North Dakota real estate CE requirements: Hours, deadlines, and renewal

North Dakota's continuing education (CE) real estate requirements mandate 12 hours of approved coursework per cycle for every active licensee, with annual license renewal through the North Dakota Real Estate Commission^[1] (NDREC). The CE cycle runs from November 16 through November 15 each year, and all licensees must renew by November 15 to avoid late fees. For the 2025-2026 CE cycle (November 16, 2025 through November 15, 2026), all 12 hours are elective with no mandatory topics, and every hour can be earned online.

North Dakota real estate license renewal deadlines and process

All active and inactive North Dakota real estate licenses must be renewed annually by November 15 through the NDREC Online Services portal. The 2025 renewal instructions^[2] require payment online by credit or debit card; NDREC accepts Discover, MasterCard, and Visa but not American Express.

The designated broker must certify each licensee's CE completion before NDREC approves the renewal. Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance must also be current at the time of renewal, though no certificate needs to be uploaded.

Even inactive licenses must be renewed each year. A licensee can hold an inactive license for an unlimited period, provided the license is renewed annually, as stated on the NDREC How to Apply page^[3].

North Dakota CE hour requirements for renewal

Active license renewal in North Dakota requires 12 CE hours per cycle, under NDAC 70-02-04-02^[4]. The requirement increased from 9 hours to 12 hours effective July 1, 2022.

The 12-hour obligation applies to all license types equally.

CE certification ties these hours to license status.

CE cycle dates: November 16 through November 15

The North Dakota CE cycle runs from November 16 through November 15 each year, as established in NDAC 70-02-04-02 and confirmed on the NDREC education page^[4]. The current cycle covers November 16, 2025 through November 15, 2026, and completing CE during this window renews the license as active for 2027.

Although licenses expire on December 31, the CE completion deadline is November 15, which falls before the license expiration date. This distinction matters because NDREC allows no grace period for completing CE. If the required hours are not finished by November 15, the licensee must renew as inactive for the following year to avoid potential disciplinary action, under NDAC 70-02-04-01.

CE hours cannot be carried over into the next cycle. Each cycle's hours must be earned within that cycle's November 16 to November 15 window.

Mandatory and elective CE topics for the current cycle

For the 2025-2026 CE cycle, NDREC has designated no mandatory topic hours — all 12 hours are elective, and licensees may choose any combination of approved topics. The NDREC education page^[4] states: "There are NO mandatory topic hours or courses for this CE cycle."

Mandatory topics change from cycle to cycle. The prior 2024-2025 cycle required 3 mandatory hours for salespersons on contract law (focusing on purchases and purchase agreements) and 3 mandatory hours for brokers on broker responsibility (earnest money, NDREC-required office policies, and advertising), plus 9 elective hours each, according to the 2025 renewal instructions^[2]. The 2023-2024 cycle required 6 mandatory hours for brokers (3 hours contract law plus 3 hours agency law) and 3 mandatory hours for salespersons, according to the 2024 renewal instructions^[5].

The commission may require specific topic areas under NDAC 70-02-04-02 but does not always do so.

Online and classroom formats for CE

North Dakota permits the entire CE requirement to be earned through online courses from NDREC-approved providers.

For classroom-based courses, licensees must attend at least 90% of scheduled hours to receive a certificate of completion, under NDAC 70-02-04-21. Online courses must be completed within one year of the enrollment date.

Where to take North Dakota CE courses

North Dakota CE must be earned through NDREC-approved providers. The commission maintains a current list of approved courses^[6] on its website.

CE course instructors can earn 1 hour of CE credit for every hour spent teaching a unique course, up to 50% of the required hours, under NDAC 70-02-04-16. This credit allows experienced licensees who teach approved courses to reduce the number of hours they need to purchase as students.

CE exemptions for new licensees and other groups

Several categories of licensees are exempt from North Dakota CE requirements for specific renewal cycles. Newly licensed brokers who passed the broker exam during the current CE cycle are exempt for that cycle, under NDAC 70-02-04-15. Non-resident and reciprocal licensees must meet CE requirements in their state of residence only, not in North Dakota, per NDAC 70-02-04-04; NDREC also accepts CE credit for courses approved by other state real estate commissions under NDAC 70-02-04-02, so multi-state licensees can count out-of-state coursework toward the North Dakota requirement. Licensees continuously licensed since on or before January 1, 1969 are permanently exempt under North Dakota Century Code 43-23-08.2(3).

New salesperson licensees face specific CE and post-licensing education rules depending on which pre-licensure course path they completed:

Military members and military spouses qualifying under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) receive waivers for application fees, credit checks, background checks, pre-licensure education, and exam requirements, but must still complete CE and pay renewal fees, according to the NDREC How to Apply page^[3].

Late renewal fees and license cancellation

Licenses not renewed by November 15 incur late fees that accumulate at $100 per month per license, according to the 2025 renewal instructions^[2].

If an active licensee does not renew by December 31, the license automatically becomes inactive on January 1. The licensee must then renew by January 15 and pay all accumulated late fees plus an activation fee to return to active status. Licenses not renewed by January 15 are cancelled, and the licensee must reapply from scratch.

Licensees who have not completed their CE by November 15 must renew as inactive to avoid disciplinary action. They can transfer back to active status effective January 1 or later, once the required CE is completed.

Reactivating an inactive North Dakota real estate license

To reactivate an inactive license, the licensee must complete CE for each cycle the license was inactive, up to a maximum of 3 cycles, under NDAC 70-02-01-05(4). This makeup CE must have been completed within the 3 years immediately preceding reactivation. A licensee who was inactive for the full lookback period could face a substantial makeup requirement before returning to active status.

CE recordkeeping and audit

NDAC 70-02-04-21 governs how CE completion is documented and verified for North Dakota licensees.

The designated broker's certification step connects individual recordkeeping to the renewal approval process, since NDREC will not approve a renewal without it.

REALTOR® Code of Ethics and Fair Housing requirements

REALTOR® membership carries its own education obligations distinct from North Dakota's CE rules.

These national training requirements do not count toward the 12-hour North Dakota CE obligation unless the specific course is also NDREC-approved for CE credit. The National Association of REALTORS®^[7] provides a state-by-state directory of CE links on its website.

Renewal checklist: what to do next

Complete these steps before November 15 to renew an active North Dakota real estate license:

1. Complete 12 hours of NDREC-approved CE (all elective for the 2025-2026 cycle).
2. Keep certificates of completion for every course.
3. Submit proof of CE to your designated broker for certification.
4. Confirm E&O insurance is current.
5. Log in to the NDREC Online Services portal and submit the renewal application.
6. Pay the renewal fee ($125 salesperson, $150 broker) by Discover, MasterCard, or Visa.

If you miss the November 15 deadline, either renew as inactive or pay the accumulating late fees before January 15 to avoid license cancellation. Once CE is complete, you can transfer from inactive to active status.