You Asked and We Answered!
Keep find answers to common questions about obtaining your real estate license.
You’ll need to complete three DRE approved college level courses passing the final exams with a 60% or better to receive a certificate of completion. Last, you will then need to pass the California state exam with a 70% or better to obtain your real estate license.
To sit for your real estate salesperson exam, you must first complete three college-level courses which are:
-
Real Estate Principles, and
-
Real Estate Practice, and
-
One of the following 12 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
For proper credit, college courses must be either three semester units or four quarter units completed at an institution of higher learning accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or by a comparable regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, or by a private real estate school which has had its courses approved by the California Real Estate Commissioner. Courses approved by the Department of Real Estate are a minimum of 45 hours in length. Copies of official transcripts are generally acceptable evidence of completed courses.
If you completed comparable college courses, submit your transcript along with an official course or catalog description. It will be evaluated for equivalency and determination of credit. Please note, continuing education offerings do not satisfy the college-level course requirements for this examination.
If you happen to be a member of the California State Bar, you are statutorily exempt from the college-level course requirements. However, you must provide a photocopy of both sides of a California State Bar membership card as evidence of admission to practice Law in California.
Should you provide a transcript showing evidence of having completed the eight statutory college-level courses required for the broker examination and license, you are not required to provide further evidence of experience or education to sit for the salesperson exam.
If you attended college outside of the United States, the courses must be evaluated by a foreign credentials evaluation service approved by the Department of Real Estate. See Examination Applicant Foreign Education Information (RE 223) .
Age:
You must be 18 years of age or older to be issued a license.
Residence:
A California resident. 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 Avoid Potential Denial of Your License Application (RE 229) and Application Eligibility Information (RE 222).
Education:
Successful completion of three college-level courses is required to qualify for a real estate salesperson examination. See FAQ: “What courses do I need to take to get my real estate license?”
Successful completion of three college-level courses is required to qualify for a real estate salesperson examination:
-
Real Estate Principles, and
-
Real Estate Practice, and
-
One course from the following list:
-
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
Expedite the processing of your license and examination through the easy-to-use, paperless, interactive e-licensing online system offered by the California Department of Real Estate (CalDRE). Go to https://secure.dre.ca.gov/elicensing/ and register to get started.
The state has physical locations that are all using digital testing systems. For addresses and other information, click here.