Real Estate License from Illinois to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State ↗
A real estate license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State, verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. The Vermont state exam is required of ALL applicants with no exceptions; the National Salesperson exam is waived only for endorsement applicants who hold an active license in a state deemed substantially equivalent to Vermont (California, New York, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia are NOT equivalent, so their licensees must sit the National exam).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Vermont publishes no agreement covering Illinois, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Vermont's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State commits to in writing; for anything discretionary (exam waivers, education credit), get the commission's answer in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, Illinois → Vermont
| Illinois (current) | Vermont (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 75 | 40 |
| Application fee | $150 ($150 non-refundable endorsement application fee for the Broker profession ($175 for Managing Broker); separate from PSI endorsement-exam fees and 30-hour course tuition.) | $220 (Real Estate Salesperson initial license fee (OPR fee schedule); non-refundable; excludes national exam and out-of-state verification costs) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications | ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process the application; excludes exam and out-of-state verification time) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate | Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Vermont's current requirements on the Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Pass the Vermont state real estate examination (required of every applicant, including endorsement and fast-track).
- Apply by endorsement if licensed in a jurisdiction whose qualifications are substantially equivalent to Vermont's; upload the pre-licensing course completion certificate from your original state of licensure.
- Provide verification of licensure from your initial and most recent states of licensure, sent directly to OPR.
- Submit a completed Verification of Employment/Supervision form.
- Fast-Track Endorsement available if actively licensed in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for three or more years (state exam still required) per 3 V.S.A. Section 136a.
- Pay the fees ($220 (Real Estate Salesperson initial license fee (OPR fee schedule); non-refundable; excludes national exam and out-of-state verification costs)) and allow ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process the application; excludes exam and out-of-state verification time).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont accept a Illinois real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Real Estate Commission - Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State, verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. The Vermont state exam is required of ALL applicants with no exceptions; the National Salesperson exam is waived only for endorsement applicants who hold an active license in a state deemed substantially equivalent to Vermont (California, New York, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia are NOT equivalent, so their licensees must sit the National exam).
Which exams will I take moving from Illinois to Vermont?
The Vermont state exam is required of ALL applicants with no exceptions; the National Salesperson exam is waived only for endorsement applicants who hold an active license in a state deemed substantially equivalent to Vermont (California, New York, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia are NOT equivalent, so their licensees must sit the National exam).
What does the move cost?
$220 (Real Estate Salesperson initial license fee (OPR fee schedule); non-refundable; excludes national exam and out-of-state verification costs) (Real Estate Salesperson initial license fee (OPR fee schedule); non-refundable; excludes national exam and out-of-state verification costs).
Can I keep selling in Illinois after I'm licensed in Vermont?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Illinois license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Vermont OPR - Real Estate Salesperson & Broker FAQs ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR - Real Estate Salesperson, Broker and Firm Application Instructions (Apr 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR - Initial Licensing / Renewal Fees schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Real Estate Brokerage page ('Endorsement Process becomes effective January 1, 2026 ... replaces a Reciprocal Process previously in place with specific states') ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Real Estate Application for Licensure by Endorsement (Broker $150 / Managing Broker $175; 30-hour endorsement course; endorsement exam on Illinois law) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — 30-Hour Real Estate Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course Curriculum (12-10-2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Broker 75-Hour Pre-License Curriculum (60 hours topics + 15 hours applied) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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