By Ethan Faverino |

Legislation sponsored by Senator David Gowan (R-LD19) to modernize Arizona’s timeshare licensing system, strengthen consumer protections, and create industry-specific requirements for timeshare sales professionals has cleared the Arizona Legislature and is now headed to the governor for consideration.

Senate Bill 1274 establishes a dedicated licensing framework for timeshare salespeople, replacing what supporters say is an outdated requirement that forces individuals who exclusively sell timeshares to hold a traditional real estate license.

Under current law, timeshare sales professionals must complete extensive real estate education and pass licensing examinations covering broad areas of real estate law and practice that often have little to no relevance to the sale of timeshare interests.

SB 1274 would create a separate timeshare salesperson license with education and testing requirements focused specifically on Arizona timeshare laws, ownership structures, consumer protections, ethics, and industry-specific business practices.

“Arizona homeowners and consumers deserve to work with professionals who are trained in the products they’re actually selling,” stated Senator Gowan. “For years, timeshare sales professionals have been required to spend countless hours studying for a full real estate licensing exam that covers subjects many of them will never use in their careers. Meanwhile, valuable training time that could have been spent learning Arizona’s timeshare laws, consumer protections, ownership structures, and ethical responsibilities was devoted to unrelated material.”

The legislation defines a “timeshare salesperson” as an individual who works under the supervision of a licensed real estate broker to sell or exchange timeshare properties on behalf of a timeshare plan developer or other authorized entity.

The bill directs the Arizona Department of Real Estate to develop examination preparation courses and testing requirements specifically tailored to the timeshare industry. Applicants would be required to demonstrate competency in areas directly related to timeshare transactions, including Arizona timeshare laws and regulations, ownership methods such as deeds and contracts of sale, leasing arrangements, liens and foreclosure procedures, and business ethics standards governing the sale and exchange of timeshare interests.

Applicants would also be required to demonstrate basic proficiency in arithmetic and the English language, including reading, writing, and spelling, while gaining a general understanding of the statutory and regulatory framework governing timeshare developments and transactions in Arizona.

“SB 1274 brings common sense to the licensing process,” added Gowan. “It creates a pathway that is more focused, more efficient, and more relevant to the real-world responsibilities of timeshare professionals. That means better-trained licensees, better-informed consumers, and stronger protections for Arizona families making important vacation ownership decisions.”

SB 1274 also authorizes the real estate commissioner to issue a one-time, 30 day certificate of convenience to qualifying applicants without examination. Before an applicant may participate in any timeshare offer or sale under the temporary certificate, the complying timeshare plan developer’s designated broker must certify that the individual has received training in applicable timeshare and contract laws.

If signed into law, SB 1274 would take effect on June 30, 2027.

Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.