Real Estate License from Minnesota to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does North Dakota accept a Minnesota real estate license?
Yes — North Dakota has a reciprocity arrangement covering Minnesota license holders. Apply to the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the national exam portion and complete North Dakota's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Minnesota is on North Dakota's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what North Dakota still insists on — typically its own law exam and a background check. One caution: agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date tells you when we last confirmed Minnesota on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Minnesota and North Dakota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into North Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Minnesota to North Dakota (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
North Dakota to Minnesota (the reverse move): Full re-application.
The two directions differ: Minnesota and North Dakota do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Minnesota matter?
Coming from Minnesota matters here: only 3 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into North Dakota.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (47).
- Reciprocity agreements
North Dakota's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Georgia, Iowa, and Minnesota), including Minnesota.
Minnesota's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- Application fee
North Dakota lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Minnesota lists $70 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
North Dakota's first-time-applicant standard is 90 hours of pre-license education; Minnesota's is 90.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
North Dakota and Minnesota carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- North Dakota (this move): Reciprocal applicants whose primary residence is in Minnesota, Iowa, or Georgia take NO North Dakota exam. Nonresident applicants from any other state have the national portion waived and must pass only the ND state portion of the PSI exam.
- Minnesota (the reverse move): No portion is waived in practice. Every applicant must pass both the uniform (national) and state portions of the Minnesota salesperson examination, each with a score of at least 75 percent (Minn. Stat. 82.59). Minnesota's reciprocity statute (82.64) could waive the education requirement for a licensee of another jurisdiction, but ONLY where a written reciprocal agreement is in effect - and the examination is never among the items 82.64 waives.
What changes, Minnesota → North Dakota
| Minnesota (current) | North Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 90 | 90 |
| Application fee | $70 (Initial salesperson license fee is $70 (Minn. Stat. 82.57, subd. 1(b)); renewal is $40. In addition each initial license carries a technology surcharge of up to $40 (Minn. Stat. 45.24) plus a payment to the real estate education, research and recovery fund (Minn. Stat. 82.86). The Pearson VUE exam fee is paid separately.) | $150 (Nonrefundable application fee (same for resident/nonresident/reciprocal). Separate: ~$11.25 credit history check; $40 criminal-history analysis paid to the ND Attorney General; $20 one-time Recovery Fund; fingerprint and PSI exam fees vary and are not published by NDREC.) |
| Processing time | The Department of Commerce does not publish a fixed processing time for salesperson licensure | NDREC states timing is applicant-dependent and publishes no end-to-end range; criminal-history results run ~1-2 weeks and application status is viewable 7-10 days after submission |
| Licensing authority | Minnesota Department of Commerce | North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be at least 18 years old and licensed in good standing in another state.
- Complete a statewide and nationwide fingerprint-based criminal history record check and a credit history check.
- Submit an original Certificate of Licensure (less than 3 months old) from each state where licensed.
- Pass only the ND state portion of the PSI exam (nonresident non-reciprocal); reciprocal MN/IA/GA applicants take no ND exam.
- Associate with a North Dakota broker/firm and carry Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance to hold an active license.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in Minnesota after I'm licensed in North Dakota?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Minnesota license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- NDREC — How To Apply (Salesperson/Reciprocal tabs; names GA/IA/MN; fees; 90-hour course; exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NDAC 70-02-01-06 — Nonresident brokers and salespersons (official ND Administrative Code, amended eff. 2022-07-01; state-portion-only exam for nonreciprocal nonresidents) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NDREC — Guidelines for Reciprocity (names Georgia/Iowa/Minnesota; certified license history under 3 months) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.64 RECIPROCITY (education and 82.61 requirements 'may be waived' only where a written reciprocal agreement is in effect, the individual is in good standing, and requirements are substantially similar) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.63, subd. 11 Nonresidents ('A nonresident of Minnesota may be licensed as a real estate broker, real estate salesperson... upon compliance with all provisions of this chapter.') ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.59 LICENSING; EXAMINATIONS AND INSTRUCTION (all applicants pass an exam; 75% uniform and state; salesperson 30-hour Course I before exam + 60 additional hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.57 LICENSE FEES ($70 initial salesperson license, $40 renewal; technology surcharge up to $40; recovery fund fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com