Licensure Requirements for a Broker Associate
- Minimum age of 18
- Must be a U.S. citizen or a South Dakota resident
- Must complete at least 116 hours (in-person) of pre-license education approved by the Commission
- Pass the broker exam
- Must obtain and maintain Errors and Omissions Insurance
- Fingerprint background check
- Apply for license within 60 days of passing the exam
Licensure Requirements for a Broker
- Minimum age of 18
- Must be a U.S. citizen or a South Dakota resident
- Must complete the 15-hour Responsible Broker course (This assumes you have already completed the 116 hours required of a Broker Associate)
- Must have spent at least 2 years as an active, licensed agent
- Must carry Errors and Omissions Insurance
- Fingerprint background check
Step by Step Guide (Broker Associate)
- Complete at least 116 hours (in-person) of pre-license education from an Approved School
- Pass the broker exam (See below for more information)
- Apply for License along with all applicable fees and documents as outlined on the application (Must apply within 60 days of passing the exam)
Step by Step Guide (Broker)
- Complete 15-hour Responsible Broker course from an Approved School
- Pass the broker exam (See below for more information)
- Apply for License along with all applicable fees and documents as outlined on the application (Must apply within 60 days of passing the exam)
Exam Info
The exam is broken up into 3 parts: The national portion, the state law portion, and the broker simulation portion. The national and state law exams are both in multiple choice format. For more information on the simulation problems, refer to pages 7 and 10 of the South Dakota Candidate Handbook.
The national portion consists of 100 scored questions and 5 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. The state law portion consists of 57 scored questions and 5 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. The simulation portion consists of 9 scored problems and 2 pre-test problems that do not affect your score.
There is no distinction made between scored questions and pre-test questions on the exam. They are all mixed in together, so it is important that you answer each question carefully. You will have 2 ½ hours to complete the national portion, 1 ½ hours for the state law portion, and 3 hours for the broker simulation portion.
You must achieve a scaled score of at least 75 on each portion of the exam to pass. For detailed scoring information, refer to page 11 of the South Dakota Candidate Handbook.
- Schedule online or by calling (855) 557-0623. You can also mail in the exam registration form. (Refer to page 3 of the South Dakota Candidate Handbook for instructions)
- Exam locations are also found on page 3 of the handbook
Fees:
- Exam Fees
- National Portion- $98
- State Law Portion- $98
- Simulation Exam- $98
- Note: If you choose to take the national and state law portions at the same time, you will only be charged $98 as a combined fee instead of being charged for them separately. In this case, your total exam fee would be $196. If you take them separately, your total exam fee will be $294.
- License Application Fee- $225
- Fingerprint Background Check Fee- $43.25