How to become a real estate agent in West Virginia

This page is independent of any school or brokerage. Requirements change (the Commission's pages are the versions read on the date shown, its fee schedule took effect January 1, 2023, and Pearson VUE's handbook is its February 2026 edition; the Commission's reciprocity page was blank when read, so out-of-state licensees are described from the FAQ only), so each section names the official page it was read from and the date. If a figure below disagrees with the Commission's page today, the board is right and this page is stale: the date tells you how stale.

1West Virginia real estate licence requirements

• Age and education: 18 years or older with a high school diploma or equivalent, trustworthy, of good moral character and competent to transact business.
• Course: 90 clock hours in Commission-approved courses: 30 hours of principles and practice, 20 of law, 20 of finance and 20 of appraisal, with a score of 70% or higher in each subject; the course is valid for three years from completion.
• Background: a national criminal history check, valid for only 90 days, scheduled with the Commission's service code before the exam application.
• Exam application: an online application to sit the exam with the course completion certificate showing your scores and a copy of your driver's licence; paper applications are no longer accepted.
• Exam: a pass on both the national and state portions within 90 days or two attempts of authorization, whichever comes first, after which a new application is needed.
• Licence: an online licence application within 90 days of passing, with proof of passing both portions and a verification of sponsoring broker.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Initial Salesperson (requirements and exam application), read September 9, 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Education Requirements for Licensure, read September 9, 2026.

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

1. Complete the 90-hour course

   At a Commission-approved provider following the Commission's salesperson course outline; the certificate carries your subject scores and is not the student affidavit.

2. Clear the background check and apply to sit the exam for $25

   The exam application fee is $25 and the criminal history check must be less than 90 days old; the Commission reviews the application and emails an approval, then Pearson VUE emails you within 72 hours to schedule.

3. Pass both Pearson VUE portions at $59 each

   The national portion is 80 scored questions plus 5 pretest in 150 minutes and the state portion 50 scored plus 5 pretest in 60 minutes; the salesperson passing score is 70%, and a passed portion is not retaken during the 90-day authorization.

4. Apply for the $75 licence within 90 days of passing

   Each pass certificate is good for 90 days; the online licence application carries proof of both passes and the sponsoring broker's verification, and the salesperson licence fee is $75.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Education Requirements for Licensure, read September 9, 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Schedule of Fees (effective January 1, 2023), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, West Virginia Real Estate Candidate Handbook, February 2026 (#094900), read September 9, 2026.

3How much a West Virginia real estate licence costs

The Commission publishes its fee schedule and Pearson VUE its exam fee; the background check vendor and the schools set their own prices.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Schedule of Fees (effective January 1, 2023), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, West Virginia Real Estate Candidate Handbook, February 2026 (#094900), read September 9, 2026.

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

The fixed parts are 90 course hours, a background check that is only good for 90 days, one Pearson VUE sitting of 210 minutes inside a 90-day or two-attempt authorization, and a licence application within 90 days of passing; the Commission publishes no typical review time on the pages read for this guide. Those parts come from the Commission's own pages and the exam vendor's handbook, not a school's marketing:

• Course: 90 clock hours at an approved provider, at its pace; valid three years.
• Background check: valid 90 days, so scheduled just before the online exam application.
• Exam: 150 minutes national and 60 minutes state at a Pearson VUE centre, within 90 days or two attempts of authorization.
• Licence: online application within 90 days of passing, with the sponsoring broker's verification; no review time is published.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, FAQ, read September 9, 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Initial Salesperson (requirements and exam application), read September 9, 2026; Pearson VUE, West Virginia Real Estate Candidate Handbook, February 2026 (#094900), read September 9, 2026.

5The West Virginia real estate exam

The salesperson exam is 130 questions in 3.5 hours, two portions, national (150 minutes) and West Virginia state (60 minutes), at a Pearson VUE test centre or by online proctoring, scheduled after the Commission's email authorization. You need 70% for the salesperson exam; numeric scaled scores are reported only to failing candidates to pass. A score report is issued at the test centre; passing reports go in with the licence application and each pass is good for 90 days. Retakes: the authorization allows two attempts or 90 days, whichever comes first; a portion already passed is not retaken in that window, you have 90 days from passing one portion to pass the other, and after the window a new $25 exam application is needed.

Pass rate

Neither the Commission nor Pearson VUE publishes a pass rate for the West Virginia salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

Source: Pearson VUE, West Virginia Real Estate Candidate Handbook, February 2026 (#094900), read September 9, 2026.

6Reciprocity: already licensed in another state?

The Commission's reciprocity page was blank when read for this guide, so no reciprocity terms are stated here; the Commission's FAQ notes that a certificate of licensure from another state is requested through its form for $20, and non-resident licensees must meet the continuing education requirement unless their home jurisdiction has a comparable requirement that recognizes West Virginia credit.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, FAQ, read September 9, 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Continuing Education, read September 9, 2026.

7Renewal and continuing education

The licence runs one year on the state fiscal year, renewed online from May 1 and due by June 30. To renew you complete 7 clock hours of approved continuing education within the licence period and pay $75 on time, or late renewal costs $50 in July and August, $75 in September and October and $100 in November and December; the licence must be renewed on time every year even if inactive late.

First renewal: no continuing education for the fiscal year of the first required renewal if you qualified by passing both exam portions during that fiscal year and renew on or before June 30; the $75 renewal fee is still due.

Later renewals: 7 hours of Commission-approved continuing education each fiscal year, taken during the fiscal year preceding the one you are renewing for and tracked in CE Broker; the renewal fee is $75 with a $35 processing fee for paper renewals.

Source: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Continuing Education, read September 9, 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Schedule of Fees (effective January 1, 2023), read September 9, 2026.

8How much real estate agents make in West Virginia

The only independent, dated wage figure for agents is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational survey. For West 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), West Virginia, read September 8, 2026.

9After the licence: choosing a brokerage in West Virginia

A new salesperson licence is only usable under a broker, so the next decision is which brokerage. On September 5, 2026, 742 West Virginia agents had a published brokerage profile; the largest single company was Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Central with 131 of them, and the largest brand was Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate with 138. Realty Census, which counts those profiles, also compares the brokerages a new West Virginia agent can join, including which ones publish their commission split: see which West Virginia brokerages publish their pay plan.

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

10Pre-licence schools in West Virginia

The Commission approves the pre-licence providers, courses and instructors, publishes the approved salesperson provider list on its education page, and lists CE courses in CE Broker; only a Commission-approved provider's 90-hour course qualifies. The list is at the Commission's education requirements page.

This page carries no affiliate links. If a schools page for West 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: West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Education Requirements for Licensure, read September 9, 2026.

Questions people ask about becoming an agent in West Virginia

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

The fixed parts are 90 course hours, a background check that is only good for 90 days, one Pearson VUE sitting of 210 minutes inside a 90-day or two-attempt authorization, and a licence application within 90 days of passing; the Commission publishes no typical review time on the pages read for this guide. The course is 90 hours at the school's pace and stays valid three years; the background check lasts only 90 days, so it is done just before the exam application; the exam authorization lasts 90 days or two attempts; and the licence application follows within 90 days of passing. No typical review time is published.

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

$218 to the state and its vendors ($25 exam application, $59 national exam, $59 state exam, $75 licence), plus tuition for the pre-licence course, the criminal history check and tuition for the 90 hours, which the vendor and schools set.

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

Neither the Commission nor Pearson VUE publishes a pass rate for the West Virginia salesperson exam on the pages or handbook read for this guide, so none is shown here.

How much do real estate agents make in West Virginia?

The BLS May 2025 median for real estate sales agents in West Virginia is $59,050 a year, with the middle half earning between $40,590 and $76,400. 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 West Virginia have real estate licence reciprocity?

The Commission's reciprocity page could not be read, so check it directly; non-resident licensees do hold West Virginia licences and follow its CE rule unless their home state's rule is comparable.

Sources and dates