Mississippi Real Estate License: Pre-Licensing Hours, Exam and How to Open a Brokerage
Mississippi Real Estate License: Pre-Licensing Hours, Exam and How to Open a Brokerage
If you want to sell real estate in Mississippi, or eventually run your own office, the path runs through the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC). This guide covers the pre-license education, the state exam, the sponsoring broker requirement, and what it takes to open a brokerage. Treat it as a roadmap, not the final word. The exact hours, passing score, experience rules and fees are set by the MREC License Law and rules, which MREC updated after the 2025 legislative changes (notice dated August 15, 2025).
This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm every figure below with MREC before you enroll in a course or file anything. If you are forming an entity or have a complex ownership or tax situation, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.
Salesperson or broker: which real estate license do you need?
MREC licenses two levels. A salesperson license lets you list and sell real estate, but you must work under a sponsoring broker. A broker license is the level you need to operate your own brokerage and sponsor salespeople. Most people start as salespeople. Broker applicants face more education and an experience rule, which you should confirm on the MREC Applicants page before planning your timeline.
Salesperson pre-license education: 60 hours
Approved schools publish 60 pre-license hours for a salesperson. Before you pay for a course, confirm that the school is approved by MREC and check the current hour count on the Applicants page and in the License Law. Ask the school to confirm in writing that its course meets the current requirement. This is the step where a cheap, outdated course can cost you time and money.
The Mississippi real estate exam
After you complete the pre-license hours, you sit for the state exam. The passing score is set by MREC rules and is not listed in this guide, so confirm it on the Applicants page before test day. Ask your school how it covers Mississippi law and practice, not just general national real estate material. Get the scheduling and eligibility instructions from MREC, and do not book an exam date until your education and application documents are in order.
Sponsoring broker and post-license education
A new salesperson does not work independently. You work under a sponsoring broker, and your license is tied to that broker. Choose the sponsor carefully. Ask what training, supervision and transaction support they provide, and confirm the sponsorship with MREC before you start handling listings.
You must also finish post-license education. Schools publish 30 hours of post-license education that must be completed within 12 months. Confirm the deadline, and what happens if you miss it, with MREC before you start working.
Broker license: 120 pre-license hours and the experience rule
To become a real estate broker in Mississippi, approved schools publish 120 pre-license hours, which is double the salesperson requirement. Broker applicants must also meet an experience rule under MREC rules. This is the requirement most likely to catch people off guard, because many assume they can move from a short course straight into running an office. Check the exact experience requirement, how it is counted, and whether work as a licensed salesperson counts toward it. Get those answers from the Applicants page or from MREC staff, in writing if possible.
Steps to become a real estate agent or broker in Mississippi
- Confirm current hours, exam passing score, experience rule and fees on the MREC website.
- Complete the required pre-license hours at an MREC-approved school (60 for a salesperson, 120 for a broker).
- For a salesperson, line up a sponsoring broker. For a broker, confirm you meet the experience rule.
- Pass the state exam.
- Submit your application and fees to MREC.
- Finish post-license education on schedule (schools publish 30 hours, due within 12 months).
Opening a brokerage in Mississippi
Opening a brokerage means holding a broker license and a city privilege license for the office. Mississippi has no state general business license. Registering your company with the Secretary of State is a registration, not a license, and the Department of Revenue sales tax permit is a tax registration. Your real licensing question is local.
Every city, town and village issues its own privilege license under Miss. Code 27-17. Counties license only businesses outside municipalities. If your office is inside city limits, the city is your licensing authority. Fees and application steps are set locally, and this guide does not list them, so confirm the rate and paperwork with your city clerk. Jackson, Gulfport and Hattiesburg are examples of cities to check.
Form the company: LLC or corporation
Most new brokers form an LLC. The Certificate of Formation (Form F0100) costs $50 and is filed online through the Secretary of State's Business Services Division. The name must include "limited liability company," "L.L.C." or "LLC," and it must be distinguishable from every entity already on the Secretary of State's records. If you want to hold a name before filing, a name reservation costs $25 and lasts 180 days.
If you market the brokerage under a name other than its legal name, file a Fictitious Business Name Registration (Form F0070) for $25. It is filed with the Secretary of State, not the county.
Every Mississippi LLC must keep a registered office in the state and a registered agent for service of process. The agent must be a Mississippi resident individual or a qualifying entity, and the company needs a physical Mississippi street address. A commercial registered agent files a listing statement with the Secretary of State for $100 and appears on the state website. A noncommercial agent is not registered with the state, but you must have the agent's permission before listing them. Weigh that tradeoff against the cost and the reliability of the agent you choose.
An LLC's annual report (Form F0108) has no fee, but it is required. It is due April 15 each year, may be filed on or after January 1, and must be filed online. Missing it can lead to administrative dissolution. A corporation's annual report (Form F0008) costs $25 and is due April 15 for profit corporations.
Taxes that affect the entity you choose
An LLC taxed as a partnership reports its income on the members' Mississippi returns and does not pay the franchise tax. An LLC taxed as a corporation pays Mississippi corporate income tax and the franchise tax. For 2026 the franchise tax is $0.50 per $1,000 of capital above $100,000, with a $25 minimum. It is repealed effective January 1, 2028. Entity tax choice is a decision for a CPA.
The 7% state sales tax has no county add-on, and city levies apply only in Jackson and Tupelo. Office equipment and supplies you buy may be taxable purchases, so confirm your obligations with the Department of Revenue. The DOR sales tax permit has no fee, though a bond may be required for applicants with no permanent Mississippi location. Apply only if your business makes taxable retail sales.
If you hire an assistant, note that Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so wage questions start with the federal rules.
What it costs: the fee snapshot
The table below lists the figures confirmed for business formation. MREC fees are not listed here, so confirm them directly with the agency.
| Item | Amount | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| LLC Certificate of Formation (F0100) | $50 | Secretary of State |
| Name reservation (180 days) | $25 | Secretary of State |
| Fictitious Business Name Registration (F0070) | $25 | Secretary of State |
| LLC annual report (F0108) | $0, due April 15 | Secretary of State |
| Corporate annual report (F0008) | $25, due April 15 | Secretary of State |
| Commercial registered agent listing | $100 | Secretary of State |
| DOR sales tax permit | No fee | Department of Revenue |
| MREC course, exam and license fees | Set by MREC; confirm before enrolling | mrec.ms.gov |
| City privilege license for the office | Set by each city; confirm locally | Your city clerk |
Official resources
- Mississippi Real Estate Commission: Applicants page and License Law
- Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- Secretary of State business name search
- Secretary of State online filing portal
- Secretary of State business fee schedule (PDF)
- Mississippi Department of Revenue
- Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network, with 19 locations statewide
Next steps
Start with MREC. Confirm the current hours, exam score and experience rules before you spend money on a course, then set up the entity and city privilege license once you know your license level and office location. Keep written confirmation of anything the agencies tell you, since rules changed in 2025 and may change again. For a brokerage with a complex structure, partners or multiple offices, get a Mississippi attorney and CPA involved before you file.