California real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the California Department of Real Estate.
To get a real estate license in California (the salesperson license): Minimum age: 18 or older to be issued a license. Pre-licensing education: Three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice and one course from the DRE's approved list; each DRE-approved course is at least 45 hours. Licensing exam: A written DRE salesperson examination, which you must pass before you are licensed. Sponsoring broker: Licensed work is done under the supervision of a licensed broker; without a responsible broker you may not perform acts requiring a license. Your licensing authority is the California Department of Real Estate.
Requirements for the California salesperson license
| Requirement | California |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 or older to be issued a license. |
| Pre-licensing education | Three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice and one course from the DRE's approved list; each DRE-approved course is at least 45 hours. |
| Post-licensing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the California Department of Real Estate. |
| Licensing exam | A written DRE salesperson examination, which you must pass before you are licensed. |
| Background check | Fingerprints at a Live Scan service provider, using form RE 237. |
| Sponsoring broker | Licensed work is done under the supervision of a licensed broker; without a responsible broker you may not perform acts requiring a license. |
| State fees | $100 exam fee and $350 license fee ($450 when filed together on RE 435); $350 on-time renewal. |
| License term | Four years. |
| Continuing education | 45 hours of DRE-approved continuing education for each renewal, including the required ethics, agency, trust fund, risk management, fair housing and implicit bias courses and at least 18 hours of consumer protection. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
How to get licensed in California
- Complete the three required college-level real estate courses.
- Apply to the DRE with form RE 435 (or online through eLicensing), a Live Scan request (RE 237), proof of your education and the exam and license fees.
- Be fingerprinted at a Live Scan service provider.
- Qualify for and pass the exam within two years of the date the DRE received your application.
- Work under the supervision of a licensed broker.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a real estate agentThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayReal estate agent salary in CaliforniaWhat agents earn there.
Open →CareerReal estate agent career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →CareerReal estate brokerThe next license up.
Open →CompareAgent vs brokerHow the two roles differ.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the California Department of Real Estate, read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the California Department of Real Estate's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
- This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.
- California Department of Real Estate, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- California Department of Real Estate, Salesperson Examination and License Application Process, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- California Department of Real Estate, Fees, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- California Department of Real Estate, Continuing Education for California Real Estate Licensees (September 4, 2026), official source, read Nov 5, 2026.