Basic Requirements for a salesperson’s license in California

• At least 18 years old
• Completion in Real Estate Principles
• Pass the California real estate salesperson's license exam
• Clear background check (Your license application may be denied if your have any crime history been found).
• Proof of legal presence in the United States (Citizenship or Resident Alien)

You do not need to live in California, and high school diploma or any employment experience are not request to qualify.

If you already took real estate courses at a community college or other institution, you don't have to take the Real Estate Principles course. When you apply to take the license exam, you should submit an official transcript that shows you passed the class, along with an official course or catalog description.

If you have a salesperson´s license in another state, you still need to take the Real Estate Principles course. California has no reciprocity arrangement with any other state that would allow a person to waive any of the requirements for obtaining a license.

There´s 3 courses required for a salesperson´s license, you need to have completed only one of the three courses — Real Estate Principles to sign up for the exam, and you must complete two courses within the first 18 months after your license is issued, or else your license will be suspended. One of these two additional courses must be Real Estate Practice. For the other additional course, you must select one of the following:

• Real Estate Appraisal
• Property Management
• Real Estate Finance
• Real Estate Economics
• Legal Aspects of Real Estate
• Real Estate Office Administration
• General Accounting
• Business Law
• Escrow
• Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
• Computer Applications in Real Estate
• Common Interest Developments

After you pass the State exam, you must submit your fingerprints to the Department of Real Estate. You may have your fingerprints taken and submit them to the DRE as soon as you apply to take the real estate exam—it isn´t necessary to wait until you've passed the exam.

Registering for the State Exam

You can register for the exam and apply for your license at the same time, by doing that can reduce the time that take to get licensed; or you can register for the exam, after passed of the exam, then apply for your license.

You may register for the exam online, by mail, or by fax.

To register online, go to the Department of Real Estate's website www.dre.ca.gov, and follow the instructions for e-Licensing. You will be required to pay the application fee $25 by credit card or debit card.

To register by mail or by fax, you can submit the following:

• a completed salesperson's examination application (DRE form RE 400A)
• the $25 examination fee payable to the Department of Licensing.
• If paying by credit card or debit card, DRE form RE 298.
• Department of Real Estate

If you've already completed the Real Estate Principles course and/or the other two required courses, submit your transcripts or course certificates with your application.

Do not duplication send your application, that only can delay the process, and you could be charged twice with no refund.

You can check the availability of particular dates and times at the different exam sites on the DRE's website www.dre.ca.gov . If you register online, you can choose a particular date, time, and location, as long as your choice is available. If you register by mail or fax, you're asked to specify the site you prefer and the earliest date you can take the exam, and the DRE will assign you a date and location, and will send you a notice with the exam date and time and the address of your exam site. If you have not received this notice within six weeks after mailing or faxing your application, you can go to the DRE website www.dre.ca.gov , and use the e-Licensing system to find out your exam date. If your exam has not been scheduled, call the DRE Examination Section at (916)227-0900.

You may re-schedule exam date either online or by completing and returning the reschedule request form that will be sent to you with the notice of your examination date. This must be submitted with a $10 rescheduling fee. Any subsequent re-schedule will require a $25 fee.

The State Examination

When you go to the exam you need to bring the notice of your exam date and location that you receive in the mail, and a signature-bearing photo I.D. (Driver's license or Passport). You allowed to bring a calculator has a print capacity or an alphabetic keypad without noise. You may not use a PDA.

You must turn off your cell phone and placed out of site once you enter the exam room. You may not use a cell phone during the exam, and your examination may be terminated if your cell phone rings during the exam. Books, notes, or other study materials and backpacks, briefcases, and suitcases are not allowed in the exam room.

The exam gives 4-option multiple choices for each question, use a pencil to fill out bubbles representing the answer options on a computer-scored sheet.

Points are not deducted for answering incorrectly, so it is best to answer every question, even if your answer is a complete guess. There are 150 questions on the exam. A salesperson candidate has to score 70% on the exam to pass. This means that you must answer at least 105 questions correctly.

The exam will give 3¼ hours session

The following is a summary of the subjects tested on the exam, and the approximate percentage of the exam that they comprise:

• Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations18%.
• Laws of Agency 12%
• Valuation and Market Analysis 12%
• Financing Real Estate 13%
• Transfer of Property 9%
• Real Estate Practice and Mandated Disclosure 24%
• Contracts 12%

Exam results will be mailed to you within 5 business days after the examination. Exam results are also available through on line at www.dre.ca.gov , after 3 business days. You also can get your results by calling 916-227-0899, but the DRE asks that you wait at least 5 business days before calling.

If you pass the exam, you will not receive your actual score, only a notification that you have passed. You will also receive the necessary forms to apply for your salesperson's license.

If you fail the exam, you will be notified of the actual score. You will also be notified of the percentage of questions answered correctly in each of the subject areas.

DRE will send you the application form to apply for your license. You will need to complete the form and send back to DRE with the following document:

• Certificate of completed Real Estate Principles course;
• The salesperson's license fee $145 (only Real Estate Principles be complete), or $120 (all three required courses complete);
• State Public Benefits Statement (DRE form RE 205), that declare your citizenship or residency status;
• Proof of legal presence in the United States (Citizenship or Resident Alien)
• Live Scan Service Request (DRE form RE 237) with your fingerprints.

You need to submit the license application with one year after your exam pass date, after one year you'll have to take the exam again to apply the license.

If you're notified that you failed the exam, you can apply for re-examination after you've been notified that you failed. You will have to pay a new examination fee of $25 to take the exam again.

For more information, please check Department of Real Estate's website www.dre.ca.gov , you can also call the Department at (916) 227-0931.