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How do I get a real estate license in North Dakota?

For a North Dakota salesperson license, an applicant must furnish evidence of at least ninety hours in courses the Commission approves. Applicants for a salesperson or broker license must be at least eighteen.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least ninety hours in Commission-approved coursesThe Commission cannot waive them, but it may set guidelines that count closely related courses.
Verified. www.ndlegis.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Broker license
Broker: sixty more course hours, plus two years as a salesperson or equal experienceThe Commission may waive the experience if it finds that conditions where you live kept you from getting work as a salesperson.
Same source and date as above
Online-only courses
Online-only asynchronous courses must be finished within one year of enrollmentThe association of real estate license law officials must certify an online-only asynchronous course before the Commission approves it.
Verified. www.ndlegis.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Minimum age
At least eighteen years of ageThe rule applies to a broker applicant and a salesperson applicant alike.
Verified. www.ndlegis.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the basics. You must be at least eighteen and have a good reputation, including honesty and fair dealing. Your real estate license cannot have been revoked in any state within two years before you apply.

  2. Step 2. Take the course at a school the Commission approves. Its rules cover how it approves and regulates schools that offer prelicensure courses, so ask the school whether its course counts toward the ninety hours. A course hour is fifty minutes.

  3. Step 3. Pass the course exams. Each prelicensure course includes exams. Each school sets how much they weigh and what score passes, unless the Commission directs a change.

  4. Step 4. Sit the licensing exam. The Commission prescribes and holds the exams at designated times and places.

  5. Step 5. Choose your broker. Every salesperson license names the broker it works under.

  6. Step 6. Collect your certificate of completion. Your school issues it when you finish the course. It shows the school and the course, with its classroom hours, and it serves as evidence when you present it to the Commission.

Before you pay

We haven't confirmed the application fee, or which schools the Commission has approved. Before you pay for a course, ask the school whether the Commission has approved it for prelicensure credit.

Questions

Does a broker license from another state qualify me for a North Dakota broker license?

If you are a nonresident broker, yes. The statute says the Commission shall recognize a broker license from another state as qualifying a nonresident broker for a broker license, provided the broker qualified for it in their own state.

Can I take the licensing exam before I finish the course?

Yes. An applicant for either license may take the exam before finishing the course. The Commission still may not issue the license until it has satisfactory evidence that the applicant completed it.

Do I need errors and omissions insurance?

Yes, unless the license is inactive. The statute requires salespersons and brokers to carry the coverage as a condition of licensure, on terms the Commission sets, including minimum limits and the permissible deductible. A licensee outside the group program files a certificate of coverage every year.

What if I change brokers?

Give the Commission written notice within five days, naming the licensed broker you are about to work under. When you return the old license, the Commission issues a new one for the unexpired term. A change of broker without notice automatically cancels the license.

What does the license cost, and how often does it renew?

The statute caps the fee for a salesperson license, and for each annual renewal, at two hundred dollars, as the Commission sets it. A licensee must register at least annually. A license not renewed by the late renewal date is canceled, and relicensure means meeting the application and examination requirements again.

Will the Commission run a background check?

It may. The Commission can require an applicant to submit to a statewide and nationwide criminal history record check. The applicant pays all costs of the check.

What to do next

Start with the North Dakota real estate statute. Then read the Commission's education rules.

www.ndlegis.gov

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