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To get a real estate license in Michigan, you must be at least 18 years old, complete an approved 40-hour Michigan real estate pre-licensing course, apply through MiPLUS (LARA’s online licensing portal), pass the Michigan real estate salesperson exam administered by PSI, and obtain sponsorship from a Michigan-licensed broker.
Michigan does not require a college degree, high school diploma, GED, previous real estate experience, or routine fingerprinting to apply for a real estate salesperson license.
NCI Associates, Ltd. has provided Michigan real estate education since 1979. Its state-approved Real Estate Fundamentals – Real Estate Salesperson License Training program is available three ways: as a self-paced online course, a live Zoom webinar, or a classroom course.
Compare NCI’s Michigan real estate license classes and enroll.
These requirements are established by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). For the state’s official requirements, consult the current Michigan Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Guide.
LARA issues salesperson and broker licenses and regulates what licensees do once they have them. Applications and license management run through the Michigan Professional Licensing User System, better known as MiPLUS.
These requirements apply statewide. The licensing process is the same whether you plan to work in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Traverse City, the Upper Peninsula, or any other community in the state.
Many people search for “how to become a real estate agent in Michigan,” but the license LARA issues is officially called a real estate salesperson license. There are five steps to getting one.
Michigan requires new salesperson applicants to complete 40 clock hours of approved real estate education. At least four of those hours must cover civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing.
The course must be state-approved for Michigan salesperson pre-licensing education. A general real estate course, or one approved in another state, will not satisfy Michigan’s requirement.
Your course completion certificate is valid for 36 months for initial licensure. You do not have to test immediately after finishing your class, though testing while the material is still fresh usually makes preparation easier.
Yes. A state-approved online course satisfies Michigan’s 40-hour education requirement, and so do live online webinar courses and in-person classroom courses. All three formats count as long as the course itself is properly approved. Which one suits you depends on your schedule, how you learn, and whether you want live instructor interaction.
NCI’s self-paced online course is available 24 hours a day. Students get six months to complete it, though a dedicated student can finish in about a week.
The course is interactive and fully narrated by Jack Waller, J.D., author of NCI’s Michigan Real Estate Law & Practice textbook. It includes read-only access to a 474-page Michigan-specific eBook, practice questions and quizzes, exam-taking strategies, and a downloadable 42-page Real Estate Exam Prep Study Tool. Because it is self-paced, you can study around work and family obligations.
Students who prefer a structured schedule and live instructor interaction may choose an NCI Zoom webinar or classroom course. NCI offers accelerated daytime and extended evening programs as scheduled.
Live-course students receive NCI’s two-book Michigan Real Estate Law & Practice set, which includes detailed Michigan instruction, exam preparation, a condensed review outline, and a real estate glossary.
View NCI’s current Michigan pre-licensing course formats, schedules, and tuition.
The best Michigan real estate school for you should do more than run out the 40 hours you need to qualify for the exam. Before enrolling, ask:
National providers offer programs in many states at once. NCI’s curriculum covers Michigan law and practice specifically, using proprietary Michigan textbooks and study materials.
A good course prepares you for the work as well as the test: the legal duties and practical responsibilities you take on the first time you sit down with a Michigan buyer or seller.
After completing your pre-licensing course, create or sign in to your MiPLUS account. Complete the Michigan real estate salesperson application, upload a copy of your 40-hour course completion certificate, answer the required questions, and pay the application fee.
Michigan’s January 26, 2026 licensing guide lists the combined new salesperson application and three-year license fee as $88.
You must also provide your Social Security number, or submit the required affidavit if you are legally exempt from obtaining one. Non-Michigan residents must submit a Consent to Service of Process form.
No. You do not need a sponsoring broker before taking the course, submitting the application, or passing the state exam. But LARA will not issue your salesperson license until a Michigan-licensed individual broker or broker company agrees to sponsor you. If a broker or company did not refer you to the class, NCI can help you find a sponsor.
After you submit your MiPLUS application and course certificate, LARA reviews the application and makes you eligible for the licensing exam. Once eligibility is approved, PSI emails you a Candidate ID along with scheduling instructions. You need that ID to register for the Michigan real estate salesperson exam.
Completing the course does not, by itself, allow you to schedule the exam. You must submit the MiPLUS application and receive authorization first.
PSI administers the Michigan real estate salesperson exam. Its published exam information lists 115 scored questions, a 180-minute time limit, a required raw score of 80 (roughly 70%), and a $79 fee per attempt.
The exam covers national real estate principles alongside Michigan-specific laws and regulations. Subjects include property ownership, land-use controls, valuation and market analysis, real estate financing, contracts, agency relationships, property disclosures, real estate calculations, and brokerage practices, plus Michigan licensing law and the specific duties of Michigan brokers and salespersons.
Both the national and Michigan content sit in a single exam. There are not two separate tests.
Confirm current testing locations and delivery options directly through PSI’s Michigan real estate candidate page.
NCI provides Michigan-specific instruction using proprietary textbooks, detailed explanations, illustrations, practice questions, and exam strategies developed by Jack Waller, J.D. The aim is for students to understand the concepts behind the questions rather than memorize answers.
NCI also offers an optional four-hour Michigan Real Estate Exam Review for students who want a concentrated review before test day.
A Michigan real estate salesperson must be sponsored by a licensed individual broker or broker company. After you pass the exam, the result is posted to your MiPLUS application, and LARA sends instructions for entering your employing broker’s 10-digit license number. Once the broker approves your sponsorship request, LARA can issue your salesperson license and notify you by email.
You can start interviewing brokerages while you are still taking the course or studying for the exam. Worth asking about:
You cannot perform services requiring a real estate license until LARA has issued your salesperson license under an employing broker.
Required state and exam fees come to $167 for a first attempt.
Course prices and state fees change. Check the current NCI enrollment page, LARA licensing guide, and PSI candidate information before you budget.
NCI’s accelerated live course and self-paced online course can each be finished in as little as one week. The full licensing process takes longer, and how much longer depends on how quickly you submit your MiPLUS application, LARA’s processing time, PSI appointment availability, how much study time you need, whether you pass on the first attempt, and when you settle on a sponsoring broker.
Do not assume you can test the day after you finish the course. LARA must first process the application and authorize you to test.
Three deadlines apply to initial licensure. Pre-licensing education is valid for 36 months. A passing exam result is valid for one year. The license application is valid for one year from the date of payment.
No. Michigan’s current salesperson licensing requirements do not include a high school diploma, GED, or college degree.
You can complete an approved pre-licensing course online and submit your license application through MiPLUS. Confirm exam locations and delivery options with PSI once you are authorized to schedule.
The best one is whichever LARA-approved course is current, written for Michigan, and suited to how you learn. NCI’s course meets those criteria and includes fully narrated instruction, six months of access, proprietary Michigan textbooks, practice questions, and exam strategies.
No. You may complete the course, apply, and pass the exam before selecting a broker. You must have a sponsoring broker before LARA issues your salesperson license.
No. Nonresidents may apply for a Michigan real estate salesperson license. They must complete the licensing requirements and submit a Consent to Service of Process form.
A conviction is not an automatic disqualification. LARA reviews convictions and good-moral-character issues case by case. Answer every application question truthfully and provide any documentation LARA requests.
Do not assume that it does. Michigan’s current salesperson licensing guide directs nonresident applicants through the initial licensing requirements and does not describe a general reciprocity or state-exam-only shortcut. Contact LARA about any unusual licensing circumstances.
Michigan and PSI do not publish a current statewide first-attempt pass rate. To pass, you need a raw score of at least 80 out of 115 scored questions on an exam that covers a broad range of national real estate principles and Michigan-specific laws and regulations.
Some real estate schools advertise pass-rate percentages without explaining how the figures were calculated, how many students were counted, whether non-responding students were excluded, or whether the number reflects first attempts or repeat attempts. Without that, the percentages cannot be compared against any official statewide benchmark.
NCI does not manufacture a pass rate it cannot verify. Instead, NCI prepares students with Michigan-specific instruction, proprietary textbooks, practice questions, exam strategies, and study tools.
You may schedule another attempt through PSI and pay the exam fee again. Your score report shows which subjects to review before retesting. Students who want more help can take NCI’s Real Estate Exam Review or work back through NCI’s Michigan-specific textbooks and study materials.
Not necessarily. A Michigan real estate salesperson license allows you to perform licensed real estate services under an employing broker, pursuant to state license law. REALTOR® is a membership designation associated with the National Association of REALTORS®. Becoming licensed does not make you a REALTOR®.
Michigan salesperson licenses follow a three-year renewal cycle. Licensees must complete the applicable continuing education requirements before renewal.
NCI Associates, Ltd. has educated Michigan real estate professionals since 1979. Its Real Estate Fundamentals – Real Estate Salesperson License Training program is built for people who want a Michigan real estate license, in whichever of the three formats fits your life: self-paced online, live Zoom webinar, or in-person classroom.
Compare NCI’s Michigan real estate license course options and enroll today.
Questions about becoming a Michigan real estate agent? Call NCI Associates at 586-247-9800.
Jack K. Waller, J.D., is the owner and a principal instructor of NCI Associates, Ltd., a Michigan real estate education and consulting company. He is the author of NCI’s Michigan Real Estate Law & Practice textbooks and provides Michigan salesperson pre-licensing, broker licensing, and continuing education. Learn more at TeamNCI.com.
Copyright © 2026 by NCI Associates, Ltd. All rights reserved.
However, fulfilling the promise of a successful real estate future requires the right choices at the right times. The most important decision to make right now? Where you’ll begin — or continue — your real estate training. NCI Associates, Ltd. remains your intelligent choice for Michigan Real Estate Classes.
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