diff --git a/pkg/core/validator_state_test.go b/pkg/core/validator_state_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..617e3ff50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/core/validator_state_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"math/big"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/CityOfZion/neo-go/pkg/core/storage"
+	"github.com/CityOfZion/neo-go/pkg/crypto/keys"
+	"github.com/CityOfZion/neo-go/pkg/io"
+	"github.com/CityOfZion/neo-go/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestGetAndUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemoryStore()
+	state1 := getDefaultValidator()
+	state2 := getDefaultValidator()
+	validators := make(Validators)
+	validators[state1.PublicKey] = state1
+	validators[state2.PublicKey] = state2
+	err := validators.commit(store)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	state, err := validators.getAndUpdate(store, state1.PublicKey)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, state1, state)
+}
+
+func TestCommit(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemoryStore()
+	state1 := getDefaultValidator()
+	state2 := getDefaultValidator()
+	validators := make(Validators)
+	validators[state1.PublicKey] = state1
+	validators[state2.PublicKey] = state2
+	err := validators.commit(store)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	validatorsFromStore := getValidatorsFromStore(store)
+	// 2 equal validators will be stored as 1 unique
+	require.Len(t, validatorsFromStore, 1)
+	require.Equal(t, state1, validatorsFromStore[0])
+}
+
+func TestPutAndGet(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemoryStore()
+	state := getDefaultValidator()
+	err := putValidatorStateIntoStore(store, state)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	validatorFromStore, err := getValidatorStateFromStore(store, state.PublicKey)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, state.PublicKey, validatorFromStore.PublicKey)
+}
+
+func TestGetFromStore_NoKey(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemoryStore()
+	state := getDefaultValidator()
+	_, err := getValidatorStateFromStore(store, state.PublicKey)
+	require.Errorf(t, err, "key not found")
+}
+
+func TestValidatorState_DecodeEncodeBinary(t *testing.T) {
+	state := &ValidatorState{
+		PublicKey:  &keys.PublicKey{},
+		Registered: false,
+		Votes:      util.Fixed8(10),
+	}
+	buf := io.NewBufBinWriter()
+	state.EncodeBinary(buf.BinWriter)
+	require.NoError(t, buf.Err)
+
+	decodedState := &ValidatorState{}
+	reader := io.NewBinReaderFromBuf(buf.Bytes())
+	decodedState.DecodeBinary(reader)
+	require.NoError(t, reader.Err)
+	require.Equal(t, state, decodedState)
+}
+
+func TestRegisteredAndHasVotes_Registered(t *testing.T) {
+	state := &ValidatorState{
+		PublicKey: &keys.PublicKey{
+			X: big.NewInt(1),
+			Y: big.NewInt(1),
+		},
+		Registered: true,
+		Votes:      0,
+	}
+	require.False(t, state.RegisteredAndHasVotes())
+}
+
+func TestRegisteredAndHasVotes_RegisteredWithVotes(t *testing.T) {
+	state := &ValidatorState{
+		PublicKey: &keys.PublicKey{
+			X: big.NewInt(1),
+			Y: big.NewInt(1),
+		},
+		Registered: true,
+		Votes:      1,
+	}
+	require.True(t, state.RegisteredAndHasVotes())
+}
+
+func TestRegisteredAndHasVotes_NotRegisteredWithVotes(t *testing.T) {
+	state := &ValidatorState{
+		PublicKey: &keys.PublicKey{
+			X: big.NewInt(1),
+			Y: big.NewInt(1),
+		},
+		Registered: false,
+		Votes:      1,
+	}
+	require.False(t, state.RegisteredAndHasVotes())
+}
+
+func getDefaultValidator() *ValidatorState {
+	return &ValidatorState{
+		PublicKey:  &keys.PublicKey{},
+		Registered: false,
+		Votes:      0,
+	}
+}