Michigan real estate CE requirements and license renewal guide

Michigan real estate licensees renew every 3 years by completing 18 hours of continuing education and paying a renewal fee through the MiPLUS online portal. Real estate CE requirements include annual legal and fair housing coursework, with the remaining hours as electives. Salespersons pay $78 per cycle and brokers pay $108, with a $20 late penalty for renewing after the expiration date.

Michigan real estate CE requirements

The state of Michigan requires approved CE for each licensing cycle, with specific subjects required each year. The detailed hour breakdown and annual distribution are established by MCL 339.2504a^[1] and the LARA Real Estate FAQs^[2].

The annual fair housing requirement was added by 2023 PA 246, effective February 13, 2024. Before this amendment, the cycle had no separate fair housing mandate, and elective hours accounted for a larger share. The Michigan Administrative Code (R 339.22161), effective June 4, 2025, confirms the amended structure.

Pre-licensing education does not count toward CE obligations. The requirement applies to salespersons, associate brokers, and individual brokers at the same hour threshold.

Michigan real estate license renewal process

The renewal process starts with finishing all CE coursework, then submitting payment through the MiPLUS online portal^[3], the state's licensing system for all professional license actions. The license expiration date is printed on the license, and renewal must be completed on or before that date.

The Salesperson Licensing Guide^[4] confirms that licensees must finish CE before completing the online renewal application. After logging into MiPLUS, the licensee follows the prompts to submit the application and pay the fee by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

Renewal fees and late penalties

Renewal fees for Michigan real estate licenses vary by license type, all on a 3-year cycle. The LARA License Renewal Fees page^[5] lists the following:

A $20 late fee applies during the 60-day late renewal period following the expiration date. There is no grace period during which a licensee can practice real estate after the license expires. The license is inactive from the expiration date forward, even during the late renewal window, and the licensee must stop all licensed activity until the renewal is processed.

Relicensure after expiration

If a Michigan real estate license expires, the path back depends on how long the license has been expired. Licenses expired less than 3 years can be restored through relicensure with a fee and makeup CE. Licenses expired 3 years or more require retaking the exam or completing pre-licensure education again.

For a salesperson license expired less than 3 years, the relicensure fee is $108. The licensee must complete 6 hours of CE for each year and partial year missed, with at least 2 hours per year on laws, rules, and court cases. For a broker license expired less than 3 years, the relicensure fee is $163, with the same makeup CE obligation.

For licenses expired 3 years or more, the applicant must either pass the licensing exam again, submit a pre-licensure course certificate completed within the last 12 months, or complete 6 hours of CE per year missed. The licensee has 3 years following expiration to reapply. A person whose license was revoked must wait at least 3 years after the final order before applying for a new license, per the LARA Real Estate FAQs^[2].

CE Marketplace and tracking credits

CE Marketplace is the free online system where Michigan real estate licensees track CE completions and find certified courses. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) does not maintain its own CE records, so the Bureau of Professional Licensing partnered with this platform to help licensees document their credits, per the Salesperson Licensing Guide^[4].

Since November 1, 2018, all CE courses must be certified through this system to count toward renewal.

LARA audits licensees for CE compliance. A licensee must retain evidence of CE completion for at least 4 years after the date of certification and produce it if audited. Proof does not need to be submitted to LARA unless requested during an audit.

Taking CE courses online

Michigan allows all required CE hours to be completed through internet-based courses, with no cap on the number of online hours. Both in-person and on-demand formats are available from certified providers.

Course completions appear in the licensee's CE profile once the provider reports them. The profile serves as the official record for audit purposes.

CE course rules and restrictions

Several rules govern how CE hours can be earned and applied toward renewal. Credits do not carry over to the next licensing term. All required hours must be finished within the current cycle. A licensee cannot receive credit for the same course twice within one renewal cycle, though the same course can count in consecutive cycles.

If a licensee falls short of the annual required hours in a given year, they may attempt to make up the difference in later years, but an audit may still result in penalties.

NAR Code of Ethics requirements for Michigan REALTORS®

NAR members face a separate ethics training obligation on a triennial basis, independent of Michigan's state CE rules. This requirement applies only to members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), not to all licensed real estate agents in Michigan.

Next steps for license renewal

Check your license expiration date in MiPLUS, review your CE profile on the tracking platform, and plan your annual legal and fair housing coursework early. Finish all CE hours before your cycle ends, then submit your renewal through MiPLUS before the expiration date to avoid late penalties and the risk of operating on an inactive license.