Take three approved college-level real estate courses, pass the California salesperson exam, and send your license application and fingerprints to the Department of Real Estate. Then work under a licensed broker, because a new salesperson can’t do licensed work alone.
Living in Hercules doesn’t change the state rules. It does change where you study, where you test and who you learn from. Here’s the whole path.
What are the requirements for a California real estate license?
Three basics, per the DRE (California Department of Real Estate, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License, checked September 24, 2026):
- Age. You must be 18 or older to be issued a license.
- Honesty. Applicants must be honest and truthful. A criminal conviction can lead to denial, so disclose everything.
- Education. Three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective from the DRE’s official list, such as Real Estate Finance, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Property Management or Real Estate Appraisal.
Since January 1, 2024, the Practice course must include implicit bias and fair housing, with a role-play part where you act as both the consumer and the agent (same source). Continuing education classes don’t count toward these three.
Where can I take the courses near Hercules?
Anywhere the DRE accepts: an accredited college or a private school with DRE-approved courses. Each course is at least 45 hours (DRE, same page).
The closest college option is Contra Costa College, 2600 Mission Bell Drive in San Pablo. Its Real Estate program lists Principles, Practice and electives including Legal Aspects, Finance, Property Management, Principles of Accounting I and Business Law, and says you can finish all three required courses in one semester through evening classes (Contra Costa College, Real Estate page, checked September 24, 2026). Check the current schedule and fees with the college. You can also search DRE-approved private courses from the DRE’s Examinees pages.
What does it cost to get licensed?
Here are the licensing fees, from the DRE Fees page (checked September 24, 2026). Fees are nonrefundable.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Salesperson exam | $100 |
| Salesperson license | $350 |
| Exam and license together (combination application, RE 435) | $450 total to the DRE |
| Live Scan fingerprints, paid to the fingerprint provider | $49 |
| Re-taking the exam | $100 |
| Rescheduling an exam | $40 |
Course tuition is separate and varies by school. Budget for books and a practice exam course if you want one.
What is the California salesperson exam like?
Three hours, 150 multiple-choice questions, four answer choices each. You pass at 70% (DRE, Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026). The DRE doesn’t tell passing test takers their score.
Bring a current state driver’s license or DMV ID, a passport or a U.S. military ID. Phones, purses, wallets, smart glasses and keys aren’t allowed in the room (same source).
Where do I take the exam from Hercules?
Oakland is the closest DRE exam site, at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay Street, Room 703 (DRE, Exam Sites page, checked September 24, 2026). Sacramento, Fresno, La Palma and San Diego also run electronic exams. You schedule, or reschedule, through the DRE’s eLicensing system.
What if I fail the exam?
You can retake it. Wait for your results first, then reapply through eLicensing or with your result notice. There is no limit on attempts during the two years after you first filed your application (DRE, Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026). After two years you file a new application and pay again.
What do I do after I pass?
If you filed the combination application, your license application is already in. If not, log into eLicensing, download the salesperson license application (RE 202), and send it with a Live Scan Service Request (RE 237) and the $350 license fee. The DRE can’t issue your license until it gets your fingerprint results (DRE, Once You Pass the Examination page, checked September 24, 2026).
Then pick a responsible broker. The DRE says a salesperson without a responsible broker may not perform acts requiring a real estate license (DRE, Requirements page, checked September 24, 2026).
How does a team help a new agent?
Getting licensed is the easy part. Getting your first few clients is the hard part. A team gives you people to learn from while you do it.
The Davis Team at eXp Realty is based in Hercules, at 2525 Bayfront Blvd, Suite G. We offer new agents leads, training, support, mentorship and systems. We won’t promise what you’ll earn. Nobody can. What we will do is sit down with you, show you how the first 90 days work, and give you the terms in writing.
One thing you’ll learn on day one: commissions are always negotiable and never set by law.
Questions people also ask
How long does it take to get a real estate license in California?
It depends mostly on your courses. Contra Costa College in San Pablo says you can finish all three required courses in one semester of evening classes, per its Real Estate page checked September 24, 2026. Then you schedule the exam, and after passing, the DRE needs your application and fingerprint results. Check the DRE’s current processing times page for today’s wait.
How much does it cost to become a real estate agent in California?
State fees are $450 to the DRE when you file the exam and license together, $100 for the exam plus $350 for the license, plus $49 paid to the Live Scan fingerprint provider, per the DRE Fees page checked September 24, 2026. Course tuition, books and exam prep are extra and vary by school.
What score do you need to pass the California real estate exam?
You need at least 70% correct on the salesperson exam, which has 150 multiple-choice questions over three hours, according to the DRE’s Taking the Exam page, checked September 24, 2026. The DRE does not give passing test takers their score, and you can retake a failed exam as many times as needed within two years of your original application.
Where is the real estate exam near Hercules, CA?
The nearest DRE exam site is in Oakland, at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay Street, Room 703, per the DRE Exam Sites page checked September 24, 2026. Sacramento has the DRE Electronic Exam Center at 651 Bannon Street. You book or change your exam date through DRE eLicensing.
Your next step
Taking your courses now, or just passed? Talk to us before you pick a broker. We’ll walk you through how our team works and what your first 90 days would look like. See how The Davis Team works or call (510) 949-5525.
Already licensed? Read joining a real estate team based in Hercules.
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Hercules, 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, Exam Sites: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/ExamSites.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)
- Contra Costa College, Real Estate: contracosta.edu/academics/departments/real-estate (checked September 24, 2026)