How many prelicense hours?

Sixty class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course named Principles of Real Estate. Live DPOR Pre-License page and Board FAQ, fetched 2026-09-02. The school uploads eligibility to PSI. Verified from those live pages, not a school blog.

PSI $60. National 80 items (80 points) / 105 minutes, pass 56. Virginia 40 items (40 points) / 45 minutes, pass 30 (75%). Combo 120 / 150 minutes. Bulletin 466 Last Revised 2/18/2026. Reciprocity sits state only. Apply within 1 year of the initial examination date.

Does 70% cover the state paper?

No. Live passing-score table: national 56 (70% of 80) and state 30 (75% of 40). Copying a 70% state cut from Maryland or Massachusetts fails this paper.

How much is the original license?

Live form A490-0225SLIC-v15 (07/01/2026): $244.50. 18VAC135-20-80 was repealed April 1, 2026 — do not budget the old $150. PSI is a separate $60 to the vendor. HB 30 Technology Fee $7.25/year is the asterisk on that form.

What is the 30-hour post-license, and when?

Live PLE page: named nine-course 30-hour curriculum within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active; miss it and the license goes inactive automatically. Live Board FAQ: all salespersons (active or inactive) renewing for the first time complete 30 hours of PLE instead of CE. Subsequent terms: 16-hour CE under 18VAC135-20-101. PLE is not CE.

What CE applies after the first term?

18VAC135-20-101 (amended April 1, 2026): 16 hours, of which 11 are mandatory — Fair Housing 2, Ethics 3, Agency 2, Contracts (including escrow) 2, Legal updates and emerging trends including flood zone areas and the National Flood Insurance Program 2 — plus 5 electives from the named list. Brokers later sit 24 hours with 8 supervision (2 of which are broker-supervision overview). Inactive licensees are not required to complete CE as a condition of renewal (same section). Carryover: excess hours in the last six months of the term carry into the next two-year period.

Is reciprocity a waived exam?

No. Live FAQ: pass the Virginia state portion, produce a 60-hour Principles certificate, letters of certification from every other jurisdiction, and hold a current salesperson license in another state. Universal License Recognition is a separate live form.

Where is the Board and who seats the exam?

9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233. Licensing (804) 367-8526. Education (804) 367-2406. REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov. PSI (855) 340-3910, test-takers.psiexams.com/vare. Live exam locations: Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna, Virginia Beach, plus Johnson City, TN and Salisbury, MD (no electronic fingerprinting). Tuesday/Wednesday call-center hours currently limited (noon–2 p.m.).

Does an inactive license still renew? Still need PLE?

Live FAQ: yes, inactive must be renewed at the same fee; inactive is not required to meet CE. First-time renewing salespersons (active or inactive) complete 30-hour PLE instead of CE. Live PLE page: missing the one-year PLE clock places an active new salesperson on inactive automatically. You cannot practice on inactive.

What happened to the $150 / $65 regulation fees?

18VAC135-20-80 and 18VAC135-20-120 were repealed effective April 1, 2026. Live 07/01/2026 salesperson form prints $244.50. Confirm the live renewal cart on DPOR Online Services rather than a 2022 regs PDF.

Virginia Salesperson License Requirements

Required education: 60-hour Principles of Real Estate from a Virginia Real Estate Board-approved provider
Exam fee: $60
Published fees: $60
Typical timeline: 60 hours plus PSI seating plus fingerprints plus Board processing

What to know first

Virginia's 60 is Principles of Real Estate, not Maryland's school-to-PSI 60 and not North Carolina's 75-hour provisional-broker prelicense. The live DPOR Pre-License page (dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Real-Estate/Pre-License, fetched 2026-09-02) prints the hour bible: complete 60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course and pass the state and national portions of the examination. The live Board FAQ restates the course name as a 60-hour course ("Principles of Real Estate"). PSI's Commonwealth of Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (test-takers.psiexams.com/vare; (855) 340-3910; Last Revised 2/18/2026; bulletin 466; fetched 2026-09-02) is the sitting bible: salesperson National 80 (80 points) / 105 minutes; State 40 (40 points) / 45 minutes; Both 120 (120 points) / 150 minutes. Passing Score table: national 56, state 30. That state cut is 75 percent of 40, not a 70-percent clone of the national 56. Examination Fee $60.00; registration fees are not refundable or transferable. The education provider submits eligibility to PSI; if PSI does not have the record, contact the school.

Live salesperson form A490-0225SLIC-v15 (rev. 07/01/2026, fetched 2026-09-02) prints Fee $244.50 with the House Bill 30 Technology Fee asterisk ($7.25 per year, July 1, 2026–June 30, 2030). Application fees are not refundable. Completed application must be submitted within 1 year of the initial examination date when you originally took the examination — re-examination if that clock dies. High school diploma or GED is a statutory gate under §54.1-2105.B.1.a; if no, the form says you are not qualified. Fingerprint results: once the Board receives them, the completed license application must be received within 90 calendar days or you pay to be printed again. 18VAC135-20-80 (the old $150 application-fee row) was repealed effective April 1, 2026 — this hub follows the live $244.50 form, not the repealed regulation.

Live Post-License Education page (fetched 2026-09-02): §54.1-2105.01 requires all active new salesperson licensees to complete a Board-approved 30-hour PLE curriculum within one year from the last day of the month in which the license was issued in order to remain on active status. Failure places the license on inactive automatically. Named nine-course grid: Fair Housing, ADA and Civil Rights 2; 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. License term is still two years. Live Board FAQ adds a first-renewal sentence: all salespersons (active or inactive) renewing for the first time must complete 30 hours of post-license education instead of continuing education. Subsequent terms use 18VAC135-20-101's 16-hour named CE (11 mandatory including 2 hours of legal updates with flood-zone / National Flood Insurance Program content). This paper cannot be renamed to Maryland: Chesapeake Bay Act, aircraft-noise/crash disclosure, septic disclosure, and the Transaction Recovery Fund are scored Virginia state items.

Licensing authority

Virginia Real Estate Board (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

The Board under DPOR that licenses Virginia real estate salespersons, brokers, and firms, contracts PSI for the exam at $60, requires a named 30-hour post-license curriculum in year one of the first two-year term, and administers the Transaction Recovery Fund. Live Pre-License page (fetched 2026-09-02): salesperson 60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course plus state and national portions; broker 180 class/clock hours, state and national broker portions, and actively engaged as a salesperson for 36 of the 48 months preceding application. Live Board FAQ names the 60-hour course "Principles of Real Estate." Reciprocity still sits the Virginia state portion. Fingerprints: PSI Virginia sites 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. with no appointment, or Fieldprint at fieldprintvirginia.com. Out-of-state PSI sites (Johnson City, TN; Salisbury, MD) cannot do electronic fingerprinting.

9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233-1485 · Licensing (804) 367-8526. Education (804) 367-2406. Board office (804) 367-8552. FAX (866) 826-8863. PSI examinations (855) 340-3910. REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov. Education reschool@dpor.virginia.gov.

Official website

Your path to the license

Follow these steps in order. Deadlines and affiliation requirements can make a passed exam unusable if they are missed.

Complete the 60-hour Principles of Real Estate course with a Board-approved provider

School uploads PSI eligibility. Verified live Pre-License page + Board FAQ 2026-09-02. Maryland ethics-inside-60 is a different course.
PSI $60: national 80/105 min pass 56 + Virginia 40/45 min pass 30 (combo 120/150 min)

70% national / 75% state. Bulletin 466 Last Revised 2/18/2026. Fingerprints at a Virginia PSI site (9 a.m.–1 p.m., no appointment) or Fieldprint. Johnson City and Salisbury cannot capture electronic prints.
Apply on A490-0225SLIC-v15 within 1 year of the initial examination date; $244.50; inside 90 days of Board receipt of fingerprint results

Active: Virginia firm and principal-broker numbers plus Broker Statement. Inactive: still a license, no practice. High school diploma/GED is a statutory yes/no.
Named 30-hour PLE within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active; first renewal is PLE not the 16-hour CE grid

Nine named courses totaling 30 (Fair Housing/ADA 2, Law 6, Ethics 3, Issues 2, Agency 3, Contract Writing 6, Risk 3, Escrow 3, Finance 2). Subsequent two-year terms: 16 hours under 18VAC135-20-101 (11 mandatory including 2 flood/legal-updates). 30-day post-expiration window then reinstatement; date of receipt at DPOR, not postmark, controls.

Education and eligibility

Minimum age: 18 years old
Identification: A Social Security number is required. An ITIN is not confirmed as a substitute.
Residency and identification: PSI bulletin: at least 18 and either complete the required pre-license education or be licensed to practice real estate in another state. Virginia residency is not independently required. Reciprocity (live Board FAQ): pass the Virginia state portion, submit verification of a 60-hour Principles of Real Estate course, submit letters of certification from other jurisdictions where licensed, and MUST hold a current salesperson license in another state. Live form: original Certification of Licensure dated within the last 60 days. High school diploma or GED is statutory (§54.1-2105.B.1.a). SSN or Virginia DMV control number is required on the form.
Qualifying education: Live DPOR Pre-License page and Board FAQ (fetched 2026-09-02): 60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course named Principles of Real Estate, then pass state and national portions. The school submits eligibility to PSI. A Maryland 60, a North Carolina 75, or a Tennessee 60-of-90 is not this course — reciprocity still wants a 60-hour Principles certificate substantially equivalent plus the Virginia state portion (live FAQ + form question 10.B). After the hanging, live Post-License page: named 30-hour PLE (nine courses totaling 30) within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active. PLE courses are not CE and CE courses are not PLE. Principles taken for the salesperson license is not acceptable as broker pre-license education (live Pre-License NOTE).
Education or filing deadline: Apply within 1 year of the initial examination date (live form + bulletin). Fingerprint-to-application 90 calendar days. PLE within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active. License term is two years. Score does not survive a late application.
Character review: Live form questions 14–16: disciplinary action by any jurisdiction; any U.S. felony; misdemeanor involving fraudulent or dishonest acts, sexual offense, non-marijuana drug distribution, or battery within the past five years; fair-housing law violation in any U.S. jurisdiction. Disclose; non-disclosure is independently disqualifying. Fingerprint results feed the review. The form is also a written power of attorney appointing the DPOR Director as agent for service of process if you are not a Virginia resident or later move out.
Background process: Mandatory fingerprints to the Virginia Central Criminal Records Exchange for a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history record (live bulletin + form). PSI Virginia site or Fieldprint. 90-calendar-day application clock from Board receipt of results. No fingerprint dollar on the live pages this hub fetched.
Experience: No licensed experience for the salesperson hanging. Active practice requires affiliation with a licensed Virginia firm or sole proprietor (live form). Broker later: actively engaged 40 hours per week during 36 of the 48 months immediately preceding the broker application (live broker form question 12) plus 180 broker hours. Live Board FAQ still prints "actively engaged as a salesperson for 36 out of the 48 months" without the 40-hour-week clause — this hub follows the live broker application form for the upgrade clock and notes the FAQ lag.
Broker affiliation: Live form question 11: applying for active license status with a licensed real estate firm or sole proprietor. If no, you are issued inactive. Active hanging needs the firm's Virginia real estate license number and the principal broker's name and number; a branch hanging needs the branch license number and supervising broker. Broker Statement on the form: the principal or supervising broker with signatory authority assumes responsibility under Title 54.1 Chapter 21. Firm licensure is a separate DPOR object. You cannot practice on inactive or expired status (live Board FAQ). Transfer of an active salesperson is an Online Services product, not a new original.

Documents to prepare

60-hour Principles certificate from a Board-approved provider (school uploads PSI eligibility)
PSI national 80/105 min at 56 and Virginia 40/45 min at 30 (or combo 120/150 min)
Fingerprints (PSI Virginia site or Fieldprint); application inside 90 days of Board receipt of results
Live form A490-0225SLIC-v15 + $244.50 within 1 year of the initial examination date
Firm / principal-broker numbers for active status, or inactive
Original 60-day certification of licensure if currently licensed elsewhere

The licensing exam

PSI Virginia CIB bulletin 466, Last Revised 2/18/2026, fetched 2026-09-02. test-takers.psiexams.com/vare; (855) 340-3910. School uploads eligibility. $60 examination fee, not refundable or transferable. Salesperson National 80 items (80 points) / 105 minutes, pass 56. State 40 items (40 points) / 45 minutes, pass 30. Both 120 (120 points) / 150 minutes. Live DPOR Pre-License page also prints Exam Fees (paid directly to PSI) $60. Experimental items, generally approximately 10% of the number of questions (one to ten), may be administered; they are not scored but count against time. National salesperson outline (same PSI national grid): Property Ownership 10%, Land Use 5%, Valuation 8%, Financing 10%, Contracts 19%, Agency 13%, Disclosures 7%, Property Management 3%, Transfer 6%, Practice 12%, Calculations 7%. Virginia state outline (salesperson item bands on the live bulletin): Licensing 8 (qualifications, disciplinary procedures, inspection of records, license types, post-license education, CE, transfer, informing the Board); Escrow Accounts 2; Disclosure Requirements 10 (property disclosure including Chesapeake Bay Act, aircraft noise/crash, septic, Megan's Law, stigmatized properties, HOA/POA timing, advertising rules); Agency Definitions and Relationships 12 (broker-salesperson relationships, limited service, disclosure of agency, standard-agent duties, designated and dual agency, unrepresented parties); Virginia Fair Housing Law and Regulations 4; Specific Acts 4 (Condominium Act, Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, Property Owner's Association Act). Reciprocity candidates sit the state portion only. Arrive with the identification the bulletin names. Score on screen; emailed report. Failures get a diagnostic by topic. Retake only the failed portion.

PSI Services LLC (test-takers.psiexams.com/vare; (855) 340-3910; CIB Last Revised 2/18/2026, bulletin 466). School uploads eligibility. $60. Independently scored portions at 70% national / 75% state. · Fee: $60

Part	Questions	Minutes	Pass
Salesperson National	80	105	80 items (80 points); 105 minutes on the live PSI bulletin 466 Examination Summary Table (Last Revised 2/18/2026); pass 56. Combo with state is 120 items (120 points) / 150 minutes. $60 covers the sitting. Contracts 19%, agency 13%, practice 12%. Experimental ~10% of the number of questions count against time
Salesperson Virginia State	40	45	40 items (40 points); 45 minutes on the live table; pass 30 (75%, not 70%). Licensing 8, escrow 2, disclosures 10 (Chesapeake Bay Act, aircraft noise/crash, septic, Megan's Law, stigmatized properties, HOA/POA), agency 12, Fair Housing 4, Specific Acts 4. Reciprocity candidates book the state portion only. Passed portion banks; retake only the failed portion

Fee $60 per registration (live Pre-License page + bulletin). Not refundable or transferable. Retake only the failed portion. Apply within 1 year of the initial examination date or re-examination is required. Reciprocity sits state only, still $60. Cancel on the bulletin's clock or forfeit. Cannot schedule a retake the same day you sat.

What to study

60-hour Virginia Principles of Real Estate

Board-approved provider (live PRE-LICENSE Education Courses list)

School uploads PSI eligibility. Not Maryland's 60 and not Tennessee's 60-of-90.
PSI Virginia CIB bulletin 466 (Last Revised 2/18/2026) — 80/105 min pass 56 + 40/45 min pass 30

PSI / VREB

State outline: Chesapeake Bay Act, aircraft noise/crash, septic, Megan's Law, HOA/POA, escrow, Fair Housing, Condominium Act, VRLTA. Combo 120/150 min. $60.
Named 30-hour PLE nine-course grid

Board-approved PLE providers (live POST-LICENSE Education Courses list)

Contract Writing 6 and Law 6 are the heavy buckets. Due by the last day of the month one year after issuance to remain active.
Va. Code Title 54.1 Chapter 21; 18VAC135-20; Virginia Fair Housing Law; Residential Property Disclosure Act

Virginia General Assembly / DPOR

Scored state items. Revised disclosure forms effective July 1, 2026 on the live Board page.
Modern Real Estate Practice / Mastering Real Estate Math (latest edition)

Dearborn — national 80

Contracts 19%, agency 13%, calculations 7%. Memorize 43,560 if the national math bucket asks.

Application costs

These are commission or testing-vendor amounts we can cite. School tuition and optional preparation products are private-market prices.

Fee	Amount
Application	$244.5
Examination	$60
Initial license	$244.5

Live form A490-0225SLIC-v15 (rev. 07/01/2026, fetched 2026-09-02): Fee $244.50. Application and initialLicense in this object are that same $244.50 cart, not stacked. Asterisk: Technology Fee $7.25 per year under 2026 HB 30 (July 1, 2026–June 30, 2030). APPLICATION FEES ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. PSI $60 (live Pre-License page + bulletin 466). 18VAC135-20-80 and 18VAC135-20-120 were repealed effective April 1, 2026 — do not freeze the old $150 original / $65 renewal / $100 reinstatement rows from the repealed sections. Confirm the live DPOR Online Services renewal cart before you pay; this hub will not invent a renewal dollar the live 2026 form table did not print. Broker original is a different $299.50 row (includes Recovery Fund assessment) or $134.50 if a Virginia salesperson is upgrading.

Commission	Virginia Real Estate Board (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation) Licensing (804) 367-8526. Education (804) 367-2406. Board office (804) 367-8552. FAX (866) 826-8863. PSI examinations (855) 340-3910. REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov. Education reschool@dpor.virginia.gov. Va. Code Title 54.1, Chapter 21 (including §54.1-2105 educational and experience requirements, §54.1-2105.01 30-hour post-license, §54.1-2105.03 CE, Real Estate Transaction Recovery Act). 18VAC135-20 (including 18VAC135-20-101 CE grid as amended Volume 42 Issue 14 effective April 1, 2026). 18VAC135-20-80 (application fees) and 18VAC135-20-120 (renewal fees) were repealed effective April 1, 2026 — live dollars are on the 07/01/2026 application forms, not those repealed rows. Live DPOR Pre-License page, Board FAQs, Post-License Education page, and salesperson form A490-0225SLIC-v15 / broker form A490-0225BLIC (rev. 07/01/2026) fetched 2026-09-02. PSI Commonwealth of Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin at test-takers.psiexams.com/vare / bulletin 466, Last Revised 2/18/2026, fetched 2026-09-02. Technology Fee $7.25/year under 2026 House Bill 30, July 1, 2026–June 30, 2030.
Pre-licensing	60-hour Principles of Real Estate from a Virginia Real Estate Board-approved provider Live DPOR Pre-License page and Board FAQ (fetched 2026-09-02): 60 class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course named Principles of Real Estate, then pass state and national portions. The school submits eligibility to PSI. A Maryland 60, a North Carolina 75, or a Tennessee 60-of-90 is not this course — reciprocity still wants a 60-hour Principles certificate substantially equivalent plus the Virginia state portion (live FAQ + form question 10.B). After the hanging, live Post-License page: named 30-hour PLE (nine courses totaling 30) within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active. PLE courses are not CE and CE courses are not PLE. Principles taken for the salesperson license is not acceptable as broker pre-license education (live Pre-License NOTE). Apply within 1 year of the initial examination date (live form + bulletin). Fingerprint-to-application 90 calendar days. PLE within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active. License term is two years. Score does not survive a late application.
Sponsoring broker	Live form question 11: applying for active license status with a licensed real estate firm or sole proprietor. If no, you are issued inactive. Active hanging needs the firm's Virginia real estate license number and the principal broker's name and number; a branch hanging needs the branch license number and supervising broker. Broker Statement on the form: the principal or supervising broker with signatory authority assumes responsibility under Title 54.1 Chapter 21. Firm licensure is a separate DPOR object. You cannot practice on inactive or expired status (live Board FAQ). Transfer of an active salesperson is an Online Services product, not a new original.
Fingerprints	Live DPOR Pre-License page (fetched 2026-09-02): two fingerprint options — PSI exam sites 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., no appointment (psionline.com for a location); or Fieldprint Livescan throughout Virginia, appointment at fieldprintvirginia.com. Live PSI bulletin: electronically fingerprinted at a PSI Virginia site during regular testing hours; if you cannot, contact the Board or the Examination section of the Pre-License page. Out-of-state sites on the live table (Johnson City, TN; Salisbury, MD) are not able to do electronic fingerprinting. Once fingerprint results are received by the Board, the completed license application must be received within 90 calendar days or you pay to be printed again (live form + bulletin). CCRE-unreadable prints: new fingerprints through an approved vendor within 21 days of Board notice. The live Pre-License page, Board FAQ, forms, and PSI bulletin this hub fetched do not print a fingerprint dollar — do not invent IdentoGO or a $52 row from a school blog.
CE / renewal	First term: named 30-hour PLE (nine courses: Fair Housing/ADA 2, Law 6, Ethics 3, Issues 2, Agency 3, Contract Writing 6, Risk 3, Escrow 3, Finance 2) within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active (live PLE page, §54.1-2105.01). First renewal uses PLE instead of CE (live Board FAQ), even if inactive. Subsequent salesperson terms: 16 hours under 18VAC135-20-101 — 11 mandatory (FH 2, Ethics 3, Agency 2, Contracts/escrow 2, legal updates including flood zone areas and NFIP 2) plus 5 electives. PLE is not CE and CE is not PLE. Inactive subsequent renewals do not require CE. Excess hours in the last six months of a term carry over. New salespersons may carry CE taken in the last six months of year two into the next term only if all 30 PLE hours were finished in the first 12 months. Live Board FAQ: 30-day period after expiration to renew without penalty; after 30 days a reinstatement fee is required. Failure to receive the renewal notice does not relieve the duty. Date of receipt at the agency, not postmark, controls. 18VAC135-20-120 (the old $100 salesperson reinstatement row) was repealed April 1, 2026 — confirm the live reinstatement cart rather than freezing that number. You cannot practice after expiration; the 30 days are not a license extension.
Recovery fund	Live Board page: Real Estate Transaction Recovery Act provides relief to eligible consumers who incurred losses through the improper and dishonest conduct of a licensed real estate salesperson, broker, or firm. Filing a claim does not guarantee payment. It is not E&O and not the Contractor Recovery Fund. Live broker form A490-0225BLIC prints "Initial Fee includes Real Estate Transaction Recovery Fund Assessment" on the $299.50 row. The live salesperson form A490-0225SLIC-v15 this hub fetched prints $244.50 with a Technology Fee asterisk and does not reprint that Recovery Fund parenthetical — this hub does not invent a salesperson GF split the live salesperson form did not number. Confirm live assessment rules on the DPOR Recovery Fund page.

Mistakes that delay applicants

Copying a 70% cut onto the 40-item Virginia state paper

Live table: pass 30 of 40 (75%). National is 56 of 80 (70%). They are not the same percentage.
Applying more than 1 year after the initial examination date

Live form: re-examination required. Virginia is not a sit-and-file-later state.
Letting 90 days pass after the Board receives fingerprint results

Live form and bulletin: pay to be printed again. CCRE rejects also restart the 21-day reprint clock.
Fingerprinting at Johnson City or Salisbury

Live Pre-License table: out-of-state sites cannot do electronic fingerprinting. Use a Virginia PSI site (9 a.m.–1 p.m., no appointment) or Fieldprint.
Treating a Maryland 60 or a Tennessee 60-of-90 as Principles of Real Estate

Reciprocity still wants a 60-hour Principles certificate plus the Virginia state portion plus a current out-of-state salesperson license.
Missing the named 30-hour PLE and expecting to stay active

Live PLE page: automatic inactive at one year from the last day of the month of issuance. First renewal is still PLE, not the 16-hour CE grid. PLE courses will not post as CE.
Budgeting the repealed $150 / $65 regulation fees

18VAC135-20-80 and -120 repealed April 1, 2026. Live 07/01/2026 salesperson form is $244.50. Confirm the live renewal cart.
Inventing an IdentoGO dollar or skipping Fieldprint because a blog said PSI-only

Live page names PSI sites and Fieldprint. No fingerprint dollar on the live pages this hub fetched.
Reading Chesapeake Bay Act, aircraft-noise, or septic disclosure as extra-credit trivia

They are scored Virginia state items (Disclosure Requirements 10). This paper cannot be renamed to Maryland or D.C.
Calling Pearson, or sitting a Maryland $44 paper, for a Virginia score

Virginia real estate is PSI under bulletin 466 at $60. Maryland reciprocity is not a score transfer.
Using Principles of Real Estate toward the broker 180

Live Pre-License NOTE: ANY PRINCIPLES OF REAL ESTATE COURSE TAKEN FOR LICENSURE AS A SALESPERSON IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS A BROKER PRE-LICENSE EDUCATION COURSE.

Reciprocity and recognition

Partner / path	Accepted exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity is published for this credential.

Live Board FAQ (fetched 2026-09-02): reciprocity salespersons must (1) pass the State portion of the examination, (2) submit verification of completion of a 60-hour course called Principles of Real Estate, and (3) submit letters of certification from other jurisdictions where licensed, and MUST hold a current salesperson license in another state. This is not a waived exam and not a compact list. Universal License Recognition is a separate live form on the salesperson forms page. This hub does not copy a school-blog partner chart. Confirm the live product before you skip the 60.

Renewal and staying active

First term: named 30-hour PLE (nine courses: Fair Housing/ADA 2, Law 6, Ethics 3, Issues 2, Agency 3, Contract Writing 6, Risk 3, Escrow 3, Finance 2) within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active (live PLE page, §54.1-2105.01). First renewal uses PLE instead of CE (live Board FAQ), even if inactive. Subsequent salesperson terms: 16 hours under 18VAC135-20-101 — 11 mandatory (FH 2, Ethics 3, Agency 2, Contracts/escrow 2, legal updates including flood zone areas and NFIP 2) plus 5 electives. PLE is not CE and CE is not PLE. Inactive subsequent renewals do not require CE. Excess hours in the last six months of a term carry over. New salespersons may carry CE taken in the last six months of year two into the next term only if all 30 PLE hours were finished in the first 12 months.

Late renewal: Live Board FAQ: 30-day period after expiration to renew without penalty; after 30 days a reinstatement fee is required. Failure to receive the renewal notice does not relieve the duty. Date of receipt at the agency, not postmark, controls. 18VAC135-20-120 (the old $100 salesperson reinstatement row) was repealed April 1, 2026 — confirm the live reinstatement cart rather than freezing that number. You cannot practice after expiration; the 30 days are not a license extension.

Renew online, return the renewal card, or mail a credit-card payment form with the license number. Phone renewals are not processed. Confirm live fees — HB 30 Technology Fee $7.25/year applies to certain fees through June 30, 2030.

Applicant checklist

60-hour Virginia Board-approved Principles of Real Estate (school uploads PSI eligibility)
PSI $60: 80/105 min pass 56 + 40/45 min pass 30 (combo 120/150 min); both portions before you apply
Fingerprints at a Virginia PSI site or Fieldprint; application inside 90 days of Board receipt of results
A490-0225SLIC-v15 + $244.50 within 1 year of the initial examination date; firm numbers for active status
Named 30-hour PLE within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active; first renewal is PLE not 16-hour CE

How Virginia is different

Maryland: 60 hours, PSI $44 at 70% both portions (80/90 min pass 56 + 30/30 min pass 21), $98 including $20 Guaranty Fund. North Carolina: provisional broker, 75-hour prelicense then 90-hour postlicensing. West Virginia: 90 hours. Tennessee: affiliate broker, 60 principles before PSI then 30-hour Course for New Affiliates before issuance. D.C.: 60 hours. Virginia: 60-hour Principles, PSI $60, 80/105 min pass 56 + 40/45 min pass 30 (75% state), $244.50 live form, named 30-hour PLE in year one, Transaction Recovery Fund, reciprocity that still sits the Virginia state portion. Maryland's 3-hour ethics block inside a 60 is not this Principles course.

Frequently asked questions

How many prelicense hours?: Sixty class/clock hours of a Board-approved Pre-License Course named Principles of Real Estate. Live DPOR Pre-License page and Board FAQ, fetched 2026-09-02. The school uploads eligibility to PSI. Verified from those live pages, not a school blog.
What is the sitting?: PSI $60. National 80 items (80 points) / 105 minutes, pass 56. Virginia 40 items (40 points) / 45 minutes, pass 30 (75%). Combo 120 / 150 minutes. Bulletin 466 Last Revised 2/18/2026. Reciprocity sits state only. Apply within 1 year of the initial examination date.
Does 70% cover the state paper?: No. Live passing-score table: national 56 (70% of 80) and state 30 (75% of 40). Copying a 70% state cut from Maryland or Massachusetts fails this paper.
How much is the original license?: Live form A490-0225SLIC-v15 (07/01/2026): $244.50. 18VAC135-20-80 was repealed April 1, 2026 — do not budget the old $150. PSI is a separate $60 to the vendor. HB 30 Technology Fee $7.25/year is the asterisk on that form.
Do I fingerprint, and where?: Yes. PSI Virginia sites 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., no appointment, or Fieldprint at fieldprintvirginia.com. Johnson City, TN and Salisbury, MD cannot do electronic fingerprinting. 90 calendar days from Board receipt of results to application. No fingerprint dollar on the live pages this hub fetched.
What is the 30-hour post-license, and when?: Live PLE page: named nine-course 30-hour curriculum within one year from the last day of the month of issuance to remain active; miss it and the license goes inactive automatically. Live Board FAQ: all salespersons (active or inactive) renewing for the first time complete 30 hours of PLE instead of CE. Subsequent terms: 16-hour CE under 18VAC135-20-101. PLE is not CE.
What CE applies after the first term?: 18VAC135-20-101 (amended April 1, 2026): 16 hours, of which 11 are mandatory — Fair Housing 2, Ethics 3, Agency 2, Contracts (including escrow) 2, Legal updates and emerging trends including flood zone areas and the National Flood Insurance Program 2 — plus 5 electives from the named list. Brokers later sit 24 hours with 8 supervision (2 of which are broker-supervision overview). Inactive licensees are not required to complete CE as a condition of renewal (same section). Carryover: excess hours in the last six months of the term carry into the next two-year period.
Is reciprocity a waived exam?: No. Live FAQ: pass the Virginia state portion, produce a 60-hour Principles certificate, letters of certification from every other jurisdiction, and hold a current salesperson license in another state. Universal License Recognition is a separate live form.
Where is the Board and who seats the exam?: 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233. Licensing (804) 367-8526. Education (804) 367-2406. REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov. PSI (855) 340-3910, test-takers.psiexams.com/vare. Live exam locations: Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna, Virginia Beach, plus Johnson City, TN and Salisbury, MD (no electronic fingerprinting). Tuesday/Wednesday call-center hours currently limited (noon–2 p.m.).
What is scored Virginia, not NAR trivia?: Chesapeake Bay Act disclosure, aircraft-noise/crash disclosure, septic disclosure, Megan's Law, HOA/POA delivery timing, Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, Property Owner's Association Act, and the Transaction Recovery Fund. This paper cannot be renamed to Maryland's PIFHA 30-item state sitting or Tennessee's affiliate-broker 40.
Does an inactive license still renew? Still need PLE?: Live FAQ: yes, inactive must be renewed at the same fee; inactive is not required to meet CE. First-time renewing salespersons (active or inactive) complete 30-hour PLE instead of CE. Live PLE page: missing the one-year PLE clock places an active new salesperson on inactive automatically. You cannot practice on inactive.
What happened to the $150 / $65 regulation fees?: 18VAC135-20-80 and 18VAC135-20-120 were repealed effective April 1, 2026. Live 07/01/2026 salesperson form prints $244.50. Confirm the live renewal cart on DPOR Online Services rather than a 2022 regs PDF.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-02 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-01

At a glance

Salesperson requirements

Pre-licensing: 60-hour Principles of Real Estate from a Virginia Real Estate Board-approved provider
Verified state fees: $60
Time to license: 60 hours plus PSI seating plus fingerprints plus Board processing
Difficulty: 3 of 5
Exam provider: PSI Services LLC (test-takers.psiexams.com/vare; (855) 340-3910; CIB Last Revised 2/18/2026, bulletin 466). School uploads eligibility. $60. Independently scored portions at 70% national / 75% state.
Experience: No licensed experience for the salesperson hanging. Active practice requires affiliation with a licensed Virginia firm or sole proprietor (live form). Broker later: actively engaged 40 hours per week during 36 of the 48 months immediately preceding the broker application (live broker form question 12) plus 180 broker hours. Live Board FAQ still prints "actively engaged as a salesperson for 36 out of the 48 months" without the 40-hour-week clause — this hub follows the live broker application form for the upgrade clock and notes the FAQ lag.

Quick jumps

What to know first
License roadmap
Education & eligibility
Licensing exam
Application costs
Common mistakes
Reciprocity
Renewal
FAQ

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