How to Become a Real Estate Agent in North Dakota

Checked against North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) · Verified 2026-10-11

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 1 year; licenses renew annually for the calendar year
State fee: $150 application fee plus a credit history fee (listed as $11.25 at checkout; NDREC's cost list shows $13), and a one-time $20 Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund payment when the license is issued.
Licensed by: North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC)

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Who can apply

Be at least 18 years old when you apply.
Residents: complete the NDREC-certified 90-hour salesperson prelicensure course and apply within 2 years of finishing it.
Have a credit history and a fingerprint-based criminal history that NDREC finds acceptable.
Have had no real estate license revoked in any state within the 2 years before applying.
Pass the North Dakota and national exams (nonresidents who are not reciprocal pass the state exam only).

Step by step

Apply online through NDREC Online Services and pay $161.25 ($150 application plus $11.25 credit history).
Residents: complete the 90-hour prelicensure course and upload the certificate before the license is issued.
Schedule and take the exams with PSI (you can test at any time), then upload your passing score reports.
Get fingerprinted, then mail the cards, the Fingerprint Verification Form and a $43 check to the ND Attorney General to NDREC.
Associate with a broker and get errors and omissions insurance if your license will be active.
Submit the Request to Issue Real Estate License with the one-time $20 recovery fund payment; your broker approves it.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Resident applicants complete a 90-hour NDREC-certified salesperson prelicensure course and must apply within 2 years of finishing it. You may test before finishing the course, but the certificate is required before the license is issued. Reciprocal and other nonresident applicants do not take the ND course.

Exam: Given by PSI. Salesperson national portion: 100 questions, pass with 70, 150 minutes. State portion: 40 questions, pass with 30, 90 minutes. Fee: $134 whether you take one or both portions; pay again for each retake. If you pass one portion you retake only the other. You may test an unlimited number of times within 12 months, and the fee is forfeited if you do not test within 1 year of paying.

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What it costs in North Dakota

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

NDREC application fee$150
Credit history fee (NDREC lists both $13 and $11.25)$
90-hour prelicensure course (school tuition)$
PSI exam fee (one or both portions)$134
Fingerprint analysis (ND Attorney General)$43
Fingerprinting service$
Errors and omissions insurance (NDREC group program, per calendar year)$187
Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund (one-time)$20

Estimated total in North Dakota$534Plus 3 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Exam fee: $134 per attempt, paid to PSI
Fingerprint analysis: $43, paid to the ND Attorney General
Fingerprinting service: set by the agency that takes your prints
Errors and omissions insurance (active licensees): $187 per calendar year through NDREC's negotiated provider, or through your firm
90-hour course tuition: set by the school

Pay in North Dakota

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in North Dakota after taxes.

How long it takes

NDREC says fingerprint record-check results usually reach it in about 1 to 2 weeks; it does not publish an overall application processing time.

What other sites get wrong about North Dakota

Myth: North Dakota salespersons need only 45 hours of prelicensing education plus 15 hours of post-licensure courses.

Fact: Resident salesperson applicants must complete a 90-hour NDREC-certified prelicensure course and apply within 2 years of finishing it. source

Myth: The North Dakota real estate exam costs $131.

Fact: PSI's fee is $134 per attempt, whether you take one or both portions. source

After you're licensed

Renewal: Renew online every year for $125, with proof of E&O insurance for the next year. For the cycle ending November 15, 2026, residents need 12 hours of elective CE with no mandatory topics. Salespersons first licensed in 2026 are exempt from CE for their first renewal. If CE is not done by November 15, you must renew as inactive.

Good to know in North Dakota

Broker approval: To hold an active license you must associate with a broker and firm, and your broker must approve your request to issue the license.

Reciprocity: Licensees whose primary residence is in Minnesota, Iowa or Georgia can get a reciprocal nonresident license without ND exams.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) before you apply.