You earn one California salesperson license from the Department of Real Estate, the same one agents use in every city. The path is: finish three approved college-level real estate courses, pass a 150-question state exam, clear a fingerprint background check, and then work under a licensed broker. You pay the DRE $450 if you file the exam and license together, plus a $49 Live Scan fingerprint fee paid to the fingerprint provider (DRE Fees page and form RE 206, Rev. 7/26).
Nothing about it is special to Martinez. What is local is where you study, where you test and what you’ll need to learn once you’re licensed. Here’s the whole thing in order.
Can I qualify?
Start with the DRE’s basic rules. It lists three general requirements. You must be at least 18 to be issued a license. Out-of-state residents follow a separate process. And applicants must be honest and truthful, because a criminal conviction may lead to a denial (DRE, Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License, checked September 24, 2026).
The honesty part matters more than people think. Answer every question on the application fully. An old issue you disclose is a conversation. One you leave off is a bigger problem.
What courses do I need, and where can I take them near Martinez?
Three courses, each at the college level:
- Real Estate Principles
- Real Estate Practice, which since January 1, 2024 has to include implicit bias and fair housing training, with a role-play where you act as both the client and the agent
- One elective from the DRE list: Real Estate Appraisal, Property Management, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Economics, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Real Estate Office Administration, General Accounting, Business Law, Escrows, Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending, Computer Applications in Real Estate, or Common Interest Developments
Each course has to be three semester units or four quarter units, from an accredited college or a private real estate school whose courses the Real Estate Commissioner has approved. Continuing education classes don’t count (DRE, Requirements page, checked September 24, 2026).
Closest college option: Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill has a Business Real Estate program that lists license preparation, with in-person, hybrid and online options across its programs (Diablo Valley College, Business Real Estate page, checked September 24, 2026). From downtown Martinez, County Connection Route 28 runs from Martinez Amtrak to DVC on weekdays (County Connection, routes page, checked September 24, 2026). Whatever school you pick, confirm the course meets the DRE rules before you pay.
What will the license cost me?
$450 to the DRE if you file the combined exam and license application, plus $49 for Live Scan, so $499 before tuition. Here’s the breakdown, plus the fees you hope you won’t need (DRE, Fees page and Exam, Licensing and Petition Fees, form RE 206, Rev. 7/26, checked September 24, 2026):
| What you pay for | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Salesperson exam | $100 | DRE |
| Salesperson license | $350 | DRE |
| Live Scan fingerprint processing | $49 | The Live Scan provider, for California residents |
| Moving your exam date | $40 | DRE |
| Taking the exam again | $100 | DRE |
| On-time license renewal | $350 | DRE |
The course tuition is on top of that and depends on the school. Two fine-print rules from the same form: the combined exam and license fee isn’t refunded for any reason, including a failed exam or a denied license, and you have two years from when the DRE gets your application to qualify and pass. Miss that window and you start over with a new application and fee.
What is the exam like?
Three hours, 150 multiple-choice questions, four answer choices each. You need at least 70% to pass (DRE, Taking the Exam and Salesperson Examination Content pages, checked September 24, 2026).
The DRE lists seven topic areas. The biggest share, about 25%, is Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures. Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties is about 17%, and Property Ownership and Land Use Controls is about 15% (DRE, Salesperson Examination Content page). If your study time is short, start there.
Exam day rules are strict. Bring a current state driver’s license or ID card, a passport, or a U.S. military ID, and arrive 30 minutes early. Phones, watches, bags, calculators and study materials aren’t allowed in the room (DRE, Taking the Exam page).
Where do I take the exam from Martinez?
Oakland or Sacramento are the closest of the DRE’s five exam areas. The DRE gives the test electronically in Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego (DRE, Taking the Exam page). The two nearest sites are:
- Oakland: Elihu M. Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay Street, Room 703
- Sacramento: DRE Electronic Exam Center, 651 Bannon Street, use the north entrance
(DRE, Exam Sites page, checked September 24, 2026.)
A Martinez perk: both cities are Capitol Corridor stops, Oakland Jack London and Sacramento, on the same line that serves the Martinez Amtrak station (Capitol Corridor, stations page, checked September 24, 2026). Check the distance from the station to the exam building before you plan to go by train.
Scheduling is flexible. Qualified examinees can book themselves into an open exam seat in the DRE’s eLicensing system as late as 6:00 a.m. on exam day and print their own schedule notice (DRE, How and Where Exams are Scheduled page, checked September 24, 2026).
What happens after I pass?
Two things: finish the license, then pick a broker.
If you didn’t file the combined application, the DRE says to download the Salesperson License Application (RE 202) from your eLicensing exam results and send it with a 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 24, 2026).
Then you need a responsible broker. You’re allowed to hold a license without one, but a salesperson without a responsible broker can’t do anything that requires a license (DRE, Requirements page). After that, plan for renewal: approved continuing education within the four years before each renewal, and the $350 on-time fee (DRE, RE 206).
What should a new Martinez agent learn first?
The questions your first clients will ask. In Martinez, three come up constantly:
- The refinery. Know where the official records are, like the Bay Area Air District’s news releases, and send health questions to a doctor or Contra Costa Health.
- Fire and flood maps. Learn to pull a parcel on Con Fire’s fire hazard viewer and on FEMA’s flood map, and how both show up in the Natural Hazard Disclosure.
- The commute. Martinez has no BART station. Know the Amtrak lines and which County Connection routes run to which BART stations.
This is where a team helps most. Instead of learning these on a live client, you learn them from agents who handle them every week. If you’re comparing teams, read our answer on how to choose a real estate team to join in Contra Costa County.
No team can promise you income. What a good one can do is shorten the time you spend guessing.
Questions people also ask
How much does a California real estate license cost in 2026?
A salesperson who files the exam and license together pays the DRE $450: $100 for the exam and $350 for the license. California residents also pay a $49 Live Scan fingerprint fee to the fingerprint provider, per the DRE Fees page, checked September 24, 2026. Course tuition is extra. The combined fee isn’t refundable, even if you fail the exam.
Where is the closest real estate exam site to Martinez?
The DRE’s Oakland site at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay Street, Room 703, and its Sacramento exam center at 651 Bannon Street are the closest, per the DRE Exam Sites page, checked September 24, 2026. Both cities are Capitol Corridor stops on the line that serves Martinez. You can pick a date and site in eLicensing.
Can I take real estate classes near Martinez?
Yes. Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill runs a Business Real Estate program that lists license preparation, and County Connection Route 28 runs from Martinez Amtrak to DVC on weekdays. You can also use a private school with DRE-approved courses. Check with the DRE rules that each course is college level and counts before you enroll.
What score do I need on the California real estate exam?
You need to answer at least 70% of the questions correctly. The salesperson exam has 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices each, and you get three hours, per the DRE’s Taking the Exam and Salesperson Examination Content pages, checked September 24, 2026. A retake costs $100 if you don’t pass.
Your next step
Taking classes now, or already licensed? Let’s talk about what your first Martinez files will look like and who’ll be in your corner. 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 Martinez: Living in Martinez, CA · Martinez market update
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Martinez, 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/Examinees/RequirementsSales.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, Salesperson Examination Content: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/SalesExamContent.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Exam Sites, and How and Where Exams are Scheduled: dre.ca.gov/Examinees (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Real Estate, Once You Pass the Examination: dre.ca.gov/Examinees/PassExam.html (checked September 24, 2026)
- Diablo Valley College, Business Real Estate: dvc.edu/academics/explore-our-programs/business-real-estate (checked September 24, 2026)
- County Connection, Routes page: countyconnection.com/routes (checked September 24, 2026)
- Capitol Corridor, Stations page: capitolcorridor.org/stations (checked September 24, 2026)