How to become a real estate agent in Virginia

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the application fee rose on July 1, 2026 when a $7.25-a-year technology fee was added under House Bill 30), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the Board's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1Virginia real estate licence requirements

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Education: a high school diploma or its equivalent, required by section 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
• Course: 60 class or clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course, before sitting the exam; no experience is required of salesperson applicants.
• Exam: a pass on the state and national portions of the Board's exam, given by PSI, within the year before the application; scores expire after one year.
• Character: a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness and fair dealing, with disclosure of any felony conviction and of misdemeanours involving moral turpitude, sexual offences or drug distribution within the past five years.
• Background: fingerprints taken at a PSI testing location in Virginia (or by arrangement with the Board for out-of-state applicants); the background check expires after 45 days, so the complete application must reach the Board within that time.

Source: 18VAC135-20-30, Qualifications for licensure by examination (Cornell LII; effective November 1, 2021), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Salesperson License Application, form A490-0225SLIC v15 (July 1, 2026), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026.

2Steps to get your Virginia real estate licence, in order

1. Complete the 60-hour pre-licence course

   The course must be Board-approved; DPOR lists approved schools and courses on its Pre-License Education page. Reciprocity applicants must complete it too.

2. Register with PSI and pass both exam portions

   The Candidate Information Bulletin from PSI explains registration; the exam fee paid to PSI is $60, and passing scores are only valid for one year.

3. Get fingerprinted at a Virginia PSI location

   Fingerprints must be taken at a PSI testing location in Virginia for residents, and are strongly encouraged for non-residents because it speeds the mandatory background check; the check expires after 45 days.

4. Mail the complete application with $244.50 within 45 days

   The Board issues no licence until the application is fully accurate and complete, with every question answered, all documentation and the fee attached, and a background check no older than 45 days. The application must also arrive within one year of the first exam date.

5. Complete 30 hours of post-licence education in your first year

   Nine courses totalling 30 hours are due within one year of the last day of the month the licence was issued; missing them puts the licence on inactive status automatically.

Source: DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Board: Pre-License Education, read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Salesperson License Application, form A490-0225SLIC v15 (July 1, 2026), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Board: Post-License Education, read September 9, 2026.

3How much a Virginia real estate licence costs

DPOR prints its fee on the application form and PSI's exam fee on its pre-licence page; the fingerprint fee is paid to the vendor and tuition to the school.

Source: DPOR, Real Estate Board: Pre-License Education, read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Salesperson License Application, form A490-0225SLIC v15 (July 1, 2026), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026.

4How long it takes to become a real estate agent in Virginia

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one PSI sitting, fingerprinting, and a mailed application that must reach the Board within 45 days of the background check and within a year of the exam; the Board publishes no typical processing time on the documents read for this guide. Those parts come from DPOR's own guide and forms, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 60 class or clock hours at a Board-approved school, at its pace.
• Exam: one sitting with PSI covering the national and Virginia portions; scores valid for one year.
• Fingerprints and application: fingerprints at a Virginia PSI location, then a complete mailed application within 45 days before the background check expires; no review time is published.
• After licensing: 30 hours of post-licence education within one year of the end of the month of issue.

Source: DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Board: Post-License Education, read September 9, 2026.

5The Virginia real estate exam

The salesperson exam is a national portion and a Virginia portion, national and Virginia portions administered by PSI, registered through PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin. You need a pass on both portions; the documents read for this guide state no numeric score to pass. Scores are valid for one year and then expire. Retakes: a new $60 fee applies to each PSI sitting; the documents read set no waiting period or cap.

Pass rate

Neither the Board nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the Virginia salesperson exam on the documents read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Board: Pre-License Education, read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

Partial. An applicant already licensed in another state whose licence is not expired takes only the state portion of the Virginia exam, but still completes the 60-hour pre-licence course and applies by mail with the fee, a background check, and certifications of licensure from every state where licensed, dated within 60 days.

Source: DPOR, How to Apply for a Real Estate License (quick reference guide, PDF), read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs two years. To renew you complete 16 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period.

First renewal: 30 hours of post-licence education in nine courses (Fair Housing, ADA and Civil Rights 2 hours; Real Estate Law and Regulations 6; Ethics and Standards of Conduct 3; Current Industry Issues and Trends 2; Agency Law 3; Contract Writing 6; Risk Management 3; Escrow Requirements 3; Real Estate-Related Finance 2) within one year of the end of the month the licence was issued, or the licence goes inactive automatically.

Later renewals: 16 hours of continuing education each two-year term for salespersons who have renewed at least once; the renewal fee was not on the pages read for this guide, and a $7.25-a-year technology fee applies to certain fees from July 1, 2026.

Source: DPOR, Real Estate Board (main page), read September 9, 2026; DPOR, Real Estate Board: Post-License Education, read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in Virginia

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For Virginia, release May 2025:

BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents (41-9022), Virginia, read September 8, 2026.

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in Virginia

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 8,826 Virginia agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Keller Williams with 2,017 of them, and the largest brand was Keller Williams with 2,017. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new Virginia agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which Virginia brokerages publish their pay plan.

Source: Realty Census, Virginia count and brokerage ranking, September 5, 2026 (realtycensus.com/virginia/), read September 9, 2026.

10Pre-licence schools in Virginia

The Board approves the pre-licence schools and courses and publishes the list, with course numbers, on DPOR's Pre-License Education page; it also publishes a chart of broker education hours accepted from other states. The list is at DPOR's approved course list.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for Virginia is added with affiliate links, it will say so at the top, and schools will be ordered by what the state publishes or alphabetically, never by commission.

Source: DPOR, Real Estate Board: Pre-License Education, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in Virginia

How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Virginia?

The fixed parts are 60 course hours, one PSI sitting, fingerprinting, and a mailed application that must reach the Board within 45 days of the background check and within a year of the exam; the Board publishes no typical processing time on the documents read for this guide. The course is 60 hours at the school's pace; the exam is one PSI sitting whose scores last a year; fingerprints must be taken and the complete application mailed within 45 days of the background check. DPOR publishes no typical review time. Thirty hours of post-licence education then fall due within the first year.

How much does it cost to get a real estate licence in Virginia?

$304.5 to the state and its vendors ($60 exam, $244.5 application), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, the fingerprint fee and tuition for the 60-hour course, which the schools set.

What is the pass rate for the Virginia real estate exam?

Neither the Board nor PSI publishes a pass rate for the Virginia salesperson exam on the documents read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in Virginia?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in Virginia is $63,980 a year, with the middle half earning between $43,120 and $94,050. BLS counts agents paid as employees and reports wages, not the commissions of self-employed agents, so these are a floor for the occupation rather than what a typical commissioned agent takes home.

Does Virginia have real estate licence reciprocity?

Partly. An unexpired licence from another state waives the national portion of the exam only: you still take the 60-hour course, pass the Virginia portion, and apply by post with licence certifications from every state, dated within 60 days.

Sources and dates