How long does it take to get a Virginia real estate license?
Most candidates in Virginia move from enrolling in a pre-licensing course to holding an active real estate salesperson license in two to three months. The fastest pace runs about four to six weeks for someone studying full-time with overlapping steps, while candidates who study part-time, need exam retakes, or encounter application delays can take three to six months. Virginia's 60-hour pre-licensing requirement is among the lower hour counts nationally, making a faster timeline achievable compared to states requiring 135 or 180 hours. Becoming a REALTOR® — a trademarked designation for members of the National Association of REALTORS® — requires getting a license first, then joining a local association, which adds days rather than weeks to the overall timeline.
How long does it take to get a Virginia real estate license?
The total time from starting a pre-licensing course to receiving an active Virginia salesperson license generally falls between six weeks and six months, with most candidates finishing in the two-to-three-month range. Study pace, exam results, and how quickly you submit a complete application all influence where you land within that span. The process has four steps, and some can overlap to compress the schedule.
The Virginia DPOR does not publish a specific end-to-end timeline for obtaining a real estate license. The process requires completing 60 hours of pre-licensing education, passing the PSI exam, completing fingerprinting and a background check, finding a sponsoring broker, and submitting a license application. The DPOR advises allowing two weeks for processing of the exam application. Most candidates move from enrollment to an active license within a few months, depending on study pace, exam scheduling, and application processing time.
The following table breaks down each step, its typical duration, and the factors that affect it:
| Step | Typical time | What affects it |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing course (60 hours) | 2-12 weeks | Study pace, course format |
| PSI exam eligibility and scheduling | 2-3 weeks | PSI processing, appointment availability |
| Exam day | 1 day (150 minutes) | One sitting for both portions |
| Background check (fingerprints) | A few days (clean record) | Criminal history can extend to 2 months |
| Finding a sponsoring broker | 1-2 weeks | Networking, interview process |
| License application processing | Varies | Mailed applications only; DPOR reviews in order received |
Steps can overlap to compress the timeline. You can start researching sponsoring brokers during coursework, schedule fingerprinting on exam day, and prepare application materials while waiting for exam results.
The Virginia real estate licensing process step by step
Virginia's real estate licensing process follows four steps, each with a regulatory deadline that constrains how long you can pause between phases. The steps are completing pre-licensing education, passing the PSI salesperson exam, getting fingerprinted for a background check, and submitting a signed license application by mail.
The Virginia DPOR outlines a four-step process: complete a 60-hour Board-approved pre-licensing course, pass both the State and National portions of the salesperson exam administered by PSI, get fingerprinted for a criminal background check, and print, complete, sign, and mail the license application. Exam scores are valid for one year, and background checks expire after 45 days, so a complete application must be on file with the Board within 45 days of fingerprinting. A sponsoring broker must agree to affiliate before the license can be activated.
Virginia requires salesperson applicants to complete a 60-hour Board-approved course called "Principles of Real Estate" and pass both the State and National portions of the salesperson examination. Broker applicants must complete 180 hours of Board-approved broker pre-licensing courses, including a mandatory 45-hour Real Estate Brokerage course plus additional broker-specific and broker-related courses. Courses taken to meet continuing education requirements are not acceptable for pre-license credit, and any Principles of Real Estate course taken for salesperson licensure is not acceptable as a broker pre-licensing course.
Two regulatory deadlines shape the post-exam timeline: exam scores and fingerprints each have a limited validity window before they expire. These constraints reward candidates who move from one step to the next without extended pauses.
How long does the 60-hour pre-licensing course take?
Completion time for the required 60-hour pre-licensing course ranges from roughly two weeks for full-time students to about three months for those studying a few hours per week. The DPOR Real Estate Board page[1] identifies the salesperson course as "Principles of Real Estate."
Yes, the Virginia Real Estate Board approves pre-licensing courses in three formats: online, classroom, and correspondence. The 60-hour salesperson pre-licensing course ("Principles of Real Estate") is available from numerous Board-approved online providers. The state requires the course final exam to be proctored.
Online self-paced courses let you move through material as quickly as your schedule permits, while classroom courses follow a fixed schedule set by the school. The format you choose directly affects completion time.
Because the requirement is 60 hours, estimated completion time is a straightforward calculation based on your weekly study commitment:
| Hours per week | Estimated completion time |
|---|---|
| 40 (full-time) | About 1.5 weeks |
| 20 | About 3 weeks |
| 10 | About 6 weeks |
| 5 | About 12 weeks |
The Virginia salesperson pre-licensing course is 60 hours, and completion time varies by study pace and schedule. Most part-time candidates complete the coursework within a few weeks, while those studying full-time can finish more quickly. Online self-paced formats allow students to progress at their own rate.
How long does it take to schedule and take the PSI exam?
After completing the pre-licensing course, scheduling and taking the PSI exam takes about two to three weeks. PSI processes exam eligibility applications, and the DPOR advises candidates to allow two weeks for this processing, according to the DPOR Pre-License Education page[2]. Once eligible, you can schedule an exam appointment; PSI offers exams daily at testing centers in Virginia including Richmond, Virginia Beach, Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Vienna. The exam fee is $60 per attempt, paid directly to PSI.
The Virginia salesperson exam takes 150 minutes total: 105 minutes for the 80-question national portion and 45 minutes for the 40-question state portion. The broker exam includes separate national and state portions, with 105 minutes allotted for the national section. Both exams are administered by PSI, and exam scores are valid for one year.
Pass rates affect how many candidates need retakes, which extends the timeline. In 2024, the state portion had a 43.0% pass rate (4,020 of 9,347 test-takers) and the national portion had a 36.4% pass rate (2,617 of 7,178 test-takers), according to DPOR's 2024 pass rate report[3]. These figures mean most first-time test-takers did not pass on their first attempt. Each retake adds one to three weeks for scheduling and completing the exam again.
How long does the background check take?
A background check for a Virginia real estate license typically returns within a few days for candidates with a clean record, but cases involving criminal history can take up to two months. You must have your fingerprints taken at a PSI testing location in Virginia or through Fieldprint services, according to the DPOR licensing process document[4]. DPOR offers fingerprinting at PSI exam sites from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm without an appointment, so you can complete this step on exam day.
The 45-day fingerprint validity window means your complete license application must be on file with the Board within 45 days of fingerprinting or you must repeat the process for an additional fee, according to the DPOR process document[4]. This means you should not delay finding a sponsoring broker after passing the exam, because the clock starts when your fingerprints are taken.
How long does it take to activate your license?
The final phase of finding a sponsoring broker and submitting your license application typically takes two to four weeks. A sponsoring broker must sign your license application before you can activate your license, so the time to find one depends on your networking and interview process.
The Virginia DPOR does not publish a specific processing time for real estate license applications; its Application Review Status page states only that applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Most clean applications are processed within a few weeks, though the new salesperson license application must be submitted by mail with no online option, which can add to the timeline. The date the application is received by the agency, not the postmark date, determines whether it is on time.
New salesperson license applications cannot be submitted online; they must be printed, completed, signed, and mailed to DPOR, according to the DPOR Salesperson Forms page[5]. DPOR encourages applicants to use Online Services where available because it expedites processing, but the initial salesperson license application has no online option. Activation and transfer applications after broker sponsorship do offer online submission.
What can extend the timeline?
Several factors can add weeks or months to the licensing process: failing the exam, a criminal history background check, letting fingerprints expire before the application is submitted, and submitting an incomplete application. Virginia's low exam pass rates mean retakes are common, and each retake cycle adds one to three weeks.
The required regulatory costs to obtain a Virginia salesperson license include a $60 exam fee paid directly to PSI, a $244.50 license application fee as of July 1, 2026 (including the Technology Fee mandated by House Bill 30), and fingerprinting and background check costs of approximately $52. Pre-licensing course tuition varies by provider and package tier, typically ranging from a few hundred to several hundred dollars. All DPOR fees are non-refundable.
The 1-year exam score validity window provides a hard deadline. If you do not submit a complete license application within 1 year of passing the exam, your scores expire and you must retake the exam, according to the DPOR process document[4]. Combined with the 45-day fingerprint validity, these deadlines mean the safest approach is to move through the post-exam steps without extended pauses.
Military spouses qualify for expedited processing and a temporary, non-renewable 12-month license, according to the DPOR Real Estate Board page[1]. This provision shortens the timeline for qualifying military spouses.
After licensing: post-license education deadlines
New salespersons face a 1-year deadline to finish a 30-hour post-license education curriculum after receiving their license. The DPOR Post-License Education page[6] requires this curriculum to be completed within 1 year of license issuance to remain on active status. The program consists of nine courses covering fair housing, real estate law, ethics, agency law, contract writing, risk management, escrow requirements, and real estate finance.
Failure to meet this deadline results in automatic placement on inactive status. The PLE requirement replaces the standard continuing education curriculum during a new salesperson's first license term.
Virginia real estate salesperson licenses are valid for two years. The license expires two years from the last day of the month in which it was issued. Board regulations provide a 30-day period after the expiration date in which a license may be renewed without a reinstatement fee, but this is not a license extension, and the licensee cannot practice real estate once the license expires. An inactive license must also be renewed every two years, though no continuing education is required while on inactive status.
Some new licensees also pursue REALTOR® membership, which is a professional designation separate from the licensing requirement.
A REALTOR® is a licensed real estate agent who has also joined the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), a private professional organization. To become a REALTOR®, a licensee must join a local REALTOR® association and pay membership dues, which provides membership at the state and national levels; for 2027, NAR national dues total $201 per member ($156 plus a $45 special assessment). No exam or extra coursework is required. Virginia state law requires a license to practice real estate but does not require any licensee to be a REALTOR®.
Start your Virginia real estate license timeline
The fastest path to a Virginia real estate license begins with enrolling in a Board-approved 60-hour pre-licensing course in a format that matches your schedule. If you can study full-time, you can complete the coursework in about two weeks, then schedule and take the PSI exam, complete fingerprinting on exam day, and move quickly through broker sponsorship and application submission. To minimize delays, start researching sponsoring brokers during your coursework so you are ready to submit your application as soon as you pass the exam and complete fingerprinting. The fingerprint and exam score validity deadlines reward candidates who move through the steps without long pauses.
Sources
- VA DPOR — Real Estate Board (Main Page)GovernmentAugust 2026
- VA DPOR — Real Estate Board: Pre-License EducationGovernmentMay 2026
- VA DPOR — Real Estate Exam Pass Rates 2024GovernmentAugust 2026
- VA DPOR — How to Apply for a Real Estate License (Process PDF)GovernmentAugust 2026
- VA DPOR — Real Estate Salesperson FormsGovernmentMay 2026
- VA DPOR — Post-License EducationGovernmentMay 2026