California Real Estate License

As of 2007, one in every fifty adults residing in California are licensed real estate agents. In fact, the number of real estate license holders in the state is continuing to rise despite the fluctuations in the housing market. Now is your chance to join this wildly diverse group of real estate professionals by pursuing your new real estate career.

The California Department of Real Estate has set forth a number of regulations and requirements that must be met before becoming eligible for your real estate license. This page includes all of the information and resources that you need to begin your new career. We encourage you to read through the requirements below and then use the links located at the top and bottom of this page to enroll in approved California real estate license courses. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to contact us.

The basic requirements for obtaining a California real estate license are:

You must show legal proof of presence or see below for information on out-of-state applicants.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
You must have a clean criminal record.

California Real Estate License Educational Requirements

The California Department of Real Estate offers a couple of options on their educational requirements for becoming a real estate salesperson. Those options are as follows:

1. You may complete your pre-license courses in a private real estate school that has been approved by the California Real Estate Commission. You can enroll in a state approved real estate course by clicking here.

2. Alternatively, you have the option of completing three semester-units or four quarter-units at the college level to obtain your license. Those courses will need to be completed at an institution of higher learning that has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or by another accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education.

If you choose to complete the college credits, your courses can include:

Real Estate Principles, and
Real Estate Practice, and
One of the following courses:
Real Estate Appraisal
Property Management
Real Estate Finance
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

3. If you are a current member of the California State Bar in good standing, you may be exempt from the college course requirements listed above.

California Real Estate Exam Information

Before becoming eligible for your salesperson license, you will need to pass the California real estate exam. To score a passing grade on the exam you will need to answer a minimum of seventy percent of the questions correctly.

The license exam covers a variety of topics which include:

Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations
Laws of Agency
Valuation and Market Analysis
Financing
Transfer of Property
Practice of Real Estate and Mandated Disclosures
Contracts

California License Reciprocity Information

The State of California does not offer any license reciprocity agreement at this time. If you are an out-of-state applicant, you will need to file a Consent to Service of Process form with the Department of Real Estate and complete the other State requirements as listed above.

You will need to provide a copy of your fingerprints to the DRE. The fingerprint card should have been included with your license application, it will need to be taken to a local law enforcement agency for completion.

Additional Information for California Applicants

If you have any questions about the licensing process or would like links to specific State forms and exams, please feel free to contact us today. If you would like to enroll in California pre-license courses today, please click here.

You may also visit our real estate books section for some popular titles that will help you prepare for your California real estate license. Here is a selection of titles to get you started: