Getting a Virginia Real Estate License

Your exam scores are valid for 1 year, and you must submit your license application within that same year of passing. But activation itself doesn't happen until a Virginia principal broker submits an affiliation with DPOR on your behalf — and once you're active, you'll need to complete 30 hours of post-license education (separate from regular CE) before your first renewal.

Right after you pass your exam — and don't delay from there. DPOR needs your completed application on file within 45 days of your fingerprinting date, or you'll have to get fingerprinted all over again. Testing at a Virginia PSI site is the easiest path, since you can get fingerprinted electronically the same day; out-of-state PSI sites can't do electronic fingerprinting at all, so factor in extra time if you're testing elsewhere.

Yes, but it's not automatic. You'll still need to pass the Virginia-specific portion of the exam, show that your out-of-state education was substantially equivalent to Virginia's 60-hour course, and submit license certifications from every jurisdiction where you've held a license.

Not to submit your application — but your license stays inactive until you're affiliated with a licensed Virginia principal broker, who has to submit that affiliation to DPOR before you can actually practice.

The two sections have different thresholds: 70% on the 80-question national portion, and 75% on the 40-question Virginia-specific portion. They're scored separately, so if you fail one, you only need to retake that section — as long as you pass the other within a year of your original exam date.

Beyond your 60-hour pre-license course, plan for roughly $61 for the PSI exam fee, $52 for fingerprinting, and around $210 for your DPOR license application, though it's worth checking DPOR's current fee schedule since fees are adjusted periodically.

Yes — Virginia requires 30 hours of post-license education within your first 2-year renewal period, on top of the 16 hours of regular continuing education (3 mandatory, 13 elective) every renewal cycle after that. New agents sometimes miss this because it's separate from standard CE.