Real Estate License from West Virginia to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Pennsylvania accept a West Virginia real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from West Virginia to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your West Virginia license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. An applicant actively licensed as a salesperson or broker in another state within the last 5 years takes and passes only the Pennsylvania state portion of the exam (national portion waived); a non-resident reciprocal license requires no Pennsylvania examination.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania publishes no agreement covering West Virginia, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Pennsylvania's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department 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's different between West Virginia and Pennsylvania
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Pennsylvania. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
West Virginia to Pennsylvania (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Pennsylvania to West Virginia (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from West Virginia matter?
Coming from West Virginia does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Pennsylvania.
- Reciprocity agreements
Pennsylvania's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
West Virginia's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (Florida), not including Pennsylvania.
- Application fee
Pennsylvania lists $97 for an out-of-state applicant and West Virginia lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Pennsylvania's first-time-applicant standard is 75 hours of pre-license education; West Virginia's is 90.
Pennsylvania's is 15 education hours lower than West Virginia's.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and West Virginia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Pennsylvania (this move): An applicant actively licensed as a salesperson or broker in another state within the last 5 years takes and passes only the Pennsylvania state portion of the exam (national portion waived); a non-resident reciprocal license requires no Pennsylvania examination.
- West Virginia (the reverse move): Applicants licensed in another jurisdiction are exempt from the National portion of the exam and must pass only the West Virginia state-specific portion
What changes, West Virginia → Pennsylvania
| West Virginia (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 90 | 75 |
| Application fee | $75 (salesperson license fee ($75, initial and any subsequent); the salesperson/broker exam application fee ($25) is charged separately) | $97 (Standard salesperson initial fee = $72 licensure + $25 application; reciprocal-license fees are billed through PALS. Renewal is $96 biennially.) |
| Processing time | Commission does not publish a processing-time range | Commission does not publish a fixed timeline; see its Licensure Processing Guides and Timelines |
| Licensing authority | West Virginia Real Estate Commission | Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate or equivalent.
- Submit a current letter of good standing from the state licensing agency where you are licensed.
- For a reciprocal license, keep your principal place of business outside Pennsylvania.
- Be active, in good standing, and free of discipline/criminal conviction (Act 41 endorsement).
- Apply through the PALS licensing system.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in West Virginia after I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the West Virginia 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.
- PA - Real Estate Salesperson Licensure Snapshot (requirements, exam waiver, reciprocity, Act 41) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA State Real Estate Commission - main page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Real Estate Commission - Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Real Estate Commission - Reciprocity Agreements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Real Estate Commission - Education Requirements for Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Real Estate Commission - Schedule of Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com