How to Become a Real Estate Agent in California in 8 Steps [+Free Checklist]

People who want to become a real estate agent in California should start by meeting the prelicensing education requirements and preparing an application. Once aspiring agents register for and pass the salesperson exam with a score of 70 percent, they should complete their application and start identifying markets and brokerages where they’d like to work.

California Real Estate License Checklist

To ensure you complete all necessary coursework, successfully pass the real estate licensing exam, and collect required documents for your license application, be sure to use the checklist below. It covers all of the necessary steps for how to get your real estate license in California, ensuring your path to real estate success is as smooth as possible.

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California Real Estate License Requirements

Getting a real estate license in California is a little tougher compared to other states. For example, you need a total of 135 classroom hours of commission-approved prelicensing courses. By comparison, to get a license in Florida, real estate licenses require applicants to complete only 63 hours of courses. Below is a quick breakdown of the real estate licensing requirements in California.

To obtain a real estate salesperson’s license in California, you must meet these requirements:

• Age: Applicants must be at least 18 of age or older
• Education: You need to have at least a high school diploma or GED
• Residency: Any U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien can apply
• Prelicensing courses – Aspiring agents must take 135 hours of real estate education in three specific subject areas: real estate principles, real estate practice, and California business law and real estate math
• Fingerprinting & background check: Applicants must submit their fingerprints through the California Department of Justice Live Scan Program
• Fees: Applicants must pay a $245 license fee and a $60 exam fee

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in California in 8 Steps

Aspiring real estate agents in California must meet education requirements, apply and prepare for the state-specific and national licensing exam, and pass the exam with a score of 70% or more. After an agent passes the exam, he or she should complete the application, identify a market, and look for a brokerage that fits their needs and interests. Once licensed, it’s also necessary to maintain adequate continuing education credits to meet ongoing state licensing requirements.

Here are the eight steps to get a real estate license in California.

1. Complete Prelicensing Coursework

To get a real estate license in California, you will need to complete 135 hours of real estate prelicensing courses that will cover three main topics: real estate principles, real estate practice, and California business law and real estate math. The length of courses is greater than some states like Arizona but shorter than states like Texas, which requires applicants to complete 180 hours of courses.

Prelicensing courses required in California are limited to:

• Real estate principles: 45 hours
• Real estate practice: 45 hours
• California business law & real estate math: 45 hours

2. Register for the Real Estate Licensing Exam

Once you take the required pre-licensing courses, register for the exam by submitting a registration form, fingerprints, and license fees of $305 for a salesperson and $395 for a broker. To expedite processing, complete the combination real estate Salesperson Exam/License Application form, schedule your exam online, and pay with a cashier’s check, money order, or credit card. Otherwise, you must select a testing location, date, and time on the license application form.

After you complete your registration, you will be able to schedule your examination date. You may sign-up for an exam time until 6 a.m. on the day of the exam. Once you register, you must pass the exam within two years or your application will expire, and your fee will be forfeited.

Examinations are conducted in the following locations:

• Fresno
• San Diego
• Los Angeles vicinity
• Oakland
• Sacramento

3. Familiarize Yourself With the Exam

The California real estate salesperson license exam includes a total of 150 multiple-choice questions, broken up into approximately seven topic areas. The time limit on the salesperson exam is three hours and 15 minutes. The broker’s exam includes 200 multiple choice questions and is five hours long.

Learn General Practice Areas

In addition to state-specific real estate knowledge, test-takers must demonstrate a grasp of general business and language skills. Important areas of proficiency are English reading and writing, general business and legal contracts, and the foundation of a principal-agent relationship.

General information requirements on the California salesperson licensing exam include:

• English language: Test-takers must have appropriate knowledge of the English language and arithmetical computations common to real estate and business
• General real estate: Applicants must exhibit an understanding of general real estate and business principles, the purpose and effect of agency contracts, deeds, mortgages, appraisals, and other real estate documents
• Principal & agent obligations: You must have a general understanding of the obligations between the principal or client and agent, the code of business ethics, and law relating to real estate as administered by the Real Estate Commissioner

Review California-specific Content

The California licensing exam includes 150 questions, and test-takers must answer 70% of those questions correctly to pass the exam. Questions cover topic including laws of agency and fiduciary duties, financing, transfer of property, and more.

The general subjects covered on the national real estate salesperson exam are:

• Property ownership and land use controls and regulations
• Laws of agency and fiduciary duties
• Property valuation and financial analysis
• Financing
• Transfer of property
• Practice of real estate and disclosures (includes specialty areas)
• Contracts

For a more in-depth outline of the subjects covered on the real estate salesperson exam, visit the California Department of Real Estate.

4. Prepare for the Licensing Exam

The real estate exam covers a broad range of topics and is timed so you’ll need to recall a large volume of information quickly and accurately to earn a passing score of 70% or higher on the real estate salesperson’s exam and 75% on the broker’s exam. To pass the first time, check out our guide to real estate exam prep for a list of exam prep options.

If you study and take prep courses seriously, you should have no problem passing the exam. If you’re looking for help studying for the test, we recommend Real Estate Express’s Exam Prep Master.

5. Take (and Pass) the Licensing Exam

Applicants must make an appointment to take the licensing exam at one of the testing centers in Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland, or Sacramento. Arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before the exam is scheduled to begin and provide your confirmation number and two forms of identification with signatures.

The materials you should bring to the testing center include:

• Identification: Two valid forms of identification with signatures, including at least one government-issued photo ID
• Registration confirmation: Confirmation number assigned when the test reservation was made

Note: Basic calculators will be provided for your use, so there is no need to bring one to the testing center

Items you are not permitted to bring with you include:

• Personal items: Test-takers should not bring cellphones, purses, wallets, backpacks, briefcases, or suitcases
• Food & drink: No food or drink is permitted at the testing locations
• Study materials: Applicants should not bring any of their study guides, books, flashcards, or other study materials to the testing center
• Electronics: Tablets, portable computers, personal digital assistants, calculators, cameras, video or digital recording equipment, watches, lapel pins, tie tacks, and other items deemed inappropriate by proctors are prohibited

You will be notified of whether you passed immediately following the exam. Test-takers who pass the exam are not informed of their final score. However, those who don’t pass are notified of the actual score, and the percentage of questions answered correctly in each subject area.

If you do not pass the exam, you may retake the test as many times as necessary within the two-year registration period. After two years, you will have to resubmit an application and repay the fee.

6. Complete Your License Application

Aspiring agents who did not fill out the License Combo Application prior to taking the exam will be sent a real estate Salesperson License Application or Broker License Application after they pass the exam. To finalize your licensure, complete and return the appropriate form and submit the fee within one year after passing the California real estate license exam. This must be submitted to the Department of Real Estate examination via mail or fax.

In addition, the state will not issue a license until the Department of Real Estate receives fingerprint response information electronically through the DOJ’s Live Scan Program. Those seeking a salesperson license must also provide evidence that they completed the necessary education requirements.

7. Choose an Agency or Brokerage

Preparing for and taking the real estate licensing exam can be stressful but choosing the right brokerage to work for isn’t easy either. If you plan to stay in your current market or already have a relationship with a successful brokerage, the decision will be easy. However, if you’re considering a new market or need guidance regarding earning potential at various agencies, we compiled data for some of the top performing teams in the state.

According to Real Trends, some of the top real estate teams in major California markets include:

San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward

Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim

When considering where to join an agency or brokerage, ask questions like:

• What are average commissions and how are they split among agents?
• What resources are available to new agents?
• Is there a mentorship program in place?
• Will the brokerage/agency pay for marketing resources and advertisements?

To make your choice a little bit easier, check out our in-depth guide to choosing the right agency to join.

For further guidance on where to work, check out our best real estate company guide comparing Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Century 21.

Consider California Real Estate License Reciprocity & Portability

California doesn’t have mutual recognition agreements with any state so you can’t get a real estate license in California without passing the state exam. California is also a physical location state, which means that out-of-state agents must conduct California real estate business remotely; they can’t enter the state for any real estate-related reasons. Visit our real estate license reciprocity and portability guide to learn more about out-of-state licenses in California.

8. Keep Up With Continuing Education Requirements

To renew their license for the first time, a California real estate salesperson must take 45 hours of California Department of Real Estate-approved continuing education (CE) courses every four years. Brokers must also complete a total of 45 hours every two years. Salespersons and brokers renewing for a second or subsequent times must also take 45 hours of CE credits every four years.

Salespersons renewing for the first time must complete 45 hours of CE as follows:

• Ethics: Three clock hours
• Agency: Three clock hours
• Trust fund handling: Three clock hours
• Fair housing: Three clock hours
• Risk management: Three clock hours
• Consumer protection course: Minimum of 18 clock hours
• Consumer service or consumer protection courses: Remaining of 45 clock hours

Brokers renewing for the first time must complete 45 hours of CE as follows:

• Ethics: Three clock hours
• Agency: Three clock hours
• Trust fund handling: Three clock hours
• Fair housing: Three clock hours
• Risk management: Three clock hours
• Management & supervision: Three clock hours
• Consumer protection course: Minimum of 18 clock hours
• Consumer service or consumer protection courses: Remaining of 45 clock hours

Salespersons and brokers renewing for the second and subsequent times must complete 45 hours of CE as follows:

• Mandatory subjects: One eight-hour survey course covering ethics, agency, fair housing, trust fund handling, risk management, and management and supervision or each of the mandatory subjects separately
• Consumer protection course: Minimum of 18 clock hours
• Consumer service or consumer protection courses: Remaining of 45 clock hours

Once you earn your license and start taking continuing education courses, check out McKissock Learning through Real Estate Express. It offers continuing education packages for first-time and subsequent renewals and boasts excellent reviews from users. Plus, McKissock offers non-credit courses to help you with subjects like social media. Click here to learn more about McKissock’s continuing education options.

Tips for Becoming a Real Estate Agent in California From the Pros

California is a notoriously competitive real estate market and the idea of being successful as an individual agent can be intimidating. For that reason, it’s important for new and aspiring agents to build relationships with experienced brokers, stay focused on building their business, and more. We talked to agents in California to find out how to break into the market as a new real estate agent in California.

Just Take the Exam

Stay Focused

Find a Mentor

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Much Does a Real Estate Agent Make in California?

On average, real estate agents in California earn a salary of $92,654 per year. Salaries range from $23,008 to more than $200,000 and depend on the number of transactions agents complete, the commissions paid to their brokerage, and how commissions are split as part of the transaction. Check out our guide for more general information about real estate agent salaries.

Can I Get a California Real Estate License Online?

As with several other states, you cannot complete all of the California real estate licensing requirements online. Not only must applicants take the licensing exam at a testing center, but they must also submit fingerprints and take prelicensing courses in person.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Licensed Real Estate Agent?

On average, it can take between five weeks and six or more months to get a real estate license in California. For example, it can take up to six months to meet the education requirements for getting a real estate license, but this time period can be reduced to several weeks. What’s more, it can take the Department of Real Estate six to eight weeks to process applications.

The Bottom Line

To obtain a California real estate license, applicants must complete prelicensing education requirements, submit an application, and pass the exam. Once you meet these requirements, you can identify a market and brokerage where you prefer to work and start building your business. Then, maintain the required continuing education credits to keep your license active.