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RE License Guide

Michigan real estate licensing

Michigan Real Estate Salesperson License requirements

A practical, source-checked guide to qualifying, passing the exam, applying, and keeping this license active.

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor  ·  Verified  ·  RE License Guide Editorial Desk

Source checked 7 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
40 clock hours of approved prelicensure including at least 4 clock hours of civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing
Exam fee
$79
Published fees
$88
Typical timeline
40 hours plus MiPLUS authorization (Candidate ID email after approval) plus PSI seating plus employing-broker approval
01

What to know first

Michigan's 40 is the low-hour paper, and MiPLUS is the gate. The live LARA Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Guide (revision date 1/26/2026, fetched 2026-09-02 from michigan.gov/lara) prints the original-file bible: must be at least 18; complete 40 hours of approved prelicensure education courses which includes at least 4 hours of civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing; proof of a passing score on the Real Estate Salesperson examination administered by PSI; an employing broker must sponsor you. MCL 339.2504(2) is the statute behind that 40-and-4 and the 36-month window: the applicant must complete the 40 hours of prelicensure education within the 36-month period preceding the date of the application. R 339.22203(4) restates it. A 60-hour Ohio leftover and a 75-hour Indiana classroom certificate are not this 40, and they do not contain the 4-hour civil-rights block.

Sequence is the trap. Live guide FAQ 15 and the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (test-takers.psiexams.com/mire, copyright 2026, updated 7/6/2026, fetched 2026-09-02): if you are applying for a real estate salesperson license you must first submit the online application in MiPLUS and upload a copy of your 40-hour certificate before you can be made eligible for the exam. After approval you receive an email from PSI with a Candidate ID; you need that ID to register. Broker applicants do not. Examination fee $79, not refundable; fees expire after one year of registering; forfeit if you do not test within 1 year of PSI receiving the fee. The live Examination Summary Table is a combined sitting: Salesperson 115 questions (115 points), passing 70%, passing raw score 80, time allowed 180 minutes. Experimental items, generally approximately 10% of the number of questions, may be administered and are not scored but count against time. Passing candidates receive ONLY a score indication of PASS — numeric scores are not available. The content outline still splits 80 national + 35 Michigan; the live table does not print independently scored cuts. Do not import a blog "56 of 80 and 25 of 35" as if it were the bulletin.

After you pass, the result posts to the application; you enter the employing broker's 10-digit license number in MiPLUS (Modification); the broker approves; the license issues by email. A salesperson shall not be licensed as a broker or associate broker while holding a salesperson license, and shall not be licensed to more than one broker at the same time (live FAQ 9–10). Michigan does not offer escrow — "No Employer" status until expiration, or a holding-company transfer. Exam results are valid one year from the date of passing; applications are valid one year from the date of payment; prelicensure is valid 36 months from completion (live FAQ 13). This paper cannot be renamed to another state: Elliott-Larsen, the Land Division Act, the Michigan Right to Farm Act, MSHDA, and the Seller Disclosure Act are scored Michigan items, and the cut is a combined 70% / raw 80 of 115.

02

Your path to the license

Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.

  1. Complete 40 approved hours including 4 hours civil rights / equal opportunity in housing (inside 36 months)

    Live salesperson guide + MCL 339.2504(2). Approved course list on michigan.gov/bpl. Verified live 2026-09-02.

  2. File MiPLUS salesperson application, upload the 40-hour certificate, pay $88

    Candidate ID email follows. Do not call PSI first.

  3. PSI $79: combined 115 items / 180 minutes at 70% (raw 80)

    Not independently scored portions. PASS only. Score good one year. Experimental ~10% count against time.

  4. Enter employing broker 10-digit license number in MiPLUS; broker approves; license issues by email

    One broker at a time. No escrow product. Wall license goes to the broker.

  5. 3-year cycle: 18 CE hours with not less than 2 legal + 1 fair housing in each year of the cycle; $78 renewal

    Complete CE before you submit the renewal. Keep evidence 4 years. Relicensure < 3 years is 6 hours per year/partial year elapsed (2 legal + 1 fair housing per year).

03

Education and eligibility

Minimum age
18 years old
Identification
A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
Residency and identification
Live guide: 18. SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt. Non-Michigan residents submit Consent to Service of Process; salespersons may have an out-of-state address or a P.O. Box. Broker companies, individual brokers, and branch offices must have a physical address in Michigan — that is a broker product, not a salesperson bar. Prelicensure 40 hours within 36 months preceding the application (MCL 339.2504(2) / live FAQ 13).
Qualifying education
Live salesperson guide (rev 1/26/2026, fetched 2026-09-02) and MCL 339.2504(2) / R 339.22203(4). Approved courses: michigan.gov/bpl → LICENSE LISTS AND REPORTS → Real Estate Approved Courses Report. Upload the 40-hour certificate with the MiPLUS application before PSI eligibility. Classroom-course language in the statute; approved distance courses appear on the live course report — follow the current PDF, not a blog. A 90-hour Indiana or 120-hour Ohio certificate is not this 40.
Education or filing deadline
Prelicensure valid 36 months from the date of completion for initial licensure (live FAQ 13). Exam results valid one year from passing. Applications valid one year from payment. Relicensure over 3 years that uses a new 40-hour course: certificates valid 1 year (MCL 339.2502a / live FAQ 13).
Character review
Live guide: ability and will to serve the public in a fair, honest, and open manner; if a judgment of guilt in a criminal proceeding or a civil action, rehabilitated or the substance of the former offense is not reasonably related to the occupation. Convictions reviewed case by case (FAQ 7). MCL 339.2505's embezzlement/misappropriation bar is the broker sentence; it is still the character statute salespersons should read before they check the box. Non-disclosure is independently disqualifying. Appeal to the Board if denied.
Background process
MiPLUS good-moral-character questions. No fingerprint dollar on the live 1/26/2026 guide or the 7/6/2026 PSI bulletin. Do not invent IdentoGO.
Experience
No licensed experience for the salesperson hanging. An employing broker must approve you in MiPLUS after you pass. Broker later: 3 years of full-time experience in real estate or a department-determined related field, plus 90 hours including 9 civil rights in addition to the salesperson 40.
Broker affiliation
Live guide: you are required to have a licensed individual broker or broker company sponsor you. After you pass, Modification in MiPLUS with the employing broker's 10-digit license number; the broker approves; the license issues. A salesperson shall be licensed to a broker and shall not be licensed to more than one broker at the same time. Wall license and pocket card go to the employing broker (email e-copy; $10 reprint). Michigan does not offer escrow — employer-remove puts you in "No Employer" status until expiration, or you transfer to a holding company (a licensed broker company that holds licenses for people not actively practicing). The State does not publish a list of holding companies.

Documents to prepare

  • 40-hour certificate including 4 civil rights, dated inside 36 months
  • MiPLUS salesperson application + $88 (Candidate ID follows)
  • PSI combined 115/180 min at 70% (raw 80) inside the one-year score life
  • Employing broker 10-digit license number in MiPLUS after you pass
  • Consent to Service of Process if you are not a Michigan resident
04

The licensing exam

PSI Michigan Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (test-takers.psiexams.com/mire; (855) 579-4635; copyright 2026, updated 7/6/2026; fetched 2026-09-02). Salesperson candidates: MiPLUS authorization first; Candidate ID email; then schedule. $79 per attempt, not refundable, expires after one year of registering. Examination Summary Table: Salesperson 115 questions (115 points), 70%, raw 80, 180 minutes. Combined sitting — the live table does not print a separate national minute, a separate state minute, or independently scored cuts. Content outline still names an 80-item national salesperson outline (Property Ownership 10%, Land Use 5%, Valuation 8%, Financing 10%, Contracts 19%, Agency 13%, Disclosures 7%, Property Management 3%, Transfer 6%, Practice 12%, Calculations 7%) plus a Michigan state outline totaling 35 items: Duties and Powers of the Department and the State Board (3), Licensing Requirements (5), Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (10), Contractual Relationships (5), Additional State Topics (12). Additional state topics include the Land Division Act / private-road disclosure, Michigan fair housing (Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act), Landlord Tenant Relationship Act / Truth in Renting Act, state transfer tax, Michigan Condominium Act, MSHDA, Uniform State Anti-trust Act, Michigan Right to Farm Act (seller's disclosure required), and land-contract / Dodd-Frank changes. Contractual relationships name the agency relationships available in Michigan: transaction coordinator, designated agency, dual agency, agency disclosures. Note on the outline: "no disclosure duty attaches to stigmatized property." Experimental items ~10% of the number of questions count against time. Arrive 30 minutes early. Passing = PASS only.

PSI Services LLC (test-takers.psiexams.com/mire; (855) 579-4635; CIB updated 7/6/2026). Salesperson: MiPLUS authorization first. $79. Combined sitting — not independently scored portions. · Fee: $79

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Salesperson national outline (inside the combined sitting) 80 180 80 of the 115 combined items on the PSI content outline. Live Examination Summary Table (updated 7/6/2026) does not print a separate national minute or a separate national cut — one 180-minute sitting, 115 items (115 points), 70% = raw 80. Contracts 19%, agency 13%. Experimental items ~10% of the number of questions count against time
Salesperson Michigan state outline (inside the combined sitting) 35 180 35 of the 115 combined items: Department/Board 3, licensing 5, statutory activities 10, contractual relationships 5 (transaction coordinator / designated agency / dual agency), additional state 12 (Land Division Act, Elliott-Larsen, Right to Farm, MSHDA, transfer tax, Condominium Act). Combined cut is 70% / raw 80 of 115, not 25 of 35 independently. Do not import a blog independent-cut sentence

Fee $79 per attempt, not refundable, expires after one year of registering; forfeit if you do not test within 1 year of PSI receiving the fee. Failures receive section diagnostics; passing is PASS only. Unlimited retakes inside eligibility; each sitting is another $79. Score valid one year from passing (live FAQ 13). Broker candidates use SSN as ID# and do not need MiPLUS authorization first — that is not this salesperson path.

What to study

  • 40-hour Michigan salesperson prelicensure including 4 hours civil rights / equal opportunity in housing

    LARA-approved provider (current Real Estate Approved Courses Report)

    Upload with MiPLUS before PSI will seat you. 36-month life for initial licensure.

  • PSI Michigan CIB (updated 7/6/2026) — combined 115/180 min at 70% raw 80

    PSI / LARA

    State outline: transaction coordinator, designated agency, dual agency, Land Division Act, Elliott-Larsen, Right to Farm, MSHDA, transfer tax. Combined cut, not independent portions.

  • Michigan Seller's Disclosure Act (1993 PA 92) and agency disclosure / service-provision agreements

    State of Michigan

    Statutory-activities and contractual-relationship items. Stigmatized-property note on the outline: no disclosure duty attaches.

  • Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act / Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act / Land Division Act PA 591

    Michigan Legislature

    Additional-state 12-item bucket. Private-road disclosure is a Land Division Act item, not trivia.

  • Modern Real Estate Practice / Mastering Real Estate Math (latest edition)

    Dearborn — national 80 inside the combined sitting

    Contracts 19%, agency 13%, calculations 7%. Memorize 43,560 if the national math bucket asks.

05

Application costs

These are commission or testing-vendor amounts we can cite. School tuition and optional preparation products are private-market prices.

Fee Amount
Application$88
Examination$79
Initial license$88
Renewal (every 3 years)$78

Live salesperson guide (rev 1/26/2026): New Application $88.00 is "Application Fee + 3 year license fee" — application and initialLicense in this object are that same $88, not stacked. Renewal $78.00. Relicensure $108.00. License reprint $10. Certified verification $15 per address. PSI $79 per attempt (CIB updated 7/6/2026). No fingerprint dollar and no recovery-fund dollar on the live pages this hub fetched. Visa/MC/Amex/Discover in MiPLUS.

Commission

Michigan Board of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing)

PSI examination (855) 579-4635; BPL help bplhelp@michigan.gov (assumed-name FAQ on the live individual-broker guide). Confirm any public Board phone on the live LARA page before you dial a school-blog number.

Article 25 of the Occupational Code, 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.2501 et seq., including MCL 339.2504 (40 salesperson hours with 4 civil rights / 90 broker hours with 9 civil rights in addition to the salesperson hours; 36-month education window), MCL 339.2505 (embezzlement or misappropriation bars a new broker), MCL 339.2510 (salesperson licensed to one broker). Mich. Admin. Code R 339.22203 (prelicensure equivalents: law degree 60 including 6 civil rights, MBA/finance master 60, bachelor's in business or finance 30). LARA Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Guide and Individual Broker Licensing Guide, revision date 1/26/2026, fetched 2026-09-02. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin at test-takers.psiexams.com/mire, copyright 2026, updated 7/6/2026, fetched 2026-09-02.
Pre-licensing

40 clock hours of approved prelicensure including at least 4 clock hours of civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing

Live salesperson guide (rev 1/26/2026, fetched 2026-09-02) and MCL 339.2504(2) / R 339.22203(4). Approved courses: michigan.gov/bpl → LICENSE LISTS AND REPORTS → Real Estate Approved Courses Report. Upload the 40-hour certificate with the MiPLUS application before PSI eligibility. Classroom-course language in the statute; approved distance courses appear on the live course report — follow the current PDF, not a blog. A 90-hour Indiana or 120-hour Ohio certificate is not this 40.

Prelicensure valid 36 months from the date of completion for initial licensure (live FAQ 13). Exam results valid one year from passing. Applications valid one year from payment. Relicensure over 3 years that uses a new 40-hour course: certificates valid 1 year (MCL 339.2502a / live FAQ 13).
Sponsoring broker

Live guide: you are required to have a licensed individual broker or broker company sponsor you. After you pass, Modification in MiPLUS with the employing broker's 10-digit license number; the broker approves; the license issues. A salesperson shall be licensed to a broker and shall not be licensed to more than one broker at the same time. Wall license and pocket card go to the employing broker (email e-copy; $10 reprint). Michigan does not offer escrow — employer-remove puts you in "No Employer" status until expiration, or you transfer to a holding company (a licensed broker company that holds licenses for people not actively practicing). The State does not publish a list of holding companies.
Fingerprints

The live LARA salesperson licensing guide (rev 1/26/2026) and the PSI bulletin this hub fetched do not print a fingerprint, IdentoGO, or Livescan row. Do not invent a background-check dollar. Good-moral-character questions are on the MiPLUS application; convictions are reviewed case by case, with MCL 339.2505's embezzlement/misappropriation bar aimed at new broker applicants. If a later live LARA page adds prints, follow that page — this hub will not freeze a school-blog $40.
CE / renewal

Live salesperson guide renewal checklist (rev 1/26/2026): at least 18 clock hours per 3-year cycle in subjects relevant to the management, operation, and practice of real estate or that contribute to professional competence. Each year of the cycle: not less than 2 hours of courses that involve laws, rules, and court cases regarding real estate, and not less than 1 hour of courses that involve compliance with local, state, or federal fair housing laws. Remaining hours any time before renewing. Complete CE BEFORE submitting the online renewal. Retain evidence 4 years after certification; produce it on request. The Department does not maintain a CE record. CE Marketplace is optional tracking. Relicensure expired < 3 years: at least 6 hours CE for each year and partial year elapsed, with the same 2 legal + 1 fair housing per year. Relicensure 3 years or more: PSI retake, or a 40-hour course completed within the last 12 months, plus the 6-per-year CE grid (live relicensure bullets).

No separately labeled late-fee dollar on the live salesperson guide. Relicensure application is $108.00 for the 3-year relicensure product. After revocation, wait at least 3 years after service of the final order (FAQ 11). Confirm live MiPLUS rather than inventing a per-month late adder.
Recovery fund

The live salesperson guide, broker guide, and PSI bulletin this hub fetched do not print a separately itemized recovery-fund assessment on the $88 / $78 / $79 rows. Do not invent a cap or an add-on. Confirm any later live LARA fee table rather than importing a neighbor recovery-fund sentence.
06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Calling PSI before the MiPLUS $88 application and 40-hour upload

    No Candidate ID, no seat. Broker applicants skip this gate; salespersons do not.

  • Importing a blog independent-cut (56 of 80 and 25 of 35) as if it were the live table

    Live CIB table is one combined 70% / raw 80 of 115 in 180 minutes. PASS only. Outline split is study, not two scores.

  • Filing a neighbor 60, 75, or 90 as the 40 including 4 civil rights

    MCL 339.2504(2) is 40 and 4, inside 36 months. Ohio 120 will not post as this 40.

  • Treating Michigan as an escrow state, or holding two brokers, or holding salesperson plus broker

    No escrow. No Employer or a holding company. One hanging, one broker.

  • Skipping the per-year 2 legal + 1 fair housing inside the 18

    Live renewal checklist is not 18 generic electives. Evidence 4 years. The Department does not keep your certificates.

  • Letting the 40-hour certificate age past 36 months, or the PSI score past one year, before the broker approves

    Live FAQ 13. Relicensure over 3 years that reuses prelicensure wants a course inside 12 months.

  • Inventing IdentoGO or a recovery-fund add-on

    Not on the live 1/26/2026 guide or the 7/6/2026 bulletin. Do not copy a neighbor sentence.

  • Reading Elliott-Larsen, the Land Division Act, or Right to Farm as extra-credit trivia

    They are scored additional-state items. This paper cannot be renamed to another state.

  • Sitting the broker 210-minute / 75% / raw-90 paper as a salesperson

    Salesperson is 180 minutes, 70%, raw 80, 115 points. Broker is 115 items carrying 120 points in 210 minutes at 75% / raw 90.

  • Calling Pearson for a Michigan score

    Michigan real estate is PSI under the mire bulletin. Ohio Pearson will not post to MiPLUS.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

Partner / path Accepted exam Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential.

The live salesperson guide does not print a named-partner reciprocity chart. Out-of-state applicants still complete the 40 including 4 civil rights unless a later live LARA product says otherwise, file MiPLUS, sit the Michigan PSI paper, and submit Consent to Service of Process. Do not import an Ohio or Indiana waiver sentence. Certified license verification from Michigan is $15 per address via MiPLUS (FAQ 5).

08

Renewal and staying active

Live salesperson guide renewal checklist (rev 1/26/2026): at least 18 clock hours per 3-year cycle in subjects relevant to the management, operation, and practice of real estate or that contribute to professional competence. Each year of the cycle: not less than 2 hours of courses that involve laws, rules, and court cases regarding real estate, and not less than 1 hour of courses that involve compliance with local, state, or federal fair housing laws. Remaining hours any time before renewing. Complete CE BEFORE submitting the online renewal. Retain evidence 4 years after certification; produce it on request. The Department does not maintain a CE record. CE Marketplace is optional tracking. Relicensure expired < 3 years: at least 6 hours CE for each year and partial year elapsed, with the same 2 legal + 1 fair housing per year. Relicensure 3 years or more: PSI retake, or a 40-hour course completed within the last 12 months, plus the 6-per-year CE grid (live relicensure bullets).

Late renewal: No separately labeled late-fee dollar on the live salesperson guide. Relicensure application is $108.00 for the 3-year relicensure product. After revocation, wait at least 3 years after service of the final order (FAQ 11). Confirm live MiPLUS rather than inventing a per-month late adder.

Renew no sooner than 90 days before expiration. Visa/MC/Amex/Discover. A salesperson in "No Employer" status still expires on the cycle date — it is not escrow.

Applicant checklist

  • 40 hours including 4 civil rights, dated inside 36 months, from a currently approved course
  • MiPLUS salesperson application + $88 + certificate upload; wait for PSI Candidate ID
  • PSI $79: 115 items / 180 minutes at 70% (raw 80), combined sitting, inside the one-year score life
  • Employing broker 10-digit number in MiPLUS after you pass; one broker at a time
  • 3-year renewal $78 + 18 CE (2 legal + 1 fair housing each year of the cycle); keep evidence 4 years
09

How Michigan is different

Ohio: 120 hours, Pearson. Indiana: 90 hours, Pearson. Wisconsin: 72 hours, Pearson. Illinois: 75 hours, IDFPR then Pearson. Michigan: 40 hours including 4 civil rights, MiPLUS $88 first, PSI $79 combined 115/180 min at 70% (raw 80), 3-year $78 cycle, 18-hour CE with 2 legal + 1 fair housing per year of the cycle. Neighbor 60s and 75s will not post as this 40.

10

Frequently asked questions

How many prelicense hours?
Forty clock hours of approved prelicensure including at least 4 hours of civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing. Live salesperson guide (rev 1/26/2026) and MCL 339.2504(2). Complete within 36 months before the application. Verified 2026-09-02 from the live guide plus the live statute.
Do I start PSI before I apply?
No. Live FAQ 15: submit the MiPLUS salesperson application and upload the 40-hour certificate first. PSI then emails a Candidate ID. Broker applicants are the ones who may schedule without Department pre-approval — not salespersons.
What is the sitting?
PSI $79. Combined 115 items (115 points) in 180 minutes at 70% (raw 80) on the live Examination Summary Table (updated 7/6/2026). The outline splits 80 national + 35 Michigan; the table does not print independently scored cuts. Passing is PASS only. Experimental items ~10% count against time. Score good one year.
Is the cut 70% on each portion?
Not on the live bulletin table this hub fetched. One combined 70% / raw 80 of 115. Do not import a blog 56-of-80-and-25-of-35 sentence as if it were the 7/6/2026 table.
How much is MiPLUS?
Live guide: New Application $88.00 (application fee + 3-year license fee). Renewal $78. Relicensure $108. Reprint $10. Verification $15 per address.
Do I fingerprint?
Not on the live 1/26/2026 salesperson guide or the 7/6/2026 PSI bulletin. Do not invent IdentoGO. Answer the good-moral-character questions honestly.
Can I escrow the license?
No. Live FAQ 8: Michigan does not offer escrow. "No Employer" status until expiration, or transfer to a holding company. The State does not publish a holding-company list.
Can I hold salesperson and broker at once, or work for two brokers?
No and no (live FAQ 9–10). One hanging, one broker.
What CE applies?
Live renewal checklist: 18 clock hours per 3-year cycle in subjects relevant to the management, operation, and practice of real estate. Each year of the cycle: not less than 2 hours laws/rules/court cases and not less than 1 hour local/state/federal fair housing. Remaining hours any time before renewal. Complete CE before you submit. Keep evidence 4 years. The Department does not maintain your CE record — CE Marketplace is a tracking partner, not a substitute for certificates.
How long is the cycle?
3 years. Renew in MiPLUS no sooner than 90 days before expiration.
Is there a recovery fund line?
Not on the live salesperson guide, broker guide, or PSI bulletin this hub fetched. The $88 / $78 / $79 rows are the dollars those pages print.
Where do I sit, and who do I call?
PSI at test-takers.psiexams.com/mire or (855) 579-4635. LARA profession page michigan.gov/lara (Real Estate Brokers & Salespersons). MiPLUS michigan.gov/miplus. The licensing guides this hub fetched do not print a BPL street line in the body — confirm the live contact page rather than a school-blog Lansing address.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

  1. LARA Real Estate Brokers & Salespersons (Board page; licensing guides)
  2. LARA Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Guide & FAQ (rev 1/26/2026; 40 hours including 4 civil rights; $88; MiPLUS first)
  3. MCL 339.2504 (40 salesperson / 90 broker hours; 4 / 9 civil rights; 36-month window; broker hours in addition to salesperson hours)
  4. R 339.22203 (prelicensure hours and degree equivalents)
  5. PSI Michigan Real Estate CIB (test-takers.psiexams.com/mire; updated 7/6/2026; $79; 115/180 min at 70% raw 80)
  6. PSI Michigan schedule
  7. MiPLUS

Verified 2026-09-02  ·  Next scheduled review 2026-12-01