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State Cert Guide

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How do I get a real estate license in Michigan?

If you've never held a Michigan license, you take 40 hours of courses. You then pass the exam and find a broker to sponsor you.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
40 hours of prelicensure courses, at least 4 on civil rights lawThe checklist says the courses must be approved ones.
Verified. www.michigan.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$88.00This is the new application fee. It covers the application and a 3 year license.
Same source and date as above
Agency
The Bureau of Professional LicensingThe state's guide gives the Bureau's website as www.michigan.gov/bpl.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
License renewal runs on a 3-year cycleFinish the continuing education before you submit the online renewal application. Each year of the cycle has its own minimum hours on real estate law and fair housing.
Same source and date as above
Who needs it
A salesperson applicant must be at least 18 years of ageThis is one of the checklist items for a first-time applicant.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the basic rules. A salesperson applicant must be at least 18 years of age.

  2. Step 2. Take the real estate courses. Finish 40 hours of courses the state approves, including at least 4 hours on civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing.

  3. Step 3. Apply first, then sit the exam. Send your online application in MiPLUS and upload your 40-hour certificate before you're eligible for the exam.

  4. Step 4. Pass the salesperson exam. PSI administers it, and you provide proof of a passing score.

  5. Step 5. Get a broker to sponsor you. A licensed individual broker or broker company must sponsor you to become licensed.

  6. Step 6. Plan for renewal. The renewal cycle is 3 years, and each cycle needs at least 18 clock hours of continuing education. In each year of the cycle, at least 2 hours must cover real estate laws, rules and court cases, and at least 1 hour must cover fair housing laws.

Before you pay

We read the state's real estate salesperson licensing guide. It gives the new application fee, but we haven't confirmed a course price or whether a course can be taken online.

Before you pay a school, ask for its price, ask whether the course can be taken online and ask how long your access lasts. Ask whether the course counts, and check the fees on the state's own pages.

Questions

How long do my courses and exam result stay valid?

For a first license, the courses are valid for 36 months from the day you finish them. An exam result is valid for one year from the day you pass, and an application is valid for one year from the day you pay.

Where do I find an approved course?

The state posts the most current list of approved prelicensure courses in PDF format. Visit www.michigan.gov/bpl, select License Lists and Reports, then select Real Estate Approved Courses Report. Check a school against it before you pay.

What do renewal and relicensing cost?

Renewing costs $78.00. The 3 year relicensure application and fee is $108.00. Ask PSI for the exam fee before you pay.

My license expired. Do I start over?

Not if it expired less than 3 years ago. You can relicense with at least 6 hours of real estate continuing education for each year and partial year since it expired, including at least 2 hours a year on laws, rules and court cases and 1 on fair housing. After 3 years or more, you send one of these: a passing exam score, an approved 40-hour course certificate from the last 12 months, or the same continuing education.

What to do next

Start with the Michigan real estate salesperson licensing guide. Then look for the state's own pages on courses and fees.

www.michigan.gov

Sources we read