Maintaining your California real estate license is essential if you want to avoid having to pay a late penalty fee. Therefore, knowing how to renew your real estate license in California is important.
All salesperson and broker licensees are required to complete 45 hours of continuing education every two years. These courses can be taken in person at a college, real estate school, or online. First, let’s look at other things you must do to renew your real estate license in California.
Complete the Continuing Education Courses
The process is straightforward, but you must complete 45 hours of continuing education courses approved by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). These courses will help you stay current and continue learning about the industry.
In addition to the 45 hours of continuing education required for license renewal, you must also fulfill a Code of Ethics training requirement. This training is mandated by law for all real estate professionals in California.
Renewing your license online through eLicensing requires completed course numbers and renewal fee payment. For more information about this process, you can consult the DRE website.
California Real Estate License Renewal Courses
Many online programs allow you to complete courses from the convenience of your home, and many even provide an online tool for tracking progress. This can be a great option for busy professionals who must finish their coursework quickly.
To renew their licenses, brokers or salespersons must complete 45 hours of approved continuing education. This includes six 3-hour courses covering ethics, agency, trust fund handling, fair housing, and risk management, and 18 hours in consumer protection topics.
In addition to the mandatory courses, you may opt to take some elective ones. These are often designed with specific objectives, such as honing your business skills or developing your career prospects.
Colibri Real Estate provides a selection of real estate continuing education courses that meet DRE requirements. Their 45-hour course package is balanced to satisfy initial, and subsequent license renewal needs, with online and in-person options available.
You can also find continuing education courses in California from other online providers, such as The CE Shop and Kaplan.
When can I renew my California real estate license?
Generally, you can renew your license 90 days before its expiration date. However, the Department of Real Estate will send a renewal reminder letter at this time; thus, setting up an electronic calendar and ensuring you renew on time can help ensure smooth sailing throughout the renewal process.
How often do you renew your real estate license in California?
The state of California requires you to renew your real estate license every two years. This must be done before your license expires, or you will pay additional late fees when renewing.
What is the Fastest Way to Renew Your Real Estate License in California?
California’s vibrant real estate industry and high average agent income make it essential for you to renew your license as soon as possible. To ensure a smooth renewal process, ensure all continuing education courses are completed before the expiration date listed on your license.
Doing this is a breeze with the DRE’s online eLicensing system, which makes renewing your license easy in just a few steps. This paperless and interactive system allows you to enter course numbers and completion dates for all your courses into an easy-to-use renewal application.
Once you’ve completed all necessary courses, submit your renewal application with the appropriate fee. The DRE currently charges $245 for sales agents and $300 for brokers to renew their licenses. Continuing education courses are the most important part of renewing your California real estate license. Ensure you get these done in advance so the process can run smoothly and quickly when your expiration date approaches.
