Does Minnesota have a real estate commission that issues licenses?

No. Minnesota does not have a separate real estate commission. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82 assigns the licensing program to the commissioner of commerce, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce issues, renews, and disciplines broker, salesperson, and closing agent licenses. Every reference to the 'commissioner' in Chapter 82 means the Commissioner of Commerce.

How many questions are on the Minnesota real estate exam and how long do you get?

130 scored questions in four hours: 80 items on the general or national portion (2.5 hours) and 50 items on the Minnesota state portion (1.5 hours). PSI also embeds a small number, 5 to 10, of unscored experimental questions. Those do not count toward your score but do count against your testing time, so answer every question as if it were scored.

What score do you need to pass the Minnesota real estate exam?

You need 75 percent on the general portion and 75 percent on the state portion, each scored separately. Failing either part means failing the exam. Because the two parts are scored apart, if you pass one and fail the other you retake only the failed portion, provided you do so before your one-year application window closes.

How much prelicense education does Minnesota require, and when must it be finished?

Minnesota requires 90 hours of prelicense education split into three 30-hour courses. You must finish only Course I before taking the exam. Courses II and III must be finished before your broker files the license application on the PULSE portal. If you sit the exam before completing Course I, the result is invalid even if you passed. After you pass, you have one year to obtain the license or you must test again.

What does the Minnesota real estate exam and license cost, and how often is the license renewed?

The PSI exam fee is $68 for the combined state and national examination, or $45 for a single portion. The initial salesperson license fee is $100, which includes $30 for the Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund, plus a technology surcharge set by the Department of Commerce. A Minnesota salesperson license is valid for 24 months and is renewed on a two-year cycle with a June 30 deadline; the renewal fee is $60 including a $20 recovery fund fee. Every 24-month period you must also complete 30 hours of continuing education, at least 15 of them in the first 12 months.

Minnesota Real Estate Practice Test (Free)

The Minnesota real estate salesperson exam has 130 questions and a 4 hours limit. Below are the exact numbers the MN exam uses, and a free practice test to see where you stand.

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The Minnesota exam at a glance

License: Real Estate Salesperson
Administered by: PSI Services LLC, under contract with the Minnesota Department of Commerce
Total questions: 130 (80 national and 50 Minnesota-specific)
Time limit: 4 hours
Passing score: A score of 75 percent or higher on the general (national) portion and 75 percent or higher on the state portion, each part scored separately. Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, subdivision 6, sets that two-part cut score, and PSI states candidates must get 75 percent correct to pass. The general portion is 80 items worth 80 points (2.5 hours) and the state portion is 50 items worth 50 points (1.5 hours); one point per question for salesperson candidates.
How it is taken: Computer based, taken either in person at PSI test centers in Minnesota (Blaine, Brainerd, Duluth, Eagan, Mankato, Rochester, Saint Paul, Willmar, and Woodbury) or by remote online proctoring. Arrive 15 minutes before the appointment and bring a valid photo ID plus proof of Course I completion.
If you fail: You cannot book a new appointment on the same day you test. PSI states that a candidate who fails on a Wednesday can call the next day and retest as soon as Friday, space permitting, so the practical minimum gap is about two days. A candidate who passes one portion and fails the other retakes only the failed portion, at $45; retaking both portions in one sitting costs $68. There is no cap on the number of attempts, but you must apply for the license within one year of passing, and a passed portion is only usable within that same one-year window.

What Minnesota requires before you can sit the exam

Minimum age: 18+
Pre-license education: 90 hours
Course I, a 30-hour approved course, is the only prelicense education required before you sit the salesperson examination. Its completion certificate must be presented at the test center on every attempt.
Course II (30 hours) and Course III (30 hours, chosen from ten approved subject areas such as appraisal, finance, or closing procedures) must both be completed before the license application is filed.
Total prelicense education is 90 hours across the three courses. Taking the examination before completing Course I, unless exempt, invalidates the score even if you passed.
The license application itself is submitted by the sponsoring broker through the Department of Commerce PULSE portal, not by the applicant.
Exam / application fee: $68
License term: 2 years

Free Minnesota practice questions

10 questions written for the Minnesota exam, drawn from 12 in the ApexAgent bank. The correct answer and the reasoning are under each one.

1. Which chapter of Minnesota Statutes is the primary licensing law governing real estate brokers and salespersons?
- A. Chapter 45
- B. Chapter 82 ✓
- C. Chapter 287
- D. Chapter 386
Why: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82, Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, is the primary licensing law for brokers and salespersons, and the Department of Commerce Guide to Real Estate Licensing lists it first among the applicable laws. Chapter 45 covers general Department of Commerce powers, Chapter 287 covers mortgage registry and deed taxes, and Chapter 386 governs abstracters.
2. Which state body regulates real estate brokers and salespersons in Minnesota?
- A. The Minnesota Real Estate Commission
- B. The Minnesota Department of Commerce ✓
- C. The Minnesota Board of Realtors
- D. The Minnesota Office of Professional Licensing
Why: Minnesota does not have a separate real estate commission. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82 assigns administration of the licensing law to the commissioner of commerce, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce issues, renews, and disciplines real estate licenses. References to the commissioner in Chapter 82 mean the Commissioner of Commerce.
3. What is the minimum age to obtain a Minnesota real estate salesperson license?
- A. 16
- B. 18 ✓
- C. 19
- D. 21
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.58, subdivision 1, requires an applicant for a real estate broker or salesperson license to be at least 18 years of age at the time of making application.
4. What score must a candidate achieve to pass the Minnesota real estate salesperson examination?
- A. 70 percent on the general portion only
- B. 75 percent on the general portion and 75 percent on the state portion ✓
- C. 75 percent on the combined score with no minimum for either portion
- D. 80 percent on the state portion only
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, subdivision 6, sets a passing grade of 75 percent or higher on the uniform (general) portion and 75 percent or higher on the state portion. Each portion is scored separately, so failing either portion means failing the examination.
5. How much prelicense education must a Minnesota salesperson applicant complete before taking the salesperson examination?
- A. 30 hours, Course I ✓
- B. 60 hours, Courses I and II
- C. 90 hours, Courses I, II, and III
- D. No prelicense education is required before the examination
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, subdivision 8, requires completion of one 30-hour approved course, Course I, before the applicant takes the examination. Courses II and III, an additional 60 hours, must be completed before applying for the license, for 90 hours in total.
6. After passing the Minnesota salesperson examination, how long does an applicant have to apply for and obtain the license?
- A. 30 days
- B. 6 months
- C. 1 year ✓
- D. 2 years
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.58, subdivision 5, requires an applicant who obtains a passing score to file the application and obtain the license within one year of the successful examination. Otherwise a second examination must be taken to qualify.
7. How long is a Minnesota real estate salesperson license valid?
- A. 12 months
- B. 24 months ✓
- C. 36 months
- D. 48 months
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.63, subdivision 5, provides that a license renewed under Chapter 82 is valid for a period of 24 months. Section 82.62 requires renewal, and a licensee who has not received notice of approval of renewal may not continue to transact business after June 30 of the renewal year.
8. How many hours of continuing education must a Minnesota real estate salesperson complete during each 24-month license period?
- A. 15 hours
- B. 20 hours
- C. 30 hours ✓
- D. 45 hours
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.61 requires all real estate salespersons and brokers to complete 30 hours of approved continuing education during the initial license period and each succeeding 24-month license period. At least 15 of the 30 hours must be completed in the first 12 months, and the 30 hours must include at least one hour on agency representation and disclosure and at least one hour on fair housing.
9. Under Minnesota Statutes section 82.68, subdivision 3, material facts that a licensee must disclose to a prospective purchaser are best described as:
- A. only facts the purchaser asks about in writing
- B. facts the licensee is aware of that could adversely and significantly affect an ordinary purchaser's use or enjoyment of the property ✓
- C. only defects visible during a routine walkthrough
- D. only items already listed on the seller's disclosure statement
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.68, subdivision 3, requires a licensee to disclose to a prospective purchaser all material facts of which the licensee is aware that could adversely and significantly affect an ordinary purchaser's use or enjoyment of the property, or any intended use of the property of which the licensee is aware.
10. When a salesperson terminates activity on behalf of a broker, how many days does the broker have to notify the Minnesota commissioner of commerce?
- A. 5 days
- B. 10 days ✓
- C. 20 days
- D. 30 days
Why: Minnesota Statutes section 82.63, subdivision 6, provides that when a salesperson terminates activity on behalf of a broker the salesperson's license becomes ineffective, and within ten days of the termination the broker must notify the commissioner in the form prescribed by the commissioner.

Want more Minnesota-specific questions? Practice the full Minnesota state-law set.

Frequently asked questions

Does Minnesota have a real estate commission that issues licenses?: No. Minnesota does not have a separate real estate commission. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82 assigns the licensing program to the commissioner of commerce, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce issues, renews, and disciplines broker, salesperson, and closing agent licenses. Every reference to the 'commissioner' in Chapter 82 means the Commissioner of Commerce.
How many questions are on the Minnesota real estate exam and how long do you get?: 130 scored questions in four hours: 80 items on the general or national portion (2.5 hours) and 50 items on the Minnesota state portion (1.5 hours). PSI also embeds a small number, 5 to 10, of unscored experimental questions. Those do not count toward your score but do count against your testing time, so answer every question as if it were scored.
What score do you need to pass the Minnesota real estate exam?: You need 75 percent on the general portion and 75 percent on the state portion, each scored separately. Failing either part means failing the exam. Because the two parts are scored apart, if you pass one and fail the other you retake only the failed portion, provided you do so before your one-year application window closes.
How much prelicense education does Minnesota require, and when must it be finished?: Minnesota requires 90 hours of prelicense education split into three 30-hour courses. You must finish only Course I before taking the exam. Courses II and III must be finished before your broker files the license application on the PULSE portal. If you sit the exam before completing Course I, the result is invalid even if you passed. After you pass, you have one year to obtain the license or you must test again.
What does the Minnesota real estate exam and license cost, and how often is the license renewed?: The PSI exam fee is $68 for the combined state and national examination, or $45 for a single portion. The initial salesperson license fee is $100, which includes $30 for the Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund, plus a technology surcharge set by the Department of Commerce. A Minnesota salesperson license is valid for 24 months and is renewed on a two-year cycle with a June 30 deadline; the renewal fee is $60 including a $20 recovery fund fee. Every 24-month period you must also complete 30 hours of continuing education, at least 15 of them in the first 12 months.

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Sources

Minnesota Department of Commerce, Guide to Real Estate Licensing (current as of August 2025): salesperson must be at least 18; three 30-hour courses (Course I before the exam, Courses II and III before applying); initial salesperson license fee of $100 plus technology surcharge including $30 for the Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund; renewal of $60 plus surcharge including $20; PSI Services administers the prelicense examinations; application must be made within one year of passing; sponsoring broker files the application on the PULSE portal (verified 2026-10-03)
PSI Services LLC, Minnesota Real Estate Salesperson, Broker and Abstracter Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 10/1/2023): salesperson examination is 80 general items in 2.5 hours and 50 state items in 1.5 hours, 130 items in 4 hours combined; 75 percent correct required to pass; 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions that count against exam time; exam fee of $45 for a single portion and $68 for the combined state and national examination; retake cannot be booked the same day; test center list (verified 2026-10-03)
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82, Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (2025), full chapter: s. 82.55 definitions; s. 82.56 exceptions; s. 82.57 license fees; s. 82.58 age 18 and one-year application window; s. 82.59 examinations and passing grade; s. 82.60 course curriculum; s. 82.61 continuing education; s. 82.62 renewal; s. 82.63 other requirements; s. 82.67 agency disclosure; s. 82.68 disclosures and material facts; s. 82.70 compensation; s. 82.72 record retention; s. 82.75 trust accounts; s. 82.86 recovery fund (verified 2026-10-03)
Minnesota Statutes section 82.59, Licensing; Examinations and Instruction (passing grade of 75 percent or higher on the uniform portion and 75 percent or higher on the state portion; exams held at least every 45 days; ineligible if a license was revoked within two years; 30 hours of instruction before the salesperson exam plus 60 hours before the license; broker course of 30 hours completed within 12 months before application) (verified 2026-10-03)
Minnesota Statutes section 82.57, License Fees (initial salesperson license $70 and renewal $40; initial broker license $150 and renewal $100; $20 transfer fee; technology surcharge of up to $40 under section 45.24; initial license term at least 12 and no more than 24 months) (verified 2026-10-03)
Minnesota Statutes section 82.86, Real Estate Education, Research and Recovery Fund (initial licensees pay a $30 fund fee and renewing licensees pay $20 per licensing period; commissioner of commerce administers the fund) (verified 2026-10-03)
Exam details are checked against the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Real Estate Licensing (the commissioner of commerce administers Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82; Minnesota has no separate real estate commission) and its testing vendor. Always confirm current requirements with the board before your exam.