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RE License Guide

Minnesota real estate licensing

Minnesota 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 5 official references Next review 2026-12-01
Required education
90 hours (Course I 30 before exam; Courses II and III 30 each before the broker files)
Exam fee
$68
Published fees
$68
Typical timeline
Course I plus PSI seating plus Courses II+III plus broker PULSE filing
01

What to know first

Minnesota splits the 90 hours across the exam, and the vendor on the live Commerce guide (August 2025) is PSI — not Pearson VUE. Course I (30 hours) is what lets you sit. Courses II and III (30 each) are what let the broker file your license on PULSE. People who take a single 90-hour blob and expect to walk out of a Pearson center with a pocket card have both the wrong sequence and the wrong vendor. Sitting PSI before Course I posts makes the score invalid; you retake even if you passed. You do not file the salesperson application yourself. The licensed broker you will hang with submits it at pulseportal.com.

The PSI Minnesota Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 10/1/2023, still the live bulletin at test-takers.psiexams.com/mnre) scores two portions: Salesperson General 80 items / 80 points / 2.5 hours, State 50 items / 50 points / 1.5 hours, combo 130 / 4 hours. Passing is 75 percent correct on each portion. Combo fee $68; either portion alone $45. Bring a valid Minnesota Course I certificate (or the 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota reciprocity course, an expired Minnesota salesperson license, or a resident-state certification ≤90 days old) to every attempt. Out-of-state licensees sit the state portion only. Apply for the license within one year of passing or retake.

Fees on the August 2025 Commerce Real Estate Licensing Guide and the Commerce fee table: initial salesperson $100 plus the current technology surcharge, and that $100 includes $30 for the Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund. Renewal $60 plus surcharge, including $20 for the fund. Technology surcharge is $10 as of May 1, 2023 (Minn. Stat. § 45.24(f)). Incomplete applications withdraw at six months with a nonrefundable fee. CE is 30 hours by June 30, with at least 15 of those hours by the previous June 30, including 1 hour agency, 1 hour fair housing, and the named general module — except the first June 30 after original licensure.

Wisconsin is 72 hours (or 10 semester credits) and a 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota salesperson course that Minnesota actually names as a PSI admission document. Iowa is 60 plus three live 12s. South Dakota issues broker associate and has no salesperson title. Minnesota is Course I, then PSI, then II+III, then the broker files on PULSE.

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 Minnesota Course I (30 hours)

    Confirm the provider on PULSE. Sitting PSI before Course I posts invalidates the score.

  2. Sit PSI: 80 national + 50 state at 75%, $68 combo

    Bring the Course I certificate. Out-of-state licensees sit state only.

  3. Finish Courses II and III (30 each)

    Required before the broker can file, not before the exam.

  4. Hang with a Minnesota broker who files on PULSE

    You do not submit the salesperson application. Initial $100 includes $30 recovery fund plus the $10 technology surcharge.

  5. Calendar June 30 CE

    30 hours by June 30, 15 of them by the previous June 30, including 1 hour agency, 1 hour fair housing, and the named module. Extra hours do not carry over. First June 30 after original licensure is excepted.

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
Minnesota residency is not independently required. Nonresident rules vary by home state — Commerce publishes them. Wisconsin reciprocity uses a named 13-hour course plus the Minnesota state exam. Incomplete applications withdraw at six months.
Qualifying education
Live Commerce Guide (August 2025, fetched 2026-09-02) and live PSI bulletin PRELICENSING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: three courses you must successfully complete before you apply, known as Course I, Course II, and Course III. Each course consists of 30 hours of instruction. You must successfully complete Course I before taking the salesperson's examination. You must successfully complete Course II and Course III before applying for your license. If you are not exempt and take the examination before you have completed Course I, your exam results will be invalid and you will have to retake, even if you passed. Confirm the provider on PULSE (Approved Provider/Course Inquiry, Pre-Licensing Education, Active). A Wisconsin 72-hour program is not Course I — Minnesota names a 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota salesperson reciprocity course as a PSI admission document.
Education or filing deadline
Apply for the salesperson license within one year of passing PSI or retake. Broker 30-hour course is separately good 12 months from completion to apply.
Character review
PULSE applications ask criminal-history questions. Convictions, charges, withheld judgments, and professional-license actions require charging documents plus a sentencing/consent order — not a Register of Actions printout. Non-disclosure stalls the broker-filed application.
Background process
BCA documentation through the broker’s PULSE filing as Commerce currently prints. Not Fieldprint Alabama and not IdentoGO 2B7NR3.
Experience
No licensed experience is required for the salesperson license. An associated Minnesota broker is required for the PULSE filing, not to sit PSI after Course I.
Broker affiliation
You cannot be licensed as a Minnesota salesperson without association with an actively licensed broker, and you may not hang with more than one Minnesota broker at a time. The broker — not you — submits the PULSE application and later prints the license. When that association ends, the license goes inactive.

Documents to prepare

  • Minnesota Course I certificate (bring to every PSI sitting)
  • PSI national and state passing results (75% each) dated within one year
  • Course II and Course III certificates
  • Broker-submitted PULSE application
  • BCA / background documentation as Commerce currently prints
04

The licensing exam

PSI Minnesota bulletin (test-takers.psiexams.com/mnre). Salesperson: national/general 80 scored (2.5 hours), state 50 scored (1.5 hours), combo 130 (4 hours). 5–10 experimental items may consume time and are not scored. 75% correct each portion. Combo $68 / split $45. Sit only after Course I; a sitting before Course I is invalid. Out-of-state licensees take state only. Broker papers: general 75 items (80 points) / 2.5 hours, state 60 / 1.5 hours, combo 135 items (140 points) / 4 hours. State salesperson outline (50 items): license law 20 (definitions, licensing, trust accounts, standards, Commissioner authority, Recovery Fund § 82.86, agency disclosure, other disclosure, compensation), interests in real property 8, conveyance/protection 8 (Torrens, homestead warranties, Human Rights Act, Statute of Frauds, septic/wells/tanks), financial instruments 4 (foreclosure, contract for deed, liens). Apply within one year of passing.

PSI Services LLC (test-takers.psiexams.com/mnre). Remote proctoring is available. The August 2025 Commerce guide names PSI, not Pearson. · Fee: $68

Part Questions Minutes Pass
Salesperson General / national 80 150 80 items (80 points) / 2.5 hours on the live PSI Examination Summary Table (10/1/2023, bulletin 10958). Score reporting: you must get 75% correct to pass. Combo with state is 130 items (130 points) / 4 hours. $68 combo / $45 either portion alone, not refundable or transferable, forfeited if unused within 1 year of payment. 5–10 experimental items may be administered, not scored, count against time. National outline (salesperson %): contracts 19, agency 13, practice 12, ownership 10, financing 10, valuation 8, disclosures 7, calculations 7, title transfer 6, land use 5, property management 3. Remote proctoring is available on this bulletin.
Salesperson Minnesota State 50 90 50 items (50 points) / 1.5 hours. 75% correct on the SCORE REPORTING page. 75% of 50 is 37.5 — the bulletin does not print a raw item cut of 37 or 38, and this hub does not invent one. Outline: Real Estate Brokerage License Law 20 (definitions ch. 82.55, licensing 82.57–82.63, trust accounts 82.75, standards of conduct 82.72–82.73, Commissioner authority ch. 45, Recovery Fund § 82.86, agency disclosure 82.67, other disclosure 82.68, compensation 82.70); Interests in Real Property 8; Conveyance Procedures and Protection of Parties 8 (Torrens ch. 508, homestead warranties, Human Rights Act ch. 363A, Statute of Frauds, septic § 115.55, wells § 103I.235, tanks); Financial Instruments 4 (foreclosure chs. 580–582, contract for deed, liens). Out-of-state licensees sit this portion only and bring a resident-state certification ≤90 days old. Bring Course I proof to every attempt.

Fail one portion, retake only that portion. Combo $68 / split $45. Fees forfeit if unused within one year of payment. Bring Course I proof to every attempt. After passing, the broker must file within one year or you retake.

What to study

  • PSI Minnesota bulletin (80/50, 75%, $68)

    PSI / MN Commerce

    Vendor, fees, admission documents, state outline including Recovery Fund § 82.86.

  • Commerce Real Estate Licensing Guide (August 2025)

    Minnesota Department of Commerce

    Course I/II/III sequence, PULSE, $100/$60 including fund, June 30 CE.

  • Minn. Stat. ch. 82 and listed companion chapters

    Office of the Revisor

    Wells (103I), septic (115.55), Human Rights (363A), Torrens (508), homestead (510).

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$100
Examination$68
Initial license$100
Renewal (every 2 years)$60

PSI: combo $68 / split $45. Commerce August 2025 guide: initial salesperson $100 + technology surcharge ($10 as of May 1, 2023), including $30 recovery fund. Renewal $60 + surcharge including $20 fund. Incomplete applications withdraw at six months, fee nonrefundable. Transfer/reactivate $20 when Commerce currently prints that line.

Commission

Minnesota Department of Commerce, Real Estate Section

(651) 539-1599

Minn. Stat. ch. 82 (brokers and salespersons, including Course I/II/III sequence and § 82.86 Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund); ch. 45 (Commerce powers, including § 45.24(f) technology surcharge). Live Minnesota Department of Commerce Guide to Real Estate Licensing (current as of August 2025) at mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/re-license-guide.pdf, Real Estate applications page, and scheduling-exams page fetched 2026-09-02. PSI Real Estate Salesperson, Broker and Abstracter Candidate Information Bulletin at test-takers.psiexams.com/mnre, 10/1/2023, bulletin 10958, fetched 2026-09-02. PSI (866) 395-1006. PULSE at pulseportal.com.
Pre-licensing

90 hours (Course I 30 before exam; Courses II and III 30 each before the broker files)

Live Commerce Guide (August 2025, fetched 2026-09-02) and live PSI bulletin PRELICENSING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: three courses you must successfully complete before you apply, known as Course I, Course II, and Course III. Each course consists of 30 hours of instruction. You must successfully complete Course I before taking the salesperson's examination. You must successfully complete Course II and Course III before applying for your license. If you are not exempt and take the examination before you have completed Course I, your exam results will be invalid and you will have to retake, even if you passed. Confirm the provider on PULSE (Approved Provider/Course Inquiry, Pre-Licensing Education, Active). A Wisconsin 72-hour program is not Course I — Minnesota names a 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota salesperson reciprocity course as a PSI admission document.

Apply for the salesperson license within one year of passing PSI or retake. Broker 30-hour course is separately good 12 months from completion to apply.
Sponsoring broker

You cannot be licensed as a Minnesota salesperson without association with an actively licensed broker, and you may not hang with more than one Minnesota broker at a time. The broker — not you — submits the PULSE application and later prints the license. When that association ends, the license goes inactive.
Fingerprints

Commerce applications collect background questions and BCA documentation through PULSE — not a Pearson IdentoGO packet. Brokers upload BCA forms for salespersons. This page does not invent a fingerprint-vendor dollar figure the August 2025 guide does not freeze.
CE / renewal

30 hours by June 30, at least 15 of them by the previous June 30. Inside those 15: the named general module. Inside the 30: 1 hour agency representation/disclosure and 1 hour fair housing / antidiscrimination / underserved-housing. Hours do not carry over. First June 30 after original licensure (or after relicensure following >2 years inactive) is excepted. Commercial-only designees skip agency, fair housing, and the module after the broker files the designation. Brokers also take a broker module in years Commerce names one. Rosters must be in the system by mid-June; a last-week-of-June course can lapse the license if the roster misses July 10.
Recovery fund

Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund (Minn. Stat. § 82.86). The August 2025 guide and Commerce fee table put $30 of the $100 initial salesperson fee and $20 of the $60 renewal into the fund. It is a scored topic on the PSI state outline (license-law bucket). It is not E&O and not a surety bond you shop.
06

Mistakes that delay applicants

  • Booking Pearson VUE

    Live August 2025 Guide names PSI Services. A Pearson appointment will not post.

  • Sitting before Course I posts

    Bulletin: exam results will be invalid and you retake, even if you passed.

  • Filing the salesperson application yourself

    Live Guide: the broker submits it on PULSE and later prints the license. You cannot be licensed without that hang, and you may not hang with more than one Minnesota broker at a time.

  • Treating II+III as optional CE

    They are original 30-hour courses. The broker cannot apply without them.

  • Letting the exam age past one year

    Live Guide: apply for the salesperson license within one year of passing or retake.

  • Inventing a 37-or-38 raw cut for the 50-item state paper

    The bulletin prints 75% correct. 75% of 50 is 37.5. This hub does not invent 37 or 38.

  • Treating a Wisconsin 72 as Course I

    Minnesota names a 13-hour WI-to-MN salesperson course as the reciprocity product, then the Minnesota state exam.

  • Carrying extra CE hours into the next period

    Live Guide: extra hours or courses do not carry over and do not satisfy future renewal requirements.

  • Renaming this paper to South Dakota or Iowa

    South Dakota issues broker associate and has no salesperson title. Iowa is 60 plus three live 12s. Minnesota is Course I then PSI then II+III, broker files on PULSE.

07

Reciprocity and recognition

Partner / path Accepted exam Conditions
Wisconsin — Named 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota salesperson reciprocity prelicense course, then the Minnesota state portion at PSI. Course certificate is a listed PSI admission document. Confirm live Commerce application steps (PULSE + licensing.commerce@state.mn.us).

Salesperson candidates licensed in another state sit the Minnesota state portion only and bring a resident-state certification ≤90 days old. This is not a national compact. Do not book Pearson because an older blog still names Pearson.

08

Renewal and staying active

30 hours by June 30, at least 15 of them by the previous June 30. Inside those 15: the named general module. Inside the 30: 1 hour agency representation/disclosure and 1 hour fair housing / antidiscrimination / underserved-housing. Hours do not carry over. First June 30 after original licensure (or after relicensure following >2 years inactive) is excepted. Commercial-only designees skip agency, fair housing, and the module after the broker files the designation. Brokers also take a broker module in years Commerce names one. Rosters must be in the system by mid-June; a last-week-of-June course can lapse the license if the roster misses July 10.

Applicant checklist

  • Minnesota Course I certificate
  • PSI 80/50 at 75% (bring Course I to every sitting)
  • Courses II and III
  • Associated Minnesota broker files on PULSE
  • $100 initial including $30 recovery fund + $10 technology surcharge
  • Calendar June 30 CE (30 / 15 split, agency + fair housing + module)
09

How Minnesota is different

Wisconsin: 72 hours or 10 semester credits; Minnesota names a 13-hour WI-to-MN salesperson course as a PSI admission document. Iowa: 60 plus three live 12-hour courses. North Dakota: at least 90 hours. South Dakota: broker associate, no salesperson title. Minnesota: Course I then PSI 80/50 at 75%, then II+III, broker files on PULSE, $30 recovery fund inside the $100 initial fee.

10

Frequently asked questions

Is the exam Pearson VUE?
No. Live August 2025 Guide: PSI Services administers prelicense examinations. Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com/mnre or (866) 395-1006. Older blogs that still say Pearson are stale.
How many pre-license hours?
Live Guide and live PSI bulletin, fetched 2026-09-02: three 30-hour courses (Course I, Course II, Course III) totaling 90 hours. Course I before the exam; II and III before the broker applies. Verified from those live pages, not a school blog.
Do I file my own salesperson application?
No. Live Guide: you cannot become licensed as a real estate salesperson without first being associated with an actively licensed real estate broker, and you may not be licensed to act on behalf of more than one broker in Minnesota during the same period. The broker submits the PULSE application and later prints the license.
Must II and III be done before the exam?
No. Only Course I is required to sit. Sitting before Course I posts invalidates the score even if you passed (bulletin). II and III are required before the broker can apply.
Exam fee, items, time, cut?
PSI $68 combo / $45 either portion. Salesperson general 80 items (80 points) / 2.5 hours; state 50 (50 points) / 1.5 hours; both 130 / 4 hours. Score reporting: you must get 75% correct to pass. 75% of 50 is 37.5 — the bulletin does not print 37 or 38, and this hub does not invent a raw item cut.
What does the original hanging cost?
Live Guide: the fee for an initial real estate salesperson license totals $100 plus the current technology surcharge. This includes $30 for the real estate education, research and recovery fund. Technology surcharge is $10 as of May 1, 2023 (Minn. Stat. § 45.24(f)). Live Commerce fee table also prints salesperson initial $70 + recovery $30 + technology yes — $70+$30 is the Guide's $100. Incomplete applications withdraw at six months, fee nonrefundable.
What is the recovery fund?
$30 of the $100 initial salesperson fee and $20 of the $60 renewal (Guide). Scored on the state outline under Minn. Stat. § 82.86 (license-law bucket, 20 salesperson items). It is not E&O.
What CE applies?
Live Guide: 30 hours of real estate continuing education before the June 30 license renewal deadline, and at least 15 of those hours before the previous June 30, except the first June 30 after original licensure (or after relicensure following more than two years inactive). Inside the 15: the named general module (end-of-course exam, 20 questions from a pool of at least 50, pass 14). Inside the 30: 1 hour agency representation/disclosure and 1 hour fair housing / antidiscrimination / underserved-housing. Extra hours do not carry over.
Wisconsin reciprocity?
Named 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota salesperson reciprocity prelicense course, then the Minnesota state portion at PSI. The course certificate is a listed PSI admission document. Confirm live Commerce application steps. A Wisconsin 72 is not Course I.
Fingerprints?
Commerce applications collect background questions and BCA documentation through PULSE — the broker uploads BCA forms for salespersons. The August 2025 Guide does not freeze a fingerprint-vendor dollar; this hub does not invent IdentoGO.
Where is Commerce and who seats the exam?
85 7th Place East, Suite 280, St. Paul, MN 55101-2198. (651) 539-1599. Licensing.Commerce@state.mn.us. mn.gov/commerce. PSI (866) 395-1006. Live scheduling page lists Minnesota centers including Rochester, St. Paul, Willmar, Woodbury, Blaine, Brainerd, Duluth, Eagan, Mankato.
What is scored Minnesota, not NAR trivia?
Torrens (ch. 508), wells § 103I.235, septic § 115.55, Minnesota Human Rights Act ch. 363A, Recovery Fund § 82.86, agency disclosure 82.67, contract for deed. This paper cannot be renamed to Wisconsin's 72 or Iowa's 60-plus-three-live-12s.

Primary Sources

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

  1. Minnesota Commerce — Real Estate Licensing Guide (August 2025)
  2. Minnesota Commerce — Real Estate licensing / fees
  3. Minnesota Commerce — Real Estate applications (PULSE)
  4. PSI Minnesota Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin
  5. Minn. Stat. ch. 82 / § 82.86 recovery fund

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