How to become a real estate agent in Minnesota

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (Commerce's own site blocks automated readers, so its licence entry comes from an Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025 (last modified June 17, 2025); the statutes are the current text on the Revisor's site, and the exam vendor's handbook could not be located, so exam facts come from the statute alone), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with Commerce's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1Minnesota real estate licence requirements

• Age: 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Course I: 30 hours of Commerce-approved instruction before taking the examination.
• Courses II and III: a further 60 hours of approved instruction before filing the application, including 3 hours on state and federal fair housing law and 2 hours on agency representation and disclosure.
• Exam: a score of 75% or higher on the uniform portion and 75% or higher on the state portion; no one whose licence was revoked in any state within two years may sit.
• Sponsor: a licensed broker on whose behalf you will act, named on the application; a salesperson may be licensed to only one broker at a time.
• Documents: course completion certificates for Courses I, II and III and the passing exam results, filed with the application and fee.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.58, Applications for licenses (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), read September 9, 2026; Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Examinations and instruction, read September 9, 2026; Minnesota Statutes section 82.63, Licensing; other requirements, read September 9, 2026.

2Steps to get your Minnesota real estate licence, in order

1. Complete Course I, 30 hours

   The first course must be finished before the exam; Commerce approves the courses and the schools, and its Guide to Real Estate Licensing lists them.

2. Pass both portions of the exam with 75%

   The statute sets 75% on the uniform portion and 75% on the state portion, and requires Commerce to hold examinations at least every 45 days; the vendor's fee, question count and timing were not on the documents read for this guide.

3. Complete Courses II and III, 60 hours

   Both must be finished before the application is filed, with the fair housing and agency hours included.

4. Apply through the PULSE portal with $100 plus the $10 surcharge

   The salesperson application is electronic, names the sponsoring broker, and carries the certificates and exam results; Commerce lists its determination time as 30 days, and the licence runs to June 30 of its expiry year.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Examinations and instruction, read September 9, 2026; License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Minnesota real estate licence costs

Commerce publishes its fee table on the licence entry and the statute sets the components; the exam vendor's fee was not on the documents read, and tuition is set by the schools.

Source: License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026; Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Examinations and instruction, read September 9, 2026.

4How long it takes to become a real estate agent in Minnesota

The fixed parts are 90 course hours in three courses, one exam sitting, and an online application that Commerce says takes 30 days to determine; the first licence runs at least 12 and at most 24 months, to June 30. Those parts come from Commerce's licence entry and the statute, not a school's marketing:

• Course I: 30 hours at a Commerce-approved school, at its pace, before the exam.
• Exam: held at least every 45 days under the statute; both portions at 75%.
• Courses II and III: 60 hours before the application is filed.
• Application: 30 days for Commerce's determination; the initial licence then runs 12 to 24 months to June 30.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Examinations and instruction, read September 9, 2026; License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

5The Minnesota real estate exam

The salesperson exam is a uniform (national) portion and a Minnesota state portion, two portions, uniform and state, conducted for the commissioner by a testing vendor at least every 45 days. You need 75% or higher on the uniform portion and 75% or higher on the state portion to pass. Passing examination results are filed with the licence application; Commerce will not accept the scores of anyone who cheated. Retakes: the statute sets no waiting period or attempt limit for the salesperson exam; the vendor's retake fee was not on the documents read.

Pass rate

Commerce publishes no pass rate for the salesperson exam on the documents read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Examinations and instruction, read September 9, 2026; Minnesota Statutes section 82.58, Applications for licenses (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), read September 9, 2026; License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

Not by agreement. The statute says a nonresident may be licensed as a salesperson on complying with all of chapter 82, and Commerce's licence entry lists a separate nonresident salesperson application; no reciprocity agreements or exam waivers appear on the documents read for this guide.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.63, Licensing; other requirements, read September 9, 2026; License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs two years, expiring June 30; the first licence runs between 12 and 24 months. To renew you complete 30 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period and pay $60.

First renewal: 30 hours of continuing education during the initial licence period, at least 15 of them in its first 12 months, or Commerce cancels the licence.

Later renewals: 30 hours per 24-month period, 15 of them in the first 12 months, including at least one hour on agency representation and disclosure and one hour on fair housing; the broker renews each eligible salesperson, who must have met the requirements before June 15 of the renewal year, and the renewal fee is $60 plus the $10 technology surcharge.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.61, Continuing education and instruction, read September 9, 2026; License Minnesota (mn.gov/elicense), Real Estate Salesperson: Resident / Nonresident, Department of Commerce entry modified June 17, 2025 (Internet Archive capture of August 31, 2025), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Minnesota

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Minnesota, release May 2025:

BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents (41-9022), Minnesota, read September 8, 2026.

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in Minnesota

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 5,967 Minnesota agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was RE/MAX with 1,629 of them, and the largest brand was Coldwell Banker with 1,635. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new Minnesota agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which Minnesota brokerages publish their pay plan.

Source: Realty Census, Minnesota count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/minnesota/), read September 9, 2026.

10Pre-licence schools in Minnesota

The commissioner approves the courses and instructors for Courses I, II and III and for continuing education, and may approve college courses and industry-developed courses; motivation, salesmanship and time-management courses cannot count. The list is at Commerce's real estate licensing page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for Minnesota is added with affiliate links, it will say so at the top, and schools will be ordered by what the state publishes or alphabetically, never by commission.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 82.61, Continuing education and instruction, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Minnesota

How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Minnesota?

The fixed parts are 90 course hours in three courses, one exam sitting, and an online application that Commerce says takes 30 days to determine; the first licence runs at least 12 and at most 24 months, to June 30. Course I is 30 hours before the exam; Courses II and III are 60 more hours before the application; the exam is offered at least every 45 days; and Commerce quotes 30 days to decide the application. The first licence expires June 30 after a term of 12 to 24 months.

How much does it cost to get a real estate licence in Minnesota?

$110 to the state and its vendors ($100 licence, $10 surcharge), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, the exam vendor's fee and tuition for the three courses, which the schools set.

What is the pass rate for the Minnesota real estate exam?

Commerce publishes no pass rate for the salesperson exam on the documents read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in Minnesota?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Minnesota is $46,410 a year, with the middle half earning between $42,240 and $62,070. BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home.

Does Minnesota have real estate licence reciprocity?

The documents read describe no reciprocity: a nonresident applies on a separate form and meets the same chapter 82 requirements.

Sources and dates