Build a DOL-approved online real estate course in Washington

Washington approves each distance delivery method separately, against twelve written criteria, unless the method already carries ARELLO certification and enforces clock hours. The criteria read like a product spec: mastery checks, remediation, an inactivity shutdown and written certification of the hours. Vaylo Studios builds to that spec for your school, and the code is yours.

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What DOL requires of an online course

Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). Summarized from the rule text, with the citation for each so you can check it yourself.

  1. 01

    The school, its administrator and the course come first

    WAC 308-124H-805 and 308-124H-880

    School and administrator approval is required before courses are offered, and the school may not promote a course before it is approved. Course approval is required before a course is offered for clock hour credit and expires four years after its effective date. No completion certificate may be issued unless the course was approved before the first day of instruction.

  2. 02

    Interactive means feedback and contact

    WAC 308-124H-830 and 308-124H-835

    Distance delivery uses interactive methods such as web casts, webinars, interactive software and internet-based courses. Interactive means students can access or bypass optional content, answer test items with direct feedback and reach the instructor or other students on an immediate or reasonably delayed basis. Passive delivery alone does not qualify.

  3. 03

    Twelve criteria for each delivery method

    WAC 308-124H-840

    Each distance method needs its own application. Among the criteria: objectives for every learning unit, modules with an objective, quantitative mastery criterion, regular interactive events, individual remediation, progress measured at regular intervals with automatic shutdown after inactivity, an orientation, and a course evaluation form for each student.

  4. 04

    Security over who earns the hours

    WAC 308-124H-840(3), (8) and (11)

    The provider shows reasonable security that the student receiving credit is the one who enrolled and completed the course. Both the school and the student certify in writing that the course and its clock hours were completed, and the application explains how the clock hours were determined.

  5. 05

    ARELLO certification skips the method application

    WAC 308-124H-845

    With evidence of ARELLO certification of the delivery method, no separate distance method application is required, provided a clock hour enforcement mechanism is in place.

  6. 06

    Three questions per hour on long courses

    WAC 308-124H-820(4), (6) and (8)

    Courses run at least three clock hours, each 50 minutes of actual instruction, with an approved instructor available to answer on an immediate or reasonably delayed basis. A course of 30 clock hours or more needs a comprehensive exam with at least three questions per clock hour, no fewer than 90 questions, and a passing grade of at least 70 percent.

  7. 07

    Updates within thirty days and five years of records

    WAC 308-124H-850, 308-124H-895 and 308-124H-935

    Course materials are updated within thirty days of a law or rule change. The administrator signs completion certificates, safeguards comprehensive exams, enters completion dates for broker candidates into the testing center database promptly and keeps student records for at least five years.

Would your course pass DOL today?

7 questions, one per rule above, about how you deliver the course now. You see the result right away.

Question 1 of 7

WAC 308-124H-805 and 308-124H-880

The school, its administrator and the course come first

School and administrator approval is required before courses are offered, and the school may not promote a course before it is approved. Course approval is required before a course is offered for clock hour credit and expires four years after its effective date. No completion certificate may be issued unless the course was approved before the first day of instruction.

Does your current setup do this?

How the platform is built to it

Your course, on your site, under your name. Every requirement above is a feature, not a promise in the application.

Mastery modules with remediation

Units split into modules, each with its learning objective and a quantitative mastery score. A student who misses the mark gets individual remediation before moving on, which covers criteria two and five of WAC 308-124H-840.

Clock hour enforcement and inactivity shutdown

Seat time is enforced at 50 minutes per clock hour and the session shuts down after a period of inactivity. That enforcement is also the mechanism the ARELLO path in WAC 308-124H-845 requires.

Written certification from both sides

At completion the student and the school each sign a certification of the course and its clock hours, stored with the record. Identity checks at login back up the security showing the enrolled student did the work.

Comprehensive exams at three per hour

For courses of 30 clock hours or more, the exam builder enforces at least three questions per clock hour and a 90 question floor, scores at 70 percent and keeps the bank locked down.

Certificates, evaluations and five year records

Certificates carry every field WAC 308-124H-855 lists. Each student gets the course evaluation form, and records stay on file for at least five years.

The path to DOL approval

  1. 1

    Get the school and its administrator approved before any course is offered or promoted (WAC 308-124H-880).

  2. 2

    Apply for course approval, using the most recent department curriculum for any reserved course title (WAC 308-124H-805 and 308-124H-810).

  3. 3

    For each distance delivery method, file the twelve criteria application, or show ARELLO certification of the method with clock hour enforcement in place (WAC 308-124H-840 and 308-124H-845).

  4. 4

    Renew course approval before its four year expiration, and school approval before its two year expiration (WAC 308-124H-805 and 308-124H-880).

The terms

We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

One flat fee
Quoted per course before any work starts. No hourly billing and no surprise line items.
Final payment on approval
The last payment is due when the regulator approves the course, so the platform has to pass review before it is paid for in full.
No per-student fees
You keep what every enrollment pays. Nothing is skimmed per seat, per certificate or per month of traffic.
You own it
The platform, the code and the student records are yours outright, on your site and under your brand.

Questions schools ask

Does Washington require ARELLO certification for online real estate courses?

It is optional. A school may file a separate application for each distance delivery method against the twelve criteria in WAC 308-124H-840, or show ARELLO certification of the method under WAC 308-124H-845, provided a clock hour enforcement mechanism is in place.

How long must the final exam be for prelicensing?

Any course of 30 clock hours or more needs a comprehensive exam with at least three questions per clock hour and no fewer than 90 questions, with a passing grade of at least 70 percent. The administrator is responsible for safeguarding those exams.

Does Washington require a proctor for online courses?

The chapter does not set a proctor or photo ID rule. It asks for reasonable security that the student receiving credit is the one who enrolled and completed the course, plus written certification of completion from both the school and the student.

Who owns what we build?

Your school owns the code, the domain and the student records, and nobody charges you per student. Every course has one fixed price, and the final payment follows DOL approval of the course. Monthly upkeep for hosting and rule changes is optional. We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

Price your DOL course

Tell us the course and how you teach it now. You get a flat price back by email, and a list of what the application will ask about the platform.

Or email [email protected]

Sources

Read from the sources above on October 17, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current text with DOL before you apply. This page is not legal advice.

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