Virginia real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Virginia Administrative Code (18VAC135-20) and Code of Virginia 54.1-2105 (Virginia General Assembly) (the state's own statute and rules).
To get a real estate license in Virginia (the salesperson license): Minimum age: At least 18, with a high school diploma or equivalent. Pre-licensing education: A principles of real estate course of at least 60 hours (or at least four semester hours of academic credit), passed before you sit for the exam. Licensing exam: A written examination by the Board or its testing service, passed within 12 months before you submit a complete application. Your licensing authority is the Virginia Real Estate Board.
Requirements for the Virginia salesperson license
| Requirement | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 18, with a high school diploma or equivalent. |
| Pre-licensing education | A principles of real estate course of at least 60 hours (or at least four semester hours of academic credit), passed before you sit for the exam. |
| Post-licensing education | 30 hours of post-license education within the first year of licensure (including 6 hours of contract writing and 6 of real estate law), or the license goes inactive. |
| Licensing exam | A written examination by the Board or its testing service, passed within 12 months before you submit a complete application. |
| Background check | Fingerprinting, with disclosure of felony convictions and certain misdemeanor convictions within five years. |
| Sponsoring broker | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Virginia Real Estate Board. |
| State fees | $230 with the initial application ($210 plus the $20 recovery fund assessment); $100 renewal (fee schedule effective April 1, 2026). |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Virginia Real Estate Board. |
| Continuing education | 16 hours each licensing term for active salespersons after the first renewal, 11 of them in fair housing, ethics, agency, contracts and legal updates. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
How to get licensed in Virginia
- Complete the 60-hour principles of real estate course and pass it.
- Pass the written licensing examination.
- Within 12 months of the exam, submit a complete application with fingerprints, the required disclosures and the $230 fee.
- Complete 30 hours of post-license education in your first year.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a real estate agentThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayReal estate agent salary in VirginiaWhat agents earn there.
Open →CareerReal estate agent career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →CareerReal estate brokerThe next license up.
Open →CompareAgent vs brokerHow the two roles differ.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
How do I get a real estate license in Virginia?
How many hours of pre-licensing education does Virginia require?
Do I need a sponsoring broker in Virginia?
How long is a Virginia real estate license good for?
How much does a Virginia real estate license cost?
How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Virginia Administrative Code (18VAC135-20) and Code of Virginia 54.1-2105 (Virginia General Assembly) (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Virginia Real Estate Board's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
- This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC135-20-30, Qualifications for individual licensure, Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC135-20-35, Additional qualifications for individual licensure (eff. April 1, 2026), Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Code of Virginia 54.1-2105, educational and experience requirements for licensure, Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC135-20-15, Fee schedule (eff. April 1, 2026), Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC135-20-95, Post-license education requirements for salespersons (eff. April 1, 2026), Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC135-20-101, Qualification for renewal; continuing education requirements, Virginia General Assembly, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.