1.3 License Maintenance and Renewal

License Term and Expiration

Vermont real estate licenses are issued on a biennial (two-year) cycle and all expire on May 31 of even-numbered years — for example May 31, 2026 and May 31, 2028. Every Vermont licensee renews on the same fixed date regardless of when they were first licensed; this is a fixed-date (not anniversary) system.

Important correction: The expiration is May 31 of EVEN-numbered years, not odd. The Vermont OPR fee schedule lists the salesperson license (code 082) renewing May 31 of even years. A question that says "odd years" is wrong.

Continuing Education (CE)

CE must be completed before the May 31 deadline of each renewal cycle. The hour totals differ by license type, but both require the same mandatory core course.

• The VREC Mandatory Course (4 hours) covers current Vermont law, rule changes, agency, and trust-fund handling. It is required every cycle for both salespersons and brokers.
• Electives must be VREC-approved; National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Code of Ethics training generally counts toward elective hours.
• Do not over-bank: CE must fall within the current cycle; hours earned far outside the cycle may not transfer.

Post-License Education (One-Time)

Distinct from recurring CE, new salespersons must complete 8 hours of post-license education within 90 days of initial licensure. Topics are set by VREC. Missing this deadline is a frequent cause of a first license going inactive.

Exam Tip: Keep three numbers straight — 8 hours post-license (one-time, 90 days), 16 hours CE (salesperson, per cycle), 24 hours CE (broker, per cycle). All cycles include the 4-hour mandatory course.

The Renewal Process, Step by Step

1. Complete required CE (16 salesperson / 24 broker, including the 4-hour mandatory course) before May 31 of the even year.
2. Log in to the OPR online portal.
3. Attest to CE completion and answer the renewal/character questions truthfully.
4. Pay the renewal fee ($220 salesperson) plus any late fee ($100).
5. Receive the renewed two-year license; verify the new expiration date.

False attestation about CE is itself unprofessional conduct — OPR audits a sample of renewals and requires certificates on demand, so retain CE records.

Late, Lapsed, and Expired Licenses

Vermont distinguishes a short late-renewal window from a longer lapse:

Warning: You may not conduct any licensed activity — listing, showing, negotiating, or collecting commission — while your license is expired, even if a renewal is pending payment.

License Status Types

Going and Coming Back From Inactive

A salesperson's license becomes inactive when she leaves a broker, voluntarily requests inactive status, or fails required education. To reactivate, she must affiliate with a sponsoring broker through the OPR portal and bring any outstanding education current. Inactive status preserves the license (it does not expire faster) but prohibits practice.

Change Notifications

Licensees must promptly notify OPR — through the online portal — of changes to:

• Business address and mailing address
• Legal name
• Sponsoring broker (salespersons must report affiliation changes)

Key Point: Renewal is a fixed May-31-of-even-years deadline, CE must be done before that date, and an expired or unaffiliated license cannot be used to practice — these three ideas anchor most maintenance questions on the Vermont state exam.

Trust Funds Survive Renewal Scrutiny

The 4-hour mandatory course repeatedly drills trust-fund (escrow) handling because mishandling it is the fastest route to discipline. Core rules a maintained licensee must follow:

Worked example: A salesperson receives a $5,000 earnest-money check and leaves it in her car for a week before turning it in. Even with no theft, the delay can be failure to deposit promptly — unprofessional conduct. Renewing your license does not erase such violations; OPR can act on conduct discovered later.

Fair Housing Refresher Obligation

Many Vermont licensees are also REALTOR members of the National Association of REALTORS. Under NAR policy, REALTOR members must complete 2 hours of fair-housing training every three years. This is a membership obligation layered on top of VREC's CE — it does not replace the 16/24-hour state requirement, and the fair-housing hours can typically also count toward VREC elective CE if the course is approved.

Putting the Numbers Together

A tidy way to keep maintenance facts straight for exam day:

• 2 years — license term.
• May 31, even years — fixed expiration.
• 16 / 24 — CE hours (salesperson / broker), each including 4 mandatory hours.
• 8 in 90 — one-time post-license hours within 90 days of first licensure.
• $220 + $100 — salesperson renewal fee plus late fee.

Exam Tip: If an answer choice combines a wrong year-parity ("odd years") or a wrong CE total ("12 hours" for a salesperson), eliminate it immediately — those are the classic distractors built into Vermont maintenance questions.