Finish three approved college-level real estate courses, pass the state’s 150-question salesperson exam with at least 70% correct, clear your fingerprints, and get your license from the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). If you file the exam and license together, you pay $450 to the DRE plus $49 to the Live Scan fingerprint provider (DRE Fees page, checked September 24, 2026).
Then you need a broker to work under before you can help a single client. Here’s the whole path, step by step.
Can I get a California real estate license?
Probably, if you meet three basics. You must be at least 18 to be issued a license. Applicants must be honest and truthful, and a criminal conviction may lead to denial. If you live outside California, the DRE has a separate page for out-of-state applicants (DRE, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License, checked September 24, 2026).
Not sure about something in your past? Ask the DRE, which is the official source, or an attorney before you pay for courses.
What is the checklist, start to finish?
Six steps. Most of the time goes into step 1.
- Take three courses. Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective from the DRE’s list.
- Apply for the exam, or file the exam and license application together on form RE 435.
- Get fingerprinted by Live Scan.
- Pass the exam.
- Get your license issued. If you didn’t file the combined application, submit the license application (RE 202) with the Live Scan form (RE 237) and the license fee after you pass.
- Sign on with a responsible broker before doing any licensed work.
Sources: DRE requirements, Fees and Once You Pass the Examination pages, checked September 24, 2026.
Which courses count, and where can I take them near Vacaville?
Each course must be three semester units or four quarter units at the college level, and each DRE-approved course runs at least 45 hours. The elective can be one of 12 subjects, including Real Estate Finance, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Real Estate Appraisal, Property Management and Escrows. Continuing education classes don’t count (DRE requirements page, checked September 24, 2026).
Since January 1, 2024, any Real Estate Practice course used to qualify for the exam must include implicit bias and fair housing, with a role-play exercise where you play both the consumer and the agent (same page). Good. That’s the job.
Close to home. Solano Community College has a Vacaville campus at 2001 North Village Parkway, (707) 863-7836 (Solano College, Campus Locations page, checked September 24, 2026). The college says its real estate program offers the courses required for the salesperson and broker exams (Solano College, Real Estate program page, checked September 24, 2026). Check the class schedule for which courses run at the Vacaville campus that term. Online schools are another route. Either way, confirm the course is DRE-approved with the course search on dre.ca.gov before you pay.
What does it all cost?
Here are the state fees on the DRE Fees page, checked September 24, 2026:
| Item | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salesperson exam | DRE | $100 |
| Salesperson license | DRE | $350 |
| Combined exam and license application (RE 435) | DRE | $450 total |
| Live Scan fingerprint processing | Live Scan provider | $49 |
| Rescheduling your first exam date | DRE | $40 |
| Re-taking the exam | DRE | $100 |
| On-time license renewal | DRE | $350 |
Course tuition, books and exam prep are extra and vary by school, so price those yourself. Budget for your first few months in the business too, because closings take time.
What is the exam like, and where do I take it?
Three hours, 150 multiple-choice questions, four answer choices each. You need 70% to pass. Arrive 30 minutes early with a current driver’s license, state ID, passport or U.S. military ID. Phones, watches, calculators and study materials stay in a locker (DRE, Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026).
The DRE lists exam sites in Fresno, the Los Angeles area, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego, all given electronically (DRE, How and Where Exams are Scheduled, checked September 24, 2026). From Vacaville, Sacramento and Oakland are the closest. You schedule through the DRE’s eLicensing system.
Didn’t pass? You get your score on the spot for an electronic exam, and you can apply to re-take it after you get your results. You can take it as many times as you need within two years of your original application. After that, you start over with a new application (DRE, Taking the Exam page).
What should I do in my first 30 days as a new Vacaville agent?
Get the basics that local buyers and sellers will ask you about, before your first client asks.
- Know the special taxes. Pull a few addresses on the City of Vacaville’s CFD Map so you know how to look up a Community Facilities District tax (City of Vacaville Finance, checked September 24, 2026). Tax questions go to a tax pro.
- Know the fire map. Vacaville adopted its fire hazard severity zones in June 2025. Look up a few addresses on the searchable map linked from the city’s fire department page.
- Know the drive. Learn the I-80 express lane rules on 511.org and the bus options at the Vacaville Transportation Center.
- Book your next step. Every conversation ends with the next step on the calendar. That habit alone will add deals to your year.
Should I start on a team or on my own?
Either can work. On your own, you handle leads, marketing, follow-up and paperwork yourself. On a team, you trade part of each deal for help with those. Our page on what a real estate team actually does for a new agent in Vacaville walks through who does what, so you can compare with your eyes open.
Questions people also ask
How long does it take to get a real estate license in California?
Most of the time goes into the three required courses, which are at least 45 hours each for DRE-approved courses, per the DRE. After that you schedule and pass the exam, clear Live Scan fingerprints and wait for the license to be issued. The DRE posts current application processing times at dre.ca.gov, so check that page before you plan a start date.
How much does it cost to get a real estate license in Vacaville?
The state fees are the same statewide. Filing the exam and license together costs $450 paid to the DRE, plus $49 for Live Scan fingerprints paid to the provider, per the DRE Fees page checked September 24, 2026. Courses and exam prep cost extra and vary by school.
Where can I take real estate classes in Vacaville?
Solano Community College has a Vacaville campus at 2001 North Village Parkway, and the college says its real estate program offers the courses required for the California salesperson exam, per solano.edu, checked September 24, 2026. Check the schedule for courses at that campus. Confirm any school’s course is DRE-approved on dre.ca.gov.
What score do I need to pass the California salesperson exam?
You need to answer at least 70% of the 150 questions correctly, per the DRE’s Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026. The exam is three hours long. If you don’t pass, you can apply to re-take it after you get your results, as often as needed within two years of your original application.
Your next step
Once you’re licensed, or while you’re studying, let’s talk about where you want to be a year from now. We work with new agents on leads, training, support, mentorship and systems. Start the conversation at whythedavisteam.com or call (510) 949-5525.
More for Vacaville agents: What does a real estate team do for a new agent? · Is Vacaville, CA a good place to live? · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Vacaville, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- California Department of Real Estate, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/RequirementsSales.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Fees: dre.ca.gov/Licensees/Fees.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Taking the Exam: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, How and Where Exams are Scheduled: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/HowWhereScheduled.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Once You Pass the Examination: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/PassExam.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- Solano Community College, Real Estate program: solano.edu/academic-programs/real-estate.php (checked September 24, 2026)
- Solano Community College, Campus Locations and Maps: solano.edu/campus-locations-maps (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Vacaville Finance, Community Facilities Districts page: cityofvacaville.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Vacaville, Ordinance No. 2004, June 10, 2025: vacaville.granicus.com