How to get a Missouri real estate broker license

A Missouri real estate broker license lets you operate independently, supervise salespersons, and run your own brokerage firm. The path from salesperson to broker requires at least 24 months of active experience, 48 hours of broker pre-exam education, and a separate licensing exam administered by PSI Services LLC. Whether you pursue the broker and REALTOR® designation together through National Association of REALTORS® membership or hold the license without that affiliation, the Missouri Real Estate Commission (MREC) sets the requirements that govern both paths.

What distinguishes a Missouri broker from a salesperson and a real estate agent

A real estate broker holds a higher-level license that allows independent practice, agent supervision, and direct commission earning, while a salesperson must operate under a supervising broker. The REALTOR® designation comes from NAR membership, not from the license tier.

Missouri offers several broker license types to match different business structures. The MREC application form^[1] lists Individual Broker, Broker-Salesperson, Broker-Partner, Broker-Officer, Broker-Associate, PC Broker-Salesperson, and Inactive Broker as available categories. An Individual Broker operates as a sole proprietor. Broker-Salespersons hold broker credentials but continue working under another broker. Broker-Officer, Broker-Partner, and Broker-Associate designations serve corporations, partnerships, and LLCs respectively.

Experience requirement for a Missouri broker license

You must be licensed as an active Missouri salesperson for at least 24 of the 30 months immediately preceding your broker license application. This requirement sets the minimum timeline for most applicants and cannot be accelerated through coursework or exam preparation.

The MREC nonresident requirements document^[2] establishes this standard, which applies to both resident and nonresident applicants. Your supervising broker must certify your active experience as part of the application process.

Broker pre-licensing education in Missouri

The state requires 48 hours of broker pre-exam coursework from an MREC-approved provider. You must complete this course before sitting for the broker exam. MREC approves online, correspondence, and home study formats for pre-licensing education.

The Missouri broker exam

The Missouri broker exam consists of 165 total items across two portions, and you must score at least 75% on both to pass. PSI Services LLC administers the exam, which costs $52 per attempt. The national portion contains 90 items presented as 10 simulation problems with weighted scoring (100 total points), and the state portion contains 75 multiple-choice items (75 points, requiring 57 correct answers).

Exam format and passing scores

These figures come from the PSI Candidate Handbook^[3], published July 18, 2024 and hosted on the MREC website. The national portion uses a Minimum Passing Level (MPL) methodology based on scoring weights for Information Gathering and Decision Making components within each simulation problem.

Scheduling and taking the exam

PSI became Missouri's real estate exam vendor effective April 24, 2023, replacing AMP. You can schedule by calling PSI at 1-888-818-5829 or through PSI's online scheduling portal. Candidates are typically scheduled within five business days of contacting PSI, per the MREC exam application page^[4].

The exam fee schedule^[5] lists $52 for every exam type, whether you take both portions together or retake a single portion. Walk-in candidates are not admitted. PSI administers the exam at test centers in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Jefferson City, with additional locations in Kirksville and West Plains, per the MREC exam schedule page^[6]. You can also take the exam outside Missouri by calling PSI to register.

If you pass one portion but fail the other, you retake only the failed portion for the same $52 fee. Both portions must be passed to be eligible for a license, per the MREC exam application page^[4].

Background check and fingerprinting for broker applicants

All applicants for an original Missouri real estate license must complete a fingerprint-based criminal history background check through IDEMIA (Identogo). You register with MACHS using MREC registration code 0004, per the MREC how-to page^[7]. The fingerprinting process takes approximately 10 minutes at an IDEMIA collection site.

As of January 8, 2019, the fingerprinting fee is $41.75, per the MREC Fingerprinting FAQ^[8]. MREC does not receive any portion of this fee. This requirement applies to all original license applicants, including those upgrading from salesperson to broker if they have not previously completed a fingerprint-based check.

Submitting your Missouri broker license application

The broker license application fee is $150, effective July 1, 2024 per Missouri Code of State Regulations 20 CSR 2250-5.020^[9]. Fees are nonrefundable. You submit the application to MREC with your course completion certificate, proof of passing exam scores, and background check results.

Application deadline

For the standard pathway, you must submit your application within six months of completing the broker pre-exam course, per 20 CSR 2250-3.010^[10]. This six-month window encompasses both passing the exam and filing the application. If no pre-exam course is required — for example, licensed attorneys or out-of-state brokers whose course requirement is waived — the deadline runs from the date you pass the relevant exam portion.

Application requirements by license type

The MREC application form^[1] requires different attachments depending on the broker license type:

Licensed attorneys must submit a copy of their current bar card with the application. If planning to operate as a corporation, partnership, or LLC, the applicant must also obtain a real estate license for that entity.

Out-of-state licensee pathway to a Missouri broker license

Missouri permits licensees from other jurisdictions to pursue a broker credential. The MREC nonresident requirements document^[2] outlines the specific requirements for each pathway.

For salespersons licensed elsewhere, Missouri requires the broker pre-exam course, both exam portions, and application within the standard six-month window from course completion.

Brokers already licensed in another jurisdiction take only the Missouri state exam section, with the pre-exam course waived. They must apply within six months of passing.

Nonresident applicants must provide a license-history certification from their home state's real estate regulator, no more than 90 days old. Photocopies of the license itself do not qualify. If the applicant's home state issues only broker licenses, Missouri treats the single license as equivalent to a salesperson license for experience-counting purposes.

Broker license renewal and continuing education

Missouri broker credentials follow a biennial cycle, expiring June 30 in even-numbered years. A fee applies for each renewal, per the MREC renewal page^[11]. The CEU requirements page^[12] names Fair Housing as the required CORE topic for the 2026-2028 cycle. An Agency CORE topic follows for 2028-2030.

Brokers new to the tier who never took the Missouri Real Estate Practice (MREP) Course during salesperson licensing must complete it before first renewal, per the MREC general renewal information page^[13].

Next steps

If you meet the experience requirement, your next action is to enroll in a broker pre-exam course from an MREC-approved provider. Once you complete the course, schedule your broker exam with PSI, complete your fingerprinting through MACHS, and gather your application materials. The six-month clock starts on your course completion date, so plan your exam and application submission within that window.