How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Virginia

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or GED.
• Have a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness, and fair dealing, and be competent to transact real estate business.
• Pass a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history check.
• No experience is required for a salesperson license.

Step by step

1. Complete the 60-hour Board-approved Principles of Real Estate pre-license course.
2. Register with PSI and pass the national and Virginia state portions of the salesperson exam.
3. Get fingerprinted at a Virginia PSI test site ($52). The background check is valid for 45 days, so have your complete application on file within that window.
4. Have your principal or supervising broker sign the Broker's Statement on the application.
5. Mail the complete salesperson license application (form A490-0225SLIC) with the $230 fee within 1 year of your original exam date.
6. Within one year of licensure, complete the 30-hour post-license education curriculum to stay active.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: 60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved Principles of Real Estate course, required even for reciprocity applicants. Courses taken for continuing education do not count. After licensure, every new salesperson, whether the license is active or inactive, must complete a 30-hour post-license curriculum within one year from the last day of the month the license was issued, or the license is placed on inactive status: fair housing/ADA (2), law and regulations (6), ethics (3), current issues (2), agency (3), contract writing (6), risk management (3), escrow (3), and finance (2).

Exam: PSI (bulletin last revised 2/18/2026). National portion: 80 items in 105 minutes, pass with 56 correct. State portion: 40 items in 45 minutes, pass with 30 correct. Both together: 120 items in 150 minutes. Fee: $60. If you fail one portion, retake only that portion. Your application and fee must reach DPOR within 1 year of the date you first took the exam, or you must retake the expired portion(s).

What it costs in Virginia

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

What other sites get wrong about Virginia

After you're licensed

Renewal: Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month they were issued. Renewal fee: $100; reinstatement (more than 30 days late): $155. First renewal: complete the 30-hour post-license education instead of CE. Later renewals: 16 hours of CE each term, including 11 mandatory hours: fair housing (2), ethics and standards of conduct (3), agency (2), contracts (2), and legal updates including flood zones (2); the other 5 are electives. Inactive licensees pay the fee but do not need CE.

Good to know in Virginia

Supervising broker: Your principal broker or supervising broker must sign the Broker's Statement on your application, taking responsibility for your real estate activity.

Post-license deadline: You must finish the 30-hour post-license education within one year of licensure even if your license is inactive (18VAC135-20-95). If you miss the deadline, the license is placed on inactive status until you finish; you then reactivate by filing an Activate/Transfer application with the fee.

Reciprocity: If you hold a current, unexpired salesperson license in another state, you take only the Virginia state portion of the exam. You still need the 60-hour course, and certifications of licensure from every state where you have been licensed, dated within 60 days.

Technology fee: Since July 1, 2026, certain DPOR fees include a separate Technology Fee of $7.25 per year (2026 House Bill 30), in place through June 30, 2030.

Reinstatement limit: An expired license can be reinstated (with the reinstatement fee) for up to one year after expiration. After one year it cannot be reinstated and you must meet all current education and exam requirements as a new applicant (18VAC135-20-140).

Universal license recognition: DPOR also offers a separate Salesperson – Universal License Recognition application for people licensed elsewhere.

Sources

• DPOR — Real Estate Board
• DPOR — How to Apply for a Real Estate License
• DPOR — Salesperson License Application (A490-0225SLIC)
• DPOR — Post-License Education
• 18VAC135-20-15 — Fee schedule
• 18VAC135-20-90 — Renewal required
• 18VAC135-20-101 — Continuing education requirements
• PSI — Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (revised 2/18/2026)
• 18VAC135-20-95 — Post-license education requirements for salespersons