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How do I get a real estate license in Virginia?

For a salesperson license, you take a 60-hour course the Virginia Real Estate Board has approved, pass the state and national exams, and apply. The Board's list has online courses. Check that your course is on it before you pay.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved pre-license courseThis is the course for a salesperson license.
Verified. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Pre-License Education (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Who needs it
Salespersons, brokers and firms that represent others in property dealsThe Virginia Real Estate Board issues the license. Its page says it covers people and firms that represent others in property deals.
Verified. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Real Estate Board (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Online accepted
The Board's approved list has salesperson courses in an online formatThe list has courses online and in a classroom. The Board's page says the course has to be one the Board approved.
Verified. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Approved Pre-License Courses (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
Exam scores are valid for one yearExam scores are good for one year, then they expire. Plan to apply before yours do.
Verified. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · How to Apply for a Real Estate License (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
The exam fee is $60, paid directly to PSI, the Board's exam vendorYou pay PSI the exam fee yourself.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the basics. Virginia law says a salesperson applicant needs at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. The Board's real estate page has the forms and the steps.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course from the Board's list of approved pre-license courses. If you can't find your course on it, don't pay yet.

  3. Step 3. Take the 60-hour course in the format you picked. The list shows an expiration date for approved courses, so look at the date for yours first.

  4. Step 4. Apply for the exam and pass both parts, the state portion and the national portion. The Board says there is no application deadline. Allow two weeks for processing of the exam application.

  5. Step 5. Get your fingerprints taken. The Board offers PSI exam sites or Fieldprint. After that, have a complete application on file within 45 days, or you must get them taken again for an added fee.

  6. Step 6. Send in the salesperson license application. The Board's forms page lists it as a fillable PDF with no online option.

Before you pay

Look up the school and the course on the Board's list before you pay. The course has to be a Board-approved pre-license course, in the format you want, and the list shows its expiration date.

The Board's page says application fees are not refundable. We haven't confirmed the license application fee or a course price from a source.

The Board also posts a report of pass rates by exam type for the schools it approves. Read it if you are choosing between schools, and check the year on the report.

Questions

Can I take the Virginia real estate course online?

Yes. The Board's approved list has salesperson courses in an online format, and it has classroom courses too. Pick one from the list: the Board's page says the course has to be one the Board approved.

Will Virginia accept any real estate course I buy?

No. The Board's page says the course has to be a Board-approved pre-license course, and the Board posts the list. Check the school and the course on it before you pay. We don't rank or recommend schools.

How much is the Virginia real estate exam?

The Board's page says the exam fee is $60, paid directly to PSI, its exam vendor. Ask the Board for the license application fee, and the school for the course price, before you pay.

How long are my exam scores good for?

One year. The Board's guide says exam scores are valid for one year and then they expire.

I'm already licensed in another state. Do I skip the course?

Not always. The Board's guide says to complete the pre-license education even if you apply by reciprocity. Virginia law asks for a principles course that is comparable in content, length and scope. Ask the Board if the course you already took counts before you pay for a new one. If your out-of-state license has not expired, you take only the state part of the Virginia exam.

What about a broker license?

A broker license has different rules. The Board's pre-license page lists more course hours than a salesperson needs, and it asks for experience as a salesperson. Read that page before you buy a course for a broker license.

What to do next

Start with the Board's real estate page. Then pick a course from its approved list.

www.dpor.virginia.gov

Sources we read