California · CA
California Real Estate License Checklist (2026)
Every step, fee, and deadline on one page — designed to print cleanly to PDF and check off as you go.
Before you start
- You are at least 18 years old
- You hold a high school diploma or GED
- You can pass a criminal background check / fingerprinting
Education
Three 45-hour courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice (includes implicit bias + fair housing components), and one 45-hour elective. Online packages can't be completed in fewer than 54 days (DRE pacing rules).
- Complete 135 hours of DRE-approved education: Principles (45), Practice (45), and one elective (45)
- Pass each course's final exam through your school (online minimum: 54 days total)
- Collect course completion certificates for your exam application
Application & exam
- Submit the Combined Exam + License Application (RE 435) — $450 total ($100 exam + $350 license), or exam-only first ($100)
- Complete Live Scan fingerprinting (~$49 DOJ/FBI processing + vendor rolling fee, typically $70–90 all-in)
- Schedule and pass the exam through DRE eLicensing
- License can be issued without a broker, but you must have a responsible (sponsoring) broker registered before performing any licensed activity
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing education | $100 – $700 | |
| Exam fee | $100 | |
| License fee | $350 | |
| Live Scan fingerprinting | $70 – $90 | |
| Estimated total | $600 – $1,200 |
Key deadlines
- Online packages can't be completed in fewer than 54 days (DRE pacing rules).
- 4 years; 45 hours of CE per renewal (first renewal includes Ethics, Agency, Trust Funds, Risk Management, and Fair Housing courses)
- Pass each course's final exam through your school (online minimum: 54 days total)
- License can be issued without a broker, but you must have a responsible (sponsoring) broker registered before performing any licensed activity
- Typically 3–6 months.
- DRE pacing rules mean online coursework can't be finished in under 54 days, plus application processing, fingerprinting, and exam scheduling.
- Do I need a sponsoring broker before the exam?
- California runs its own exam at state test centers instead of using PSI or Pearson VUE, has one of the longest renewal cycles in the country (4 years), and offers no general reciprocity with any other state.