Auctioneer License Requirements in Virginia
State license required. Virginia requires a state auctioneer license from the Virginia Auctioneers Board at DPOR, with a minimum $10,000 bond.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
There is no online exemption: section 54.1-601 lists twelve exemptions and none of them is an internet carve-out, so an online-only auction operation should expect the license to apply.
The Rules in Virginia
Virginia licenses auctioneers through the Virginia Auctioneers Board, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, under title 54.1, chapter 6 of the Virginia Code and regulations at 18VAC25-21. Licensees post a bond of at least $10,000.
The contract requirements live in regulation 18VAC25-21-110 and are detailed: a written contract with an itemized list of the property, the auctioneer's license number, all fees, the payment date, the deadline for returning unsold property, and daily accounting. Proceeds must be deposited to escrow by the next banking day and disbursed within 30 days under 18VAC25-21-150.
Requirements at a Glance
- State auctioneer license (Virginia Auctioneers Board, DPOR)
- Bond of at least $10,000 (Va. Code § 54.1-603(B)(2); 18VAC25-21-30)
- Written contract with itemized property list, license number, fees, payment date, return deadline, and daily accounting (18VAC25-21-110)
- Escrow deposit by the next banking day; disburse within 30 days (18VAC25-21-150)
Authority: Virginia Auctioneers Board (DPOR). Statute: Va. Code tit. 54.1, ch. 6.
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.