1.2 West Virginia License Requirements

West Virginia sets distinct education, examination, and character requirements for salespersons, associate brokers, and brokers. The state portion of the exam tests these thresholds in detail, so memorize the numbers precisely.

Salesperson License Requirements

Eligibility

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Hold a high school diploma or GED/equivalent
• Be trustworthy, of good moral character, and competent to transact business (a statutory standard the Commission applies when reviewing background results)
• Pass a national criminal history background check
• Be recommended/sponsored by a licensed West Virginia broker to activate the license after passing

Pre-License Education (90 hours)

Applicants must complete 90 clock hours (equivalent to 6 college credit hours) at a WVREC-approved school. The hours have a required subject breakdown:

You must score at least 70% in each subject area of the course to qualify to sit for the exam.

Correction / trap: The completion window is three years, not five. For applications filed on or after June 9, 2023, the 90 hours must be completed during the three-year period preceding the application (a five-year window applies only to coursework taken before that date). Treat 3 years as the current rule.

The Licensing Examination

The two portions are graded independently. You must reach 70% on the national portion AND 70% on the state portion; passing one does not carry over your failure on the other. Common pass-mark math:

Unscored pretest questions are mixed into the national portion to validate future items; they do not count for or against you, and the time used on them is built into the 2.5-hour national allotment. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you generally retake only the failed portion within your eligibility period.

Background Check

All applicants submit fingerprints for a state and FBI criminal history check through IdentoGO using WVREC service code 228Q6K. The Commission reviews the results against the “trustworthy and of good moral character” standard; a conviction is not an automatic bar but is weighed for relevance and recency.

Broker and Associate Broker Requirements

Brokers and associate brokers must meet everything above plus added experience and education:

Experience

An applicant must have been licensed as a salesperson for at least 2 years and show either:

• representation of a buyer or seller in 20 closed transactions during the 2 years before application, OR
• 40 closed transactions over any number of years as a licensed salesperson.

Proof is submitted on the Commission’s Closed Transactions form plus a supervising broker’s recommendation/affidavit.

Education

The 90-hour broker curriculum covers brokerage operation/management, human-resources and interpersonal skills, and West Virginia-specific brokerage law.

Fees

Fees are set by Commission rule and can change; always confirm the current Schedule of Fees on rec.wv.gov. Use these for relative comparison rather than as exam-guaranteed exact figures.

Application Sequence

1. Complete the 90 hours at a WVREC-approved school (70% per subject).
2. Submit fingerprints to IdentoGO (service code 228Q6K).
3. Apply through the Commission and pay the authorization fee.
4. Receive exam eligibility (90 days / 2 attempts) and schedule with Pearson VUE.
5. Pass both portions at 70% each.
6. Obtain a sponsoring broker and submit verification.
7. Pay the license fee and activate the license.

Order matters on the exam: you must hold exam eligibility before scheduling, and you must have a sponsoring broker before the license is issued and active — a passing score alone does not make you a licensee.

Reciprocity and Out-of-State Applicants

West Virginia does not grant blanket automatic reciprocity to all states, but it does provide a path for licensees already licensed in another state. Such applicants generally must hold an active license in good standing in their home state, meet West Virginia’s character and background requirements, and pass the West Virginia state portion of the exam; the national portion may be waived for an applicant who already passed an equivalent national exam. Always confirm the current reciprocity terms with WVREC, because the specific arrangements and any state-by-state agreements change over time.

The key exam takeaway: an out-of-state licensee is not automatically a West Virginia licensee — at minimum they must satisfy West Virginia’s state-specific requirements.

What Passing Does and Does Not Do

It is worth restating because the exam tests it: passing both portions earns you exam eligibility to be licensed, not a license. The credential becomes a usable, active license only after you (1) secure a sponsoring broker, (2) submit the verification and any remaining forms, and (3) pay the license fee. Until then you may not list, show, negotiate, or be paid for real estate activity. A candidate who passes and then waits past the eligibility window without affiliating must re-establish eligibility.