How to get your North Dakota real estate license

You must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or GED to apply for a North Dakota real estate license. A criminal background check is required — most non-violent offenses are reviewed case-by-case.

Note: Heads up: plenty of prep sites still describe North Dakota as '45 hours pre-exam plus 45 hours post-license.' That structure is gone. Effective January 1, 2021, NDREC requires a single 90-hour certified salesperson pre-licensure course completed before the exam, with no post-licensing hours afterward (confirmed on realestatend.org). You must apply for licensure within 2 years of finishing the course.

• Confirm you're at least 18 at the time of application — that's NDREC's minimum age.
• Enroll in a 90-hour NDREC-certified salesperson pre-licensure course from an approved education provider (list at realestatend.org).
• Complete the course and download your certificate of completion — you'll upload it (PDF preferred) with your online application.
• Watch the clock: you must apply for licensure within 2 years of the date on your course certificate, or the education expires.

North Dakota uses PSI to administer the licensing exam. You'll need a passing score of 70% on the national portion (70 of 100 correct) and 75% on the state portion (30 of 40 correct). The exam fee is $131. Expect roughly 100 national questions and 40–50 state-specific questions. Format: Computer-based at PSI test centers (test-takers.psiexams.com/ndre); 100-question national portion (2.5 hours) plus 40-question North Dakota portion (1.5 hours). Residents must pass both portions; the $131 fee is due each time you test or retest..

• Submit the online application at realestatend.org with your documents uploaded and pay the nonrefundable $161.25 fee ($150 application + $11.25 credit history — one page of the NDREC site rounds the credit fee to $13, but the online checkout total is $161.25). NDREC runs both a credit check and a criminal history check.
• Schedule and pass the PSI exams ($131) — no test code from the Commission is needed anymore — and have your passing scores submitted to NDREC.
• Get fingerprinted at a law enforcement agency or qualified provider, then mail both sealed cards, the Fingerprint Verification Form, and a $40 check payable to the North Dakota Attorney General to NDREC. Results typically come back in 1-2 weeks.
• Upload your 90-hour course completion certificate (resident applicants).
• After NDREC approves your file, submit the Request to Issue Real Estate License along with the one-time $20 payment to the Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund.
• Choosing active status? Provide proof of E&O insurance (NDREC negotiates an annual group rate through Rice Insurance) and have your broker sign off. You can also be issued inactive and hold that status indefinitely as long as you renew annually.

Your North Dakota license stays inactive until a licensed broker sponsors you. Interview at least 2–3 brokerages, compare commission splits, training, and lead sources, and pick the one that fits your career goals — not just the highest split.