California Real Estate License State Requirements

Getting Your Real Estate License In California is Not Difficult… But there is a procedure you must follow as directed by the California Division of Real Estate. Your studies will begin with the California Principles course, as available online here at RealEstateExpress.com. But we recommend that you review all the requirements first. The following information is provided by the CA DRE and is taken from their legal publications posted online. To visit the CA DRE site directly, go to the California Department of Real Estate.

Note: If you are interested in becoming a Real Estate Appraiser, visit our Real Estate Appraisal License page for more information.

Minimum Requirements to Apply for the California Salesperson Exam and License:
To obtain a real estate salesperson license, you must first qualify for and pass a written examination. Those who pass the examination are provided a license application which must be submitted to and approved by the DRE.

Age: You must be 18 years of age or older to be licensed. Residence: Proof of Legal Presence in the United States is required. If you are not a California resident, see Out-of-State Applicants.

Honesty: Applicants must be honest and truthful. Conviction of a crime may result in the denial of a license. Failure to disclose any criminal violation or disciplinary action in an applicant's entire history may also result in the denial of a license. For further information, see Help Avoid Denial of Your License Application and Application Eligibility Information (RE 222).

Experience: None required.

Education: Successful completion of the following college-level courses is required to become a real estate salesperson:

Three 45-hour courses are required to sit for the state salesperson exam:

45-hour Real Estate Principles
45-hour Real Estate Practice
One 45-hour course from the following list:

• Real Estate Finance
• Real Estate Appraisal
• Property Management
• Real Estate Economics
• Legal Aspects of Real Estate
• Real Estate Office Administration
• General Accounting
• Business Law
• Escrows
• Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
• Computer Applications in Real Estate
• Common Interest Developments

Applicants who submit evidence of having completed the eight statutory college-level courses required for the broker examination and license are eligible to take the salesperson examination without submitting further evidence of experience or education. Contact the California Department of Real Estate (CDRE) for additional information.

Completion of the three 45-hour courses qualifies you to sit for the state licensing exam. Once you have completed all of the required education, you may apply for the Salesperson Exam by clicking here and following the instructions on the DRE website.

After you pass the examination you may apply for your license:

For the license exam application and license application requirements, go to: http://www.dre.ca.gov/exm_home.html

For information on broker licensing, go to: http://www.dre.ca.gov/exm_broker.html

License Renewals:
License renewal period is every four years from the date your license is issued. 45-hours in continuing education courses are required to renew your license. For information on renewal requirements, go to: http://www.dre.ca.gov/lic_ce_require.html