Beginning December 1, 2007, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth will require that all salesperson applicants apply for their license and exam on-line at www.michigan.gov/iCOLA and www.PSIexams.com .  This system will allow applicants who have completed the application process on-line, and have had a broker verify their employment relationship, to receive their license immediately upon passing the licensing examination.

This system (iCOLA) will require brokers to go on-line to verify that an applicant is approved for employment by their office (this would be the same as signing the bottom of a salesperson's paper application in the past).  Brokers must register at www.michigan.gov/iCOLA . Once at the site, there will be prompts to create a permanent user ID and password, these should be retained these in a secure place for future use. 

The new system will work as follows:

1. Real estate salesperson candidates will access the Department's new internet database system to applying for a license at www.michigan.gov/iCOLA .
2. Applicants will enter their information, answer questions and pay electronically.
3. Once the applicant completes the process, employing brokers will be required to access iCOLA using their user ID and password to confirm that the broker desires to have this new salesperson licensed to work for them. 
4. A salesperson applicant does not have to have an employing broker at the time of application; however, they will not be eligible to receive a license at the examination site.
5. After the salesperson applies for a license on iCOLA, the Department will supply this information to our exam administrators, PSI, electronically. The applicant will then need to register and pay for the exam at www.psiexams.com . 
6. Once the salesperson applicant passes the exam, they will receive their photo pocket license at the exam site, enabling them to begin their new careers immediately!  The wall license and paper pocket card will be sent in the mail to the employing broker's main office in approximately two weeks.
7. Salespersons who pass the exam but who did not enter employing broker information in the beginning of the process can, within one year of applying on-line, have their broker submit to the Department, the Affiliation Notification from Broker for Salesperson Applicants form, available shortly at the Forms and Publications link on www.michigan.gov/realestate .  Once the broker confirms employment and the Department processes the new information, PSI will mail the photo pocket license to the broker.

The requirements to obtain a salesperson license remain the same:  a 40-hour fundamentals class, passing the exam, possessing good moral character and a valid employing broker. 

The license and exam application processes for brokers and associate brokers remain unchanged at this time, but it is anticipated that they too will be automated in the future.

We encourage ALL brokers to immediately access iCOLA to create a permanent user ID and password to be ready on December 1^st to verify new salesperson relationships as the need arises.  Please call the department at (517) 241-9288, press 111 to get to the real estate unit, if you have questions about getting your user name and password on iCOLA.  Thank you!