Take three DRE-approved college-level real estate courses, apply for and pass the California salesperson exam, get fingerprinted, and have your license issued. Then work under a responsible broker. State fees are $499 total if you file the exam and license together: $100 for the exam and $350 for the license, paid to the DRE, plus $49 for Live Scan fingerprints (California DRE, form RE 206, Rev. 7/26).
You don’t need a special Fairfield license. It’s one state license for all of California. Here’s the path, step by step, and what happens after.
Who can get a California real estate license?
You must be 18 or older to be issued a license, and you must be honest and truthful on your application. The DRE says a criminal conviction may lead to denial (California DRE, Requirements to Apply for a Salesperson License, checked September 24, 2026). Disclose everything the application asks for. Leaving something off hurts more than the thing itself.
Which courses do I need to take?
Three college-level courses. Each DRE-approved course is at least 45 hours, and each must be three semester units or four quarter units (DRE, Requirements page, checked September 24, 2026).
- Real Estate Principles.
- Real Estate Practice. Since January 1, 2024, this course has to include implicit bias and fair housing content.
- One elective from the DRE’s list. The options include Real Estate Finance, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Real Estate Appraisal, Property Management, Escrows, Real Estate Economics, Business Law, General Accounting, Real Estate Office Administration, Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending, Computer Applications in Real Estate, and Common Interest Developments.
That’s at least 135 hours of coursework. You can take the courses at an accredited college or at a private real estate school approved by the Real Estate Commissioner. Continuing education courses don’t count.
How do I apply for the exam, and what does it cost?
Apply online through the DRE’s eLicensing system or by mail. You can file the exam alone, or file the exam and license together on one combined application. Here are the fees from DRE form RE 206 (Rev. 7/26), checked September 24, 2026:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salesperson exam | $100 |
| Salesperson license | $350 |
| Live Scan fingerprints (California residents pay the Live Scan provider) | $49 |
| Rescheduled exam | $40 |
| Re-exam, if you don’t pass | $100 |
A few rules to know before you pay:
- Fees aren’t refundable. The combined exam and license fee isn’t refunded for any reason, including failing the exam or a denied license (DRE, RE 206).
- You have two years. You must pass the exam within two years of filing, or the application and fee lapse and you start over (DRE, Combined Salesperson Examination and License Application page, checked September 24, 2026).
- Fingerprints are required. Your fingerprint results must come back before a license is issued (same page).
What is the California salesperson exam like?
It’s 150 multiple-choice questions in three hours. You need 70% to pass (DRE, Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026). The DRE gives electronic exams in Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. For Fairfield, Oakland and Sacramento are the nearest sites on that list. If you test electronically, you get your result when you finish.
The DRE publishes the approximate weight of each topic (DRE, Salesperson Examination Content page, checked September 24, 2026):
- Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures, about 25%
- Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties, about 17%
- Property Ownership and Land Use Controls, about 15%
- Property Valuation and Financial Analysis, about 14%
- Contracts, about 12%
- Financing, about 9%
- Transfer of Property, about 8%
Study the big three first. Practice and disclosures is a quarter of the test by itself.
What happens after I pass?
You need a responsible broker before you can do real estate work. The DRE says you can hold a license without a broker, but a salesperson without a responsible broker can’t perform acts that require a license (DRE, Requirements page, checked September 24, 2026). So picking where you hang your license is your next big decision.
Plan for renewal too. You’ll need approved continuing education completed within the four years before each renewal. The on-time salesperson renewal fee is $350 (DRE, RE 206, Rev. 7/26).
How can a team help a brand-new agent in Fairfield?
It gives you a place to learn with real clients while someone has your back. Your first 90 days decide a lot. Here’s what that stretch should look like on a good team:
- Days 1 to 30: learn the tools and the talk. Your database, your scripts, your first calls to the people you already know. The gold is in the people you’ve already met.
- Days 31 to 60: go on appointments with a lead agent. Watch a buyer consultation, then run one while they watch. Sit in on a listing presentation.
- Days 61 to 90: run your own, with backup. Your first offers, with a transaction coordinator keeping the file on track and a mentor you can call.
Fairfield has its own homework. Travis Air Force Base is next door, so learn VA loan basics from VA directly: the Certificate of Eligibility, the funding fee, and the rule that the buyer must plan to live in the home (VA, Purchase Loan page, updated January 7, 2026). The market is moving, too. Redfin counted 253 Fairfield home sales in August 2026, with a median of 36 days on market (Redfin, Fairfield housing market page, checked September 24, 2026).
Going solo is an option. It just means you handle leads, marketing, paperwork and follow-up yourself from day one. Nothing here promises income. How fast you get going depends on the work you put in and the support around you.
If you’re already licensed and comparing teams, read our answer on what to look for in a real estate team to join in Solano County.
Questions people also ask
How much does it cost to get a real estate license in California?
State fees for a combined exam and license application are $499: $100 for the exam, $350 for the license and $49 for Live Scan fingerprints, per DRE form RE 206 (Rev. 7/26), checked September 24, 2026. The three required courses cost extra and vary by school. A rescheduled exam is $40, and a retake is $100.
How many questions are on the California real estate salesperson exam?
The salesperson exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, and you get three hours. You must answer at least 70% correctly to pass, per the DRE’s Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026. The largest topic is Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures, at about 25% of the exam.
Can I take the real estate courses online?
The DRE requires three college-level courses of at least 45 hours each, from an accredited college or a private real estate school approved by the Real Estate Commissioner. Check that any online course is DRE-approved before you pay, using the official course search on dre.ca.gov. Continuing education courses don’t count toward the requirement, per the DRE Requirements page.
Do I need a broker after I get my real estate license?
Yes, to work. The DRE lets you hold a salesperson license without a broker, but you can’t do anything that requires a license until a responsible broker supervises you, per the DRE’s Requirements page, checked September 24, 2026. Most new agents pick a broker, and often a team, before or right after they pass.
Your next step
Studying now, or already passed? Let’s talk about your first 90 days. The Davis Team offers new agents leads, training, support, mentorship and systems. See what joining looks like at whythedavisteam.com or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Fairfield: Is Fairfield, CA a good place to live? · Fairfield market update
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Fairfield, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- California Department of Real Estate, Exam, Licensing and Petition Fees, form RE 206 (Rev. 7/26): dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/forms/re206.pdf (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Fees page: dre.ca.gov/licensees/fees.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License: dre.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Combined Salesperson Examination and License Application Process: dre.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Taking the Exam and Salesperson Examination Content pages: dre.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Purchase Loan page, updated January 7, 2026: va.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- Redfin, Fairfield housing market, August 2026 data: redfin.com/city/5980/CA/Fairfield/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)