Real estate license requirements in Vermont
Vermont requires a 40-hour course and, unusually, no background check or fingerprinting at all — but several exam details, including the fee and question count, simply aren’t published anywhere we could find and should be confirmed directly with PSI or the Vermont Real Estate Commission.
Education
The Vermont Real Estate Commission requires a 40-hour pre-licensing course before you can apply to take the exam. It’s a single course, not split into multiple named modules the way some states require.
| Requirement | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing course | 40 | Single combined course, Commission-approved provider |
Once you finish the course, the next step is the state exam — Vermont discontinued a separate standalone state-law exam back in February 2021, so today it’s one combined “Vermont Salesperson Examination.”
What Vermont calls your first license
Vermont’s entry-level license is called “Real Estate Salesperson” — standard terminology, no quirks there. The real quirk in Vermont’s process is what it doesn’t require: unlike almost every other state, Vermont does not require a background check or fingerprinting as part of licensure. This is a confirmed, deliberate state policy — it’s simply absent from the official application instructions and administrative rules, not a research gap.
The licensing exam
Vermont’s exam is administered by PSI (branded through test-takers.psiexams.com/vtre, previously run under the AMP/goamp.com platform). Here’s the honest state of things: despite genuinely extensive research, we could not find a published exam fee, question count, or passing score for Vermont anywhere — not on the Commission’s site, not in a PSI candidate handbook we could locate. This is unusually thin compared to the other states we’ve documented, most of which publish this information clearly.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Exam vendor | PSI — confirmed |
| Exam fee | Not published anywhere we could find — confirm with PSI before scheduling |
| Question count / passing score | Not published anywhere we could find |
This isn't a case where we ran out of time to look. The fee, question count, and passing score for Vermont's exam don't appear in any source we could locate, including PSI's own Vermont candidate materials. Call PSI or the Vermont Real Estate Commission directly before you schedule so you're not caught off guard.
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (initial) | $100 | Vermont Real Estate Commission |
| Exam fee | Not published | PSI — confirm before scheduling |
| Background check | N/A | Not required in Vermont |
Renewal, separately, runs $220 — that’s not part of your initial licensing cost, but worth knowing up front. Because the exam fee isn’t published, treat your total startup budget as “course costs + $100 + an unknown PSI exam fee” until you confirm that last number directly.
How to apply, step by step
Vermont’s process is shorter than most states’ since there’s no background-check step to schedule around.
From a Vermont Real Estate Commission-approved provider.
Confirm the current fee and format directly with PSI, since it isn't published.
To the Vermont Real Estate Commission, with the $100 initial application fee. No background check or fingerprinting is required.
Vermont Salespersons must be affiliated with a licensed Vermont broker.
Due within 90 days of your license being issued — this is waived if you were already licensed 24+ months elsewhere in good standing.
Before your first renewal, on top of the 8-hour post-licensing course.
After you’re licensed: staying current
Vermont requires a distinct 8-hour post-licensing course within 90 days of your license being issued (Rule 5.2(a)), separate from an additional 16 hours of continuing education due at first renewal. This 8-hour requirement is waived if you’d already been actively licensed 24 months or more in another state in good standing.
Reciprocity
If you hold an active license from a state Vermont considers “equivalent,” you can skip the 40-hour course and the national portion of the exam. But Vermont is explicit that “all applicants must take the state exam — there are no exceptions,” no matter where you’re licensed. Vermont has also named specific states it does NOT consider equivalent: California, New York, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia — licensees from those jurisdictions get no waiver and go through Vermont’s full process.
Common questions
Does Vermont require a background check?
No. This is a genuine, confirmed state policy — Vermont does not require fingerprinting or a background check for real estate licensure, which is unusual compared to most other states.
How much does Vermont's real estate exam cost?
We could not find this published anywhere, despite extensive research. Contact PSI directly (test-takers.psiexams.com/vtre) before you schedule.
What does Vermont's post-licensing requirement look like?
8 hours within 90 days of your license being issued, on top of an additional 16 hours of continuing education before your first renewal. The 8-hour requirement is waived if you were already licensed 24+ months elsewhere in good standing.
Can an out-of-state license waive Vermont's exam?
It can waive the 40-hour course and the national exam portion if your state is considered equivalent, but everyone — no exceptions — has to pass Vermont’s state exam.
Which states are NOT considered equivalent for Vermont's waiver?
California, New York, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia are named specifically as not equivalent, meaning licensees from those places don’t get the education/national-exam waiver.
Next step
Vermont Real Estate Commission — https://sos.vermont.gov/real-estate-brokers-salespersons/
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