You clear three hurdles. Finish three approved college-level real estate courses, pass the state’s 150-question salesperson exam with at least 70% correct, and get licensed by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). Filing the exam and license together costs $450 paid to the DRE, plus $49 to the Live Scan fingerprint provider (DRE, Fees page, checked September 25, 2026).
Then, before you help a single client, you sign on with a responsible broker. That’s the whole path. Here’s each hurdle from Dixon.
Am I eligible for a California real estate license?
Start with the DRE’s three basics. You must be 18 or older to be issued a license. Applicants must be honest and truthful, and a criminal conviction may lead to a denial. Out-of-state residents follow a separate DRE page (DRE, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License, checked September 25, 2026).
If something in your past worries you, ask the DRE or an attorney before you spend money on courses. It’s a cheap question compared with the alternative.
Hurdle 1: Which courses do I need?
Three of them. Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective from the DRE’s list. The electives include Real Estate Appraisal, Property Management, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Economics, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Escrows, Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending, and Common Interest Developments, among others (DRE requirements page, checked September 25, 2026).
A few rules that trip people up:
- Each course must be three semester units or four quarter units at the college level. DRE-approved courses run at least 45 hours each.
- Continuing education classes don’t count.
- Since January 1, 2024, the Practice course must cover implicit bias and fair housing, including a role-play where you act as both the consumer and the agent.
- Members of the California State Bar are exempt from the course requirement, and anyone who finished the eight broker courses can sit for the salesperson exam.
Where to take them near Dixon. Solano Community College says its real estate program offers the courses required for both the salesperson and broker exams (Solano College, Real Estate program page, checked September 25, 2026). Its Vacaville campus is at 2001 North Village Parkway, (707) 863-7836 (Solano College, Campus Locations page, checked September 25, 2026). Online schools are the other route. Whatever you pick, confirm the course is approved with the course search on dre.ca.gov before you pay.
Hurdle 2: What is the exam like, and where do I take it?
Three hours, 150 multiple-choice questions, four choices each, and you need 70% to pass. Get there 30 minutes early with a current state driver’s license or ID card, a passport or a U.S. military ID. Phones get powered off and go in a locker, along with watches, bags, food and study materials (DRE, Taking the Exam page, checked September 25, 2026).
The DRE gives exams electronically in Fresno, the Los Angeles area, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego (DRE, How and Where Exams are Scheduled, checked September 25, 2026). From Dixon, Sacramento and Oakland are the nearest. You can’t request a specific building, but you pick your date and site in the DRE’s eLicensing system, and qualified examinees can grab an open seat as late as 6 a.m. on exam day.
Results come right after an electronic exam. Pass, and you’re told you passed, not your score. Miss it, and you get your score by subject. You can re-take it as many times as you need within two years of filing your original application, but wait for your results before you reapply (DRE, Taking the Exam page).
What does it all cost?
The state fees, from the DRE Fees page (checked September 25, 2026):
| Item | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salesperson exam only | DRE | $100 |
| Salesperson license only | DRE | $350 |
| Exam and license filed together | DRE | $450 |
| Live Scan fingerprints (California residents) | Live Scan provider | $49 |
| License renewal, on time | DRE | $350 |
| License renewal, late (within 2 years) | DRE | $525 |
Course tuition, books and exam prep aren’t on that list. Price those yourself, school by school. And plan for the months before your first closing, because nothing pays until escrow does.
Hurdle 3: What happens after I pass?
If you filed the exam and license together, the DRE works from that application. If you didn’t, log into eLicensing, pull up your results and download the Salesperson License Application (RE 202). Send it with a completed Live Scan Service Request (RE 237) and the license fee. The DRE can’t issue a license until it gets your fingerprint results (DRE, Once You Pass the Examination page, checked September 25, 2026).
Then the step people forget. The DRE says a salesperson without a responsible broker may not do anything that requires a license (DRE requirements page). You can hold a license without a broker. You just can’t use it.
The DRE posts its current processing times on dre.ca.gov. Check that page before you promise anyone a start date.
What will my first Dixon clients ask me?
Things you won’t find in the exam book. Learn these three before your first showing:
- Special taxes. Several Dixon neighborhoods sit in Mello-Roos districts, and the city posts them on its Finance Department’s Community Facility Districts page. Learn to find the line on a Solano County tax bill, and send tax questions to a tax professional.
- The commute. Since August 3, 2026, the SolanoExpress Route 30 bus stops at the Dixon Park and Ride on its way to UC Davis and downtown Sacramento (Solano Mobility, checked September 25, 2026).
- Growth. The city’s Harvest at Dixon page tracks the review of the biggest proposed projects. Buyers will ask what’s coming. Show them the source.
Should I start on a team or on my own?
Either can work. Solo, every lead, flyer, follow-up call and deadline is yours. On a team, you trade part of each deal for help with those. Our page on how to choose a real estate team in Dixon and Solano County gives you a scorecard to compare them.
Questions people also ask
How much does a real estate license cost in California?
The state fees are $100 for the salesperson exam and $350 for the license, or $450 if you file them together on one application, per the DRE Fees page checked September 25, 2026. California residents also pay $49 for Live Scan fingerprints directly to the provider. Courses and exam prep are extra and vary by school.
What score do you need to pass the California real estate exam?
Salesperson candidates need at least 70% of the 150 questions correct, per the DRE’s Taking the Exam page checked September 25, 2026. The exam runs three hours. If you don’t pass, you can apply to re-take it after you get your results, with no limit on attempts within two years of your original application.
Where is the closest real estate exam to Dixon?
The DRE lists exam areas in Fresno, the Los Angeles area, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego, all electronic, per its How and Where Exams are Scheduled page checked September 25, 2026. From Dixon, Sacramento and Oakland are the closest. You choose your date and site through the DRE’s eLicensing system.
Can I take real estate classes near Dixon, CA?
Yes. Solano Community College says its real estate program offers the courses required for the California salesperson and broker exams, and its Vacaville campus is at 2001 North Village Parkway, per solano.edu checked September 25, 2026. Online schools are another option. Confirm any course is DRE-approved on dre.ca.gov before you enroll.
Your next step
Studying now, or just passed? Let’s talk about your first year before you pick a broker. We give new and mid-level agents leads, training, support, mentorship and systems. See how we work at whythedavisteam.com or call (510) 949-5525.
More for Dixon agents: How do I choose a real estate team to join? · Living in Dixon, CA · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Dixon, CA. Updated September 25, 2026.
Sources
- California Department of Real Estate, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/RequirementsSales.html (checked September 25, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Fees: dre.ca.gov/Licensees/Fees.html (checked September 25, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Taking the Exam: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html (checked September 25, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, How and Where Exams are Scheduled: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/HowWhereScheduled.html (checked September 25, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Once You Pass the Examination: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/PassExam.html (checked September 25, 2026)
- Solano Community College, Real Estate program and Campus Locations pages: solano.edu (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of Dixon, Community Facility Districts and Harvest at Dixon pages: cityofdixonca.gov (checked September 25, 2026)
- Solano Mobility, Solano Express Route 30: solanomobility.org/program/route30 (checked September 25, 2026)