors (TBPELS)

Under Occupations Code § 1071.251, only a registered or licensed surveyor may practice or offer professional surveying. The titles are Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS), Licensed State Land Surveyor (LSLS), for surveys filed with the General Land Office, and Surveyor-in-Training (SIT).

The RPLS roster searches by number, name, city, state or county. The downloadable file lists the RPLS number, status, grant and expiration dates, and the firm. As of October 2026 the board says only the “Registered” status is valid for practice and that renewals are yearly, while it moves to a two-year cycle under Senate Bill 681 (2025). Since September 1, 2023, the roster no longer shows home addresses or phone numbers. More on prices in our land survey cost guide.

If the license is expired, suspended or missing

Do not sign or pay until the status is active. If the work is already done, you can file a complaint.

• TREC (agents, brokers, inspectors): written, signed complaint, online through its REALM portal, within four years. TREC says it will tell you within 30 days whether it moves forward. It cannot order damages, but its Real Estate Recovery Trust Account pays certain court judgments against agents and brokers, up to $125,000 per transaction (§ 1101.610).
• TALCB (appraisers): signed complaint within four years. It does not settle value disputes. Ask your lender for a “reconsideration of value” instead.
• SML (loan originators): signed, written complaint. Its Recovery Fund can repay out-of-pocket losses caused by a licensed originator, and a separate fund covers fraud by an unlicensed one.
• TBPELS (surveyors): complaint form sent by mail with copies of documents. It accepts anonymous complaints, but you will not hear the outcome.

For a dispute over money or a contract, a real estate attorney is the usual route. The TREC website disclaimer says the agency assumes no liability for use of the information it publishes, so keep a dated screenshot of the record you checked.