The California finance license and the residential mortgage lending license also allow mortgage loan broker under a limited set of circumstances. For more information, visit the website of the California Department of Corporations.

To obtain a real estate broker license, the applicant must first qualify for and pass a written examination. The applicant may or may not be a resident of California. However, there are different instructions for out-of-state applicants.

An applicant for any real estate license must submit one set of classifiable fingerprints, acceptable to the State Department of Justice (DOJ), unless the applicant is currently licensed by DRE or has held a real estate license which expired less than two years ago.

A minimum of two years full-time licensed salesperson experience within the last five years or the equivalent is required to obtain a license. Applicants for a real estate broker license examination must have successfully completed eight statutorily required college-level courses which are prescribed by the department.

The majority of California community colleges offer courses that are mandatory to obtain the real estate broker license. For more information contact your local community college. The University of California and most campuses of the California State University system offer numerous real estate courses as a portion of various degree programs. Courses taken at foreign universities must be evaluated by the Department of Real Estate. Some California private schools also offer pre-license education; however, such courses are not transferable for credit at public institutions of higher learning. Correspondence courses are also available for those students who prefer independent study.

The Department of Real Estate publishes a reference book that broadly covers the financial, economic, and political aspects of real estate practice in California. The Real Estate Law can also provide pertinent information about rules, regulations and statutes governing the California Department of Real Estate. Also, most bookstores and libraries contain up-to-date information on real estate.

Real estate brokers renewing an original license for the first time must complete 45 clock hours of DRE-approved continuing education consisting of:

• Four separate three-hour courses in the following subjects: Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, and Fair Housing;
• A minimum of 18 clock hours of consumer protection courses; and
• The remaining 15 clock hours related to either consumer service or consumer protection.

For more information on specific requirements to obtain a California Real Estate Broker license, visit California Department of Real Estate: Real Estate Broker License