1.2 Mississippi License Requirements

Salesperson License: Step by Step

1. Eligibility

• Be at least 18 years old
• Hold a high school diploma or GED
• Be a resident of Mississippi (or meet nonresident/reciprocity rules) and of good moral character
• Disclose any criminal history; certain convictions can bar licensure

2. Pre-License Education — 60 hours

Complete 60 clock-hours of pre-license real estate education from an MREC-approved provider (college, community college, or approved school). Courses cover principles, practices, and Mississippi license law. Keep your completion certificate — MREC verifies it before granting exam eligibility.

3. The Licensing Examination (PSI)

Mississippi contracts with PSI to deliver the computer-based exam. The structure is the single most-missed set of facts in the old guide, so learn the exact numbers:

Total scored questions: 120 (not 110), within a 4-hour combined session. PSI may add 5–10 unscored pretest questions that do not count for or against you. You must pass BOTH portions. If you pass one and fail the other, you generally retake only the failed portion within the validity window. Results are shown on screen immediately.

Trap fixed: older materials list "30 state questions / 70% state." The current Mississippi state portion is 40 questions and requires 75% — a higher bar than the national portion.

From Temporary to Permanent: Post-License Education

Mississippi is unusual in issuing a temporary license first. After you pass the exam and affiliate with a broker, MREC issues a temporary salesperson license. To upgrade to a permanent license, you must complete a 30-hour post-license course within 12 months of the temporary license's issue date. At least 24 of those 30 hours must cover specified required subjects. Miss the 12-month window and the temporary license lapses — you cannot simply keep practicing.

4. Background Check

5. Fees (approximate, salesperson)

Broker License Requirements

To upgrade from salesperson to broker, you must satisfy higher bars:

Application Sequence

1. Finish 60 hours of pre-license education at an MREC-approved school
2. Submit the application and fingerprints through the MREC portal
3. Receive exam eligibility from MREC
4. Schedule and pass both PSI portions
5. Affiliate with a sponsoring broker (salespersons cannot work independently)
6. Receive a temporary license; pay the license fee
7. Complete 30 hours post-license within 12 months → permanent license

Exam tip: the order matters. Education comes before exam eligibility, and the sponsoring broker is required before you can activate — there is no "general" unaffiliated salesperson license in Mississippi.

Worked Example: Mapping a Real Candidate Through the Steps

Consider Dana, a 19-year-old Jackson resident with a GED. Trace the path the exam expects:

1. Eligibility — Dana is over 18 and has a GED, so she qualifies.
2. Education — She finishes 60 hours at an MREC-approved school and keeps the certificate.
3. Application + prints — She files online and submits fingerprints for the state/FBI check; a prior felony for theft (breach of trust) would trigger MREC review.
4. Exam — She schedules with PSI, scores 62/80 national (78%) and 31/40 state (78%) — both above the 70% / 75% bars, so she passes both portions in one sitting.
5. Affiliate — She signs on with a sponsoring broker; she cannot list a single property until this happens.
6. Temporary license — MREC issues a temporary license; she may now practice under supervision.
7. Post-license — Within 12 months she completes the 30-hour post-license course (24 hours required subjects) to earn the permanent license.

If Dana had scored 57/80 national (71%) but only 29/40 state (72.5%), she would have passed national, failed state, and would retake only the state portion within the validity window — a frequent scenario question.

Reciprocity and Nonresident Applicants

Mississippi recognizes licensing from other states through cooperative/reciprocal arrangements, but candidates should not assume an out-of-state license transfers automatically. A nonresident generally must still pass the Mississippi state-law portion, file a consent-to-service-of-process/irrevocable consent so MREC can reach them legally, and affiliate appropriately. The national portion may be waived for an applicant who already holds an equivalent active license elsewhere, but the state portion is rarely waived because Mississippi-specific law is exactly what MREC must verify.

Trap: "reciprocity" does not mean "no exam." It usually means the state portion still must be passed and a consent-to-service form filed.