If you are wondering how to apply for a real estate license in California, the process is easier to manage when you take it one step at a time.
You will complete the required education, submit an application to the California Department of Real Estate (DRE), complete fingerprinting, take the salesperson examination, and wait for the DRE to approve your license.
CES Real Estate School provides the education portion. The DRE controls the application, fingerprinting, examination, and license issuance process. Completing CES courses does not, by itself, issue a California real estate license.
Requirements, fees, and processing times can change. Check the DRE website before you apply.
1. Confirm the California License Requirements
You must be at least 18 years old to be issued a California real estate salesperson license. The DRE also requires applicants to be honest and truthful.
Most applicants must complete three college-level courses before qualifying for the salesperson examination:
- Real Estate Principles
- Real Estate Practice
- One approved elective
Legal Aspects of Real Estate is one of the approved electives. Each course must be at least 45 hours, for a total of 135 hours. The DRE explains the full California salesperson license requirements.
Real Estate Practice coursework must include fair housing and implicit bias components. The fair housing portion must also include an interactive participatory component.
CES’s Three-Course Online Package includes Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and Legal Aspects of Real Estate. Each course is 45 hours and includes a printed textbook, shipping, online chapter quizzes, and final examinations.
2. Complete Your Prelicense Education
Your course completion is an important part of the process, but it is separate from applying for a license.
With CES, you study through an online correspondence format using printed textbooks and online assessments. The three-course package is currently $299 with shipping included. Course enrollment lasts one year. Extensions are not available, so an expired course must be repurchased.
You may also choose individual 45-hour courses, currently priced at $125 each with textbook shipping included.
After you successfully complete the required courses, keep your completion documents available for the DRE application. The DRE determines whether your education documentation satisfies its requirements.
3. Submit the DRE Exam and License Application
Many applicants apply for the examination and license together using the Salesperson Exam/License Application, RE 435.
You can apply through the DRE’s online eLicensing system or by mail. The application generally includes:
- The completed RE 435 application
- Proof of the required education
- A completed Live Scan Service Request, RE 237
- The required examination and license fees
If you apply by mail, send the materials to:
> California Department of Real Estate
> Examination Section
> 651 Bannon Street, Suite 503
> Sacramento, CA 95811
The DRE provides current instructions for the California real estate license application. Review those instructions carefully before submitting anything.
California residents pay the fingerprint processing fee directly to the Live Scan provider. The DRE states that fees are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another application.
What It Costs
The current DRE fees listed on its fee schedule are:
- Examination fee: $100
- Salesperson license fee: $350
- Total due to the DRE with RE 435: $450
- Fingerprint processing fee: $49, paid to the Live Scan provider, not to the DRE
- Plus the Live Scan provider’s own separate service or rolling fee, which varies by provider and is paid directly to the provider
For DRE fingerprint requirements, California residents pay fingerprint-related charges directly to the Live Scan provider. So the DRE and fingerprint processing portion comes to $499, and the Live Scan provider also charges its own separate service fee on top of that. Course tuition and study materials are separate again. Fees are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred. Fees can change, so confirm current amounts before you pay.
4. Complete Fingerprinting and Watch Your Application
You must complete fingerprinting through an approved Live Scan provider. Fingerprint results must be received before the DRE can issue your license.
After you file, monitor your eLicensing account, email, and mail for notices. DRE processing times vary. Use the official DRE processing times page rather than relying on a fixed number of weeks.
You have two years from the date the DRE receives your application to complete the qualifications and pass the examination. Missing requirements may generally be submitted during that two-year period. If the application expires, you will need to submit a new application and fee.
5. Schedule and Take the Salesperson Exam
The California salesperson examination has 150 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour time limit. You must answer at least 70% correctly to pass.
The DRE currently offers salesperson examinations in:
- Fresno
- La Palma
- Oakland
- Sacramento
- San Diego
Oakland is the Bay Area examination location. Scheduling and site availability can change, so check your DRE notice or eLicensing account.
The DRE’s salesperson exam content outline lists these approximate topic areas:
- Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures: 25%
- Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties: 17%
- Property Ownership and Land Use Controls: 15%
- Property Valuation and Financial Analysis: 14%
- Contracts: 12%
- Financing: 9%
- Transfer of Property: 8%
What to Expect on Exam Day
Bring a valid photo ID from the DRE’s accepted list, such as a current state-issued driver’s license or identification card, a U.S. or foreign passport, or a U.S. military identification card.
Study materials, phones, watches, tablets, and other personal items are not permitted in the examination room. Read the DRE’s exam-day instructions before you travel.
For an electronic exam, you receive your results at the end of the examination. Passing the exam does not automatically issue your license. The DRE must still approve the license application and receive the required fingerprint information.
After You Pass
A salesperson must work under a licensed broker to perform activities that require a real estate license. You may obtain a license without immediately affiliating with a broker, but you cannot perform licensed activities until you have a responsible broker.
CES can help you understand the education step and prepare for the next stage. Our California licensing guide also points you toward the DRE process.
California Salesperson License FAQ
How old do I have to be to apply?
You must be at least 18 years old to be issued a California real estate salesperson license.
How much does a California salesperson license cost?
The current DRE examination and salesperson license fees total $450. California residents also pay a $49 fingerprint processing fee directly to the Live Scan provider, plus the provider’s separate service or rolling fee. Course tuition and other preparation costs are separate. DRE fees are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred.
How long does my application stay valid?
You have two years from the date the DRE receives your application to complete the requirements and pass the examination.
Where is the salesperson exam offered?
The DRE currently lists Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego. Oakland is the Bay Area location. Confirm current availability before scheduling.
What happens after I pass?
The DRE reviews and approves your license application. Once licensed, you must work under a licensed broker to perform activities requiring a license.
Choose Your Next Step
You have two reasonable ways to begin.
You can start with CES’s $299 Three-Course Online Package, which includes the required course subjects, printed textbooks, shipping, quizzes, and final examinations.
Or, if you have questions before committing, call 510-223-2636. CES office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM to 3 PM Pacific, and in-person visits are by appointment only. Charlotte and the CES team can help you identify a useful starting point.
If you have already completed your courses and want additional practice, the Online Practice Exam is currently $99 and includes 180 days of dashboard access, unlimited attempts, topic quizzes, timed mock exams, explained answers, grading, and progress tracking. Practice materials are not actual DRE examination questions and do not guarantee an exam result.
