diff --git a/changelog/68827.fixed.md b/changelog/68827.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..791c19f8ddd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/68827.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed an issue in chocolatey.installed state where packages were always reinstalled.
diff --git a/salt/states/chocolatey.py b/salt/states/chocolatey.py
index eba3f8bb2526..131e62920519 100644
--- a/salt/states/chocolatey.py
+++ b/salt/states/chocolatey.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def installed(
             if name.lower() == pkg.lower():
                 full_name = pkg
 
-        installed_version = pre_install[full_name]
+        installed_version = pre_install[full_name][0]
 
         if version:
             if salt.utils.versions.compare(
diff --git a/tests/pytests/unit/states/test_chocolatey_installed_version.py b/tests/pytests/unit/states/test_chocolatey_installed_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dc3a00b326ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytests/unit/states/test_chocolatey_installed_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""
+Regression test for chocolatey.installed forcing reinstall (#68827).
+
+chocolatey.list returns ``{name: [version, ...]}`` (lists per package),
+so indexing the dict gave the state a list where a string was expected.
+``salt.utils.versions.compare(ver1=[ver], oper="==", ver2=ver)`` then
+returned False, the "matches installed version" branch never fired,
+and force=True was set causing reinstall every run.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+
+import salt.modules.chocolatey as chocolatey_mod
+import salt.states.chocolatey as chocolatey
+from tests.support.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def configure_loader_modules(minion_opts):
+    minion_opts["test"] = True
+    return {
+        chocolatey: {
+            "__opts__": minion_opts,
+            "__salt__": {},
+            "__context__": {},
+        },
+        chocolatey_mod: {
+            "__opts__": minion_opts,
+            "__context__": {},
+        },
+    }
+
+
+def test_installed_does_not_reinstall_when_version_matches():
+    """
+    chocolatey.installed must report "already installed" and not
+    trigger an install when the requested version matches what
+    chocolatey.list reports as installed.
+    """
+    list_return = {"vim": ["9.0.1672"]}
+    install_mock = MagicMock(return_value="installed ok")
+    salt_dunder = {
+        "chocolatey.list": MagicMock(return_value=list_return),
+        "chocolatey.install": install_mock,
+    }
+    with patch.dict(chocolatey.__salt__, salt_dunder):
+        ret = chocolatey.installed(name="vim", version="9.0.1672")
+    assert ret["result"] is None
+    assert "is already installed" in ret["comment"]
+    assert "will be installed over" not in ret["comment"]
+    install_mock.assert_not_called()