How to get Your Real Estate License

California

Licensure Requirements for a Salesperson

  • Minimum age of 18
  • Completion of 3 approved courses in real estate education. Specific course requirements can be found on the California Department of Real Estate website.
  • Apply for and pass the salesperson exam
  • Fingerprinting (Can be done after applying for a license, but license will not be issued until fingerprinting results are received.
  • Apply for license

Licensure Requirements for a Broker

  • Minimum age of 18
  • Completion of 8 approved courses in real estate education. Specific course requirements can be found on the California Department of Real Estate website
  • You must have done one of the following to meet the experience requirements:
  • Worked at least 2 years within the last 5 years as a full-time licensed agent
  • Accumulated at least 2 years of equivalent experience (More details here
  • Complete a 4-year degree in Real Estate
  • Apply for and pass the broker exam
  • Apply for license

Step by Step Guide (Salesperson)

  1. Complete 3 courses in real estate education from an Approved Institution
  2. Send in either the Exam Application or the Combined Exam/License Application. For more information on which one to choose, you can refer to the application page on the California Department of Real Estate Website.
  3. Pass the salesperson exam (See below for more information)
  4. Apply for license if you did not already submit a Combined Exam/License Application. (Application Instructions)
  5. Get fingerprinted using a Live Scan Request Form. (Fingerprinting Locations

Step by Step Guide (Broker)

  1. Complete 8 courses in real estate education from an Approved Institution.
  2. Send in either the Broker Exam Application or the Combined Broker Exam/License Application. For more information on which one to choose, you can refer to the broker application page on the California Department of Real Estate website.
  3. Pass the broker exam (See below for more information)
  4. Apply for license if you did not already submit a Combined Broker Exam/License Application. (Application Instructions
  5. Get fingerprinted using a Live Scan Request Form. (Fingerprinting Locations

If you already hold a license in another state:

Refer to the Out-of-State Applicants page on the California Department of Real Estate website.

Exam Info

Salesperson: The exam costs $60 and is usually administered on a computer. The exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions. You must score at least a 70% to pass. You will have 3 hours to complete the exam. Utilize the Salesperson Exam Content page to see what to expect on the exam. You can find dates/times and locations for the exam here

Broker: The exam costs $95 and is usually administered on a computer. The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions. You must score at least a 75% to pass. You will have 4 hours to complete the exam. Utilize the Broker Exam Content page to see what to expect on the exam. You can find dates/times and locations for the exam here.

Fees:

  • Exam Fee (Salesperson)- $60
  • Exam Fee (Broker)- $95
  • License Fee (Salesperson)- $245
  • License Fee (Broker)- $300
  • Fingerprinting- $49