(a) Effective April 1, 2006, the Commission shall discontinue issuing real estate salesperson licenses. Also effective April 1, 2006, all salesperson licenses shall become broker licenses, and each person holding a broker license that was changed from salesperson to broker on that date shall be classified as a provisional broker as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-2(a2).

(b) A provisional broker as contemplated in subsection (a) of this section who was issued a salesperson license prior to October 1, 2005, shall, not later than April 1, 2008, complete a broker transition course prescribed by the Commission, not to exceed 24 classroom hours of instruction, or shall demonstrate to the Commission that he or she possesses four years’ full-time real estate brokerage experience or equivalent part-time real estate brokerage experience within the previous six years. If the provisional broker satisfies this requirement by April 1, 2008, the provisional status of his or her broker license will be terminated, and the broker will not be required to complete the 90-classroom-hour broker postlicensing education program prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1). If the provisional broker fails to satisfy this requirement by April 1, 2008, his or her license will be placed on inactive status, if not already on inactive status, and he or she must complete the 90-classroom-hour broker postlicensing education program prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1) in order to terminate the provisional status of the broker license and to be eligible to return his or her license to active status.

(c) An approved school or sponsor shall pay a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per licensee to the Commission for each licensee completing a broker transition course conducted by the school or sponsor, provided that these fees shall not be charged to a community college, junior college, college, or university located in this State and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

(d) A provisional broker as contemplated in subsection (a) of this section, who was issued a salesperson license between October 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006, shall, not later than April 1, 2009, satisfy the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1). Upon satisfaction of the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1), the provisional status of the broker’s license will be terminated. If the provisional broker fails to satisfy the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1) by April 1, 2009, the broker’s license shall be cancelled, and the person will be subject to the requirements for licensure reinstatement prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1).

(e) A broker who was issued a broker license prior to April 1, 2006, shall not be required to complete either the 90-classroom-hour broker postlicensing education program prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 93A-4(a1) or the broker transition course prescribed by subsection (b) of this section.

(f) For the purpose of determining a licensee’s status, rights, and obligations under this section, the Commission may treat a person who is issued a license on or after the October 1, 2005, or April 1, 2006, dates cited in subsections (a), (b), (d), or (e) of this section as though the person had been issued a license prior to those dates if the only reason the person’s license was not issued prior to those dates was that the person’s application was pending a determination by the Commission as to whether the applicant possessed the requisite moral character for licensure. If a license application is pending on April 1, 2006, for any reason other than a determination by the Commission as to the applicant’s moral character for licensure, and if the applicant has not satisfied all education and examination requirements for licensing in effect on April 1, 2006, the applicant’s application shall be cancelled and the application fee refunded.

(g) No applications for a real estate salesperson license shall be accepted by the Commission between September 1, 2005, and September 30, 2005. (2005-395, s. 7.)