A Minnesota real estate broker license lets you work independently, hire salespersons, and operate your own brokerage. To earn it, you must be at least 18 years old, hold an active salesperson license for at least 3 of the past 5 years, complete a 30-hour broker pre-license course, pass the broker exam administered by PSI Services, and apply through the Minnesota Department of Commerce with a $190 license fee. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82 governs both the salesperson and broker license categories, and the Commerce Department administers the entire process.
What a real estate broker can do that a salesperson cannot
The broker license adds operational authority that a salesperson does not hold. Under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82[1], a broker who operates as a "primary broker" must also obtain a real estate company license and maintain a trust account for client funds unless the Commerce Department grants a waiver.
A real estate broker in Minnesota can operate independently, hire salespersons, and supervise agents, while a real estate salesperson (commonly called an agent) must work under a licensed broker and cannot practice on their own. Brokers must complete a 30-hour broker course, have at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the prior 5 years, and pass the broker examination. The broker submits the salesperson's license application and oversees their transactions.See the answer for every state
A real estate agent (called a "salesperson" in Minnesota statutes) is licensed to facilitate property transactions but must work under a licensed broker and cannot practice independently. A real estate broker has additional education and experience requirements, can work independently, hire agents, and receives a portion of the commissions earned by agents under their supervision. In Minnesota, a salesperson must complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education and pass the salesperson exam, while a broker must complete a 30-hour broker course, have at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the previous 5 years, and pass the broker exam. A REALTOR® is a licensed real estate professional who is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and must abide by NAR's Code of Ethics; not all real estate agents are REALTORS®.See the answer for every state
The REALTOR® designation is separate from the license tier. Minnesota REALTORS®, the state-level trade association, provides continuing education resources and advocacy for its members across the state.
To become a REALTOR®, a licensed real estate agent must join a local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues at the local, state, and national levels. The agent must be affiliated with a broker who also holds REALTOR® membership. National Association of REALTORS® dues are $156 per year with a $45 special assessment for the Consumer Advertising Campaign, and Minnesota REALTORS® state dues are $250 per year, with local dues varying by association. For example, Minneapolis Area REALTORS® members pay $651 per year in combined dues as of 2026, covering NAR ($156), the national assessment ($45), Minnesota REALTORS® ($250), and the local association ($200).See the answer for every state
Minnesota broker license requirements
The broker pathway builds on the salesperson license. The Minnesota Department of Commerce licensing guide[1] publishes the full requirements, which cover age, experience, education, exam passage, and application.
To become a broker in Minnesota, applicants must be at least 18 years old, complete a 30-hour broker pre-license course, have a minimum of three years of active licensed salesperson experience within the previous five years (or qualify for an experience waiver), and pass the broker's examination. The applicant must apply for the broker's license within 12 months of passing the exam, either as a primary broker or through association with a licensed primary broker who submits the application. The initial broker license fee is $190.See the answer for every state
Before pursuing broker licensure, you must first earn a salesperson license through the same department. The salesperson license is the prerequisite that lets you begin accumulating the active experience the broker license requires.
To get a Minnesota real estate salesperson license, you must be at least 18 years old, complete three 30-hour pre-licensing courses (Course I, Course II, and Course III) totaling 90 hours, and pass the salesperson examination administered by PSI Services. You must complete Course I before taking the exam, and you must complete Courses II and III before applying for the license. After passing the exam, you must become associated with a licensed Minnesota broker, who submits your license application through the PULSE Portal. You must apply within one year of passing the exam or you must retake it. The initial salesperson license fee is $110.See the answer for every state
Meeting the 3-year salesperson experience requirement
Minnesota requires active salesperson experience before you can sit for the broker exam. The Minnesota Department of Commerce licensing guide[1] specifies the lookback period and what qualifies as active.
Experience must be earned in Minnesota or in another state with comparable licensing requirements. Periods when your license was inactive do not count toward the requirement. The Commerce Department evaluates state comparability on a case-by-case basis.
Several categories of applicants can waive the experience requirement entirely:
Hold a degree in real estate from an accredited college or university
Be a licensed practicing attorney with real estate law experience
Be a public officer whose duties involve real estate
Be an active-duty military member, veteran, or military spouse meeting specific criteria
Obtaining a Minnesota broker license requires completing a 30-hour broker pre-license course, accumulating at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the preceding 5 years, and passing the broker exam with a minimum score of 75% on both the national and state portions. Experience waivers are available for applicants with a real estate degree from an accredited college, licensed attorneys with real estate law practices, certain public officers, and qualifying military members, veterans, or spouses. Neither the Minnesota Department of Commerce nor PSI publishes an official statewide pass rate for the broker exam.See the answer for every state
A Minnesota broker applicant must have at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the 5 years before applying for the broker exam, complete a 30-hour broker pre-licensing course, and pass the broker exam. The applicant must apply for the broker license within 12 months of passing the exam. If the experience requirement is already met, the remaining steps of coursework, exam preparation, and application typically take a few months.See the answer for every state
Completing the 30-hour broker pre-license course
The broker course is the only education requirement specific to the license upgrade. The Minnesota Department of Commerce licensing guide[1] requires you to complete the course before sitting for the broker exam.
The Commerce Department approves course providers. Approved schools offer both classroom and distance-learning formats.
To become a real estate broker in Minnesota, applicants must complete a 30-hour broker pre-license course and apply for the broker's license within 12 months of completing it. Applicants must also be at least 18 years old, have a minimum of three years of active licensed salesperson experience within the previous five years (or qualify for an experience waiver), and pass the broker's examination. Experience waivers are available for applicants with a real estate degree from an accredited college or university, licensed practicing attorneys with real estate law experience, public officers with real estate-related duties, and qualifying military members, veterans, or spouses.See the answer for every state
Yes, Minnesota allows pre-licensing courses to be completed online. The Minnesota Department of Commerce identifies online course offerings on the Pulse Portal at pulseportal.com by looking for "Internet/Self Study/Online" in the Instruction Method column. Classroom-format courses are also available and are identified by "Classroom" in the same column. Approved course providers can be found on the Pulse Portal by selecting the Minnesota Department of Commerce as the program, Real Estate as the board, and the Pre-Licensing Education category.See the answer for every state
Taking the Minnesota broker exam
PSI Services administers the broker exam at centers across Minnesota. The exam costs $68 for the combined national and state portions, or $45 for a single portion, according to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin[2].
Exam detail
Value
Exam vendor
PSI Services
National portion
75 scored items (80 points)
State portion
60 scored items (60 points)
Total scored items
135 (140 points)
Combined exam fee
$68
Single-portion fee
$45
Schedule by phone
(866) 395-1006
The national portion includes questions that can be scored up to two points each, which is why 75 national items yield 80 points. An additional 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions may also appear on the exam.
To prepare for the Minnesota broker licensing exam, you must first complete a 30-hour broker pre-license course from an approved provider and hold at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the preceding 5 years. The broker exam requires a minimum passing score of 75% on both the national and state portions. PSI Services, the exam vendor, publishes a Candidate Information Bulletin with detailed content outlines and offers practice exams through its online store.See the answer for every state
Applying for your broker license
After passing the exam, you must apply for your license within one year through the PULSE portal, unless you remain continuously active as a salesperson licensee, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce licensing guide[1]. The initial broker license fee is $190, which includes a $150 base license fee, $30 for the education, research, and recovery fund, and a $10 technology surcharge under Minnesota Statutes section 45.24(f)[4], effective May 1, 2023.
Two application paths exist depending on your role:
Application type
Who submits
Process
Primary broker or individual proprietor
The applicant
"Dual Application" through PULSE
Non-primary broker
The primary broker
Primary broker submits on your behalf
A Broker Application Attestation form is required. The Commerce Department considers incomplete applications withdrawn if not completed within 6 months, and the fee is nonrefundable. If you plan to operate a brokerage, you must also obtain a real estate company license with an initial fee of $180.
A sponsoring broker is a licensed real estate broker who holds a salesperson's license, provides supervision, and ensures compliance with state laws. In Minnesota, state law requires a salesperson to be associated with an actively licensed broker to become licensed and to practice real estate. The broker must submit the salesperson's license application through the PULSE portal, and a salesperson may not act on behalf of more than one broker at the same time. The broker reviews contracts, assists with negotiations, and receives a portion of the salesperson's commissions through an agreed commission split or flat-fee arrangement.See the answer for every state
Wisconsin applicants follow a special path, completing a 13-hour Wisconsin-to-Minnesota Reciprocal Prelicense course and passing only the state portion of the broker exam.
Applicants from non-reciprocal states must submit a Request for Waiver of Salesperson Experience, complete the 30-hour broker course, and pass the state portion of the broker exam. The license fee is also $210.
The broker renewal fee is $130, which includes a $100 base renewal fee, $20 for the education, research, and recovery fund, and the $10 technology surcharge.
The first renewal after initial licensure is exempt from continuing education requirements.
A Minnesota real estate license is valid for up to 2 years and expires on June 30 of the expiration year. Renewal requires 30 hours of continuing education during each 2-year period, with at least 15 hours completed each license year.See the answer for every state
Minnesota brokers must complete 30 hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal period, with at least 15 hours completed during the first 12 months of each period. The 30 hours must include 1 hour of Agency Laws training, 1 hour of Fair Housing training, and an annual required general module course. For the 2026-2027 cycle, the general module "Cybersecurity in Real Estate" (3.75 hours) also satisfies the broker module requirement, so no separate broker module course is needed. Brokers with a commercial-only designation are exempt from the agency, fair housing, and module requirements but must still complete the remaining CE hours.See the answer for every state
Next steps
If you meet the experience requirement, your next move is to enroll in a state-approved broker pre-license course, schedule your exam through PSI Services, and prepare your PULSE portal application. If you do not yet hold a salesperson license, start with the salesperson pre-licensing curriculum and affiliate with a sponsoring broker to begin accumulating the active experience the broker license requires.
