Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
In this article, we’ve outlined the continuing education (CE) requirements and steps you’ll need to take to renew your California real estate license. Whether you’re an agent or broker renewing for the first time or you’ve renewed your license before, we want to ensure a seamless California real estate license renewal process for you. Check out our top choices for online CE courses that will help you complete your 45 hours of continuing education classes quickly, efficiently, and on your schedule.
In this article
Steps to renew your California real estate license
Agents and brokers in California must renew their licenses every four years. The first step is fulfilling your continuing education requirements and we recommend completing these at least 90 days before your license expiration date.
You’ll also need to submit the following forms and submit your completed information into the DRE’s e-licensing system and pay the applicable fee at least 90 days before your license expiration date:
- For California real estate agents: Salesperson Renewal Application (RE 209)
- For California real estate brokers: Broker Renewal Application (RE 208)
- Corporation Officer Renewal Application (RE 207)
- Continuing Education Course Verification (RE 251)
- Enter your completion information into the Requirements for continuing education
-
First-time license renewal for California agents
Before you renew your salesperson license for the first time, you must complete 45 credit hours of DRE-approved continuing education (CE) consisting of 10 elective hours and 35 required class hours. These course hours must include:
- Six courses (3 hours each) in ethics, agency, trust fund handling, risk management and fair housing
- One course (2 hours) in implicit bias training
- Consumer protection courses (a minimum of 18 hours)
- Courses related to consumer service or consumer protection to round out the remaining 45 hours
-
First-time license renewal for California brokers
Before you renew your broker license for the first time, you must complete 45 credit hours of DRE-approved continuing education (CE). These course hours must include:
- Six courses (3 hours each) in ethics, agency, fair housing, risk management, trust fund handling, and management and supervision
- One course (2 hours) in implicit bias training
- Consumer protection courses (a minimum of 18 hours)
- One or more courses in consumer service or consumer protection to round out the remaining 45 hours
-
Second & subsequent license renewal for California agents
For all subsequent renewals of your California real estate salesperson’s license (after your first!), you must complete 45 credit hours of DRE-approved continuing education (CE) every four years, which must include:
- One survey course (9 hours) covering ethics, agency, fair housing, trust fund handling, risk management, implicit bias, and management and supervision. You may take each subject separately if you wish.
- Consumer protection courses (a minimum of 18 hours)
- One or more courses in consumer service or consumer protection to round out the remaining 45 hours.
-
Second & subsequent renewal for California brokers
For all subsequent renewals of your California real estate broker’s license (after your first!), you must complete 45 credit hours of DRE-approved continuing education (CE) every four years, which must include:
- One survey course (9 hours) covering ethics, agency, fair housing, trust fund handling, risk management, implicit bias, and management and supervision. You may take each subject separately if you wish.
- Consumer protection courses (a minimum of 18 hours)
- One or more courses in consumer service or consumer protection to round out the remaining 45 hours.
California real estate license renewal: Top 3 schools for continuing education
We compiled this shortlist of our favorite online schools for California real estate license renewal. Choose from several California-specific, cost-conscious CE bundles designed to meet 45-hour California real estate license renewal requirements for agents and brokers at every stage of their career. These CE Courses can be purchased and completed online — for as little as $52. You can also continue to hone your skills and knowledge through professional development courses offered by these leading schools on our list.
Each school offers a bundle that includes an ethics course designed to meet the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Code of Ethics training requirements for California agents and brokers. However, we encourage you to confirm with your local real estate association that they’ll accept each school’s training program. Online Ed, a favorite on our list, is the exclusive education provider for the California Association of REALTORS® so readers choosing one of their course bundles can skip this step!
Top Pick
The CE Shop
Choose from cost-effective CE bundles or mix & match individual CE courses for a customized experience. Upgrade to a bundle w/ ProPath, a business builder course for newer agents. ✓ NAR Ethics
CE bundles pricing:
$79 to $155
Also Popular
Colibri Real Estate
Expertly designed online learning platform. Narrated audio classes. One simple, straightforward CE bundle to choose from at every renewal level. ✓ NAR Ethics
CE bundles pricing:
$69
Budget Pick
OnlineEd
Official C.A.R. Partner. Affordable, straightforward courses include curated lessons and videos, without the excessive online features. ✓ NAR Ethics
CE bundles pricing:
$52.40
Top Pick
The CE Shop: Best school for customized options
The CE Shop offers bundles and individual courses to help you meet your CE requirement for California real estate license renewal. Choose from thoughtfully designed CE courses or course bundles that include all 45 required CE credit hours for a first-time or subsequent license renewal for both agents and brokers — or opt for individual CE courses that can be taken independently.
Key Features
Course format and content delivery: The CE Shop’s self-paced, online courses can be accessed on your tablet, computer, or smartphone 24/7.
Prelicensing + CE course bundles: To help you save money and plan ahead, The CE Shop bundles their California prelicensing course hours with 45 hours of first-renewal CE courses into their Premium Prelicensing Package. If you’re new to real estate, this can add up to significant savings and saves you a step come renewal time.
Multi-state license renewal: If you’re licensed in multiple states, including California, you can avoid purchasing multiple packages and repeating reciprocal courses by creating multistate and custom packages at The CE Shop. A custom package is designed with your budget and needs in mind, so you only have to complete the minimum courses needed to renew all of your real estate licenses. You’ll also get exclusive access to Agent Perks, a program that includes special discounts, offers, and trials from the CE Shop’s partners to help you better automate your real estate practice.
-
First-time agent license renewals – Individual courses
You can enroll in individual courses until you’ve completed all the requisite CE requirements. Topics for individual courses include agency, ethics, fair housing, trust fund, risk management, implicit bias, consumer protection, or consumer service.
Generally, prices range from $19 for 2 credit hours to $49 for 6-hour courses.
-
First-time agent license renewals – course bundles
To make your life easy, The CE Shop offers 45-hour CE packages that cover all the bases. For example:
- 45-hour California First-time Salesperson Package with NAR Ethics ($79): All 45 hours of CE required for renewing your California real estate license for the first time.
- 45-hour California First-time Salesperson Package Plus ProPath with NAR Ethics ($155): This package is perfect for anyone who wants to fulfill all core and elective credit hours while getting a professional edge. The CE Shop’s ProPath business building program teaches you the essentials of pricing homes, how to estimate earnings and expenses, and what you need to save for taxes and emergencies. The ProPath package is also available for subsequent renewals.
-
Second & subsequent agent & broker license renewals – Individual courses
For second subsequent California real estate license renewals, The CE Shop also offers individual courses. We love their California Salesperson and Broker Survey Course, a 9-hour, easy-to-digest survey course that covers core topics like disclosures, fiduciary responsibilities, how to avoid discriminatory practices, reducing and managing risk, and more.
You can learn how to advocate for short sale clients, the fundamentals of commercial real estate, the essentials of effective and ethical online advertising, social media compliance, and so much more.
-
Second & subsequent agent & broker license renewals – Course bundles
The most streamlined way to fulfill your CE requirements is to purchase a budget-friendly renewal package. The Ce Shop offers a few options:
- 45-hour California Sales & Broker Package, Incl. NAR Ethics ($79): Includes all 45 required core and elective courses for agents and brokers completing their second or subsequent California real estate license renewal. You can choose to include or exclude the NAR Ethics portion of the course for the same low price of $79 (or you can take it separately if your association only accepts the course offered by NAR or C.A.R.)
- 45-hour California Sales & Broker Package with Propath + NAR Ethics ($155): Includes everything in the package listed above, plus The CE Shop’s proprietary business building course, ProPath — learn the essentials of pricing homes, how to estimate earnings and expenses, and what you need to save for taxes and emergencies.
Also Popular
Colibri Real Estate Education: Top school for faster learning
Colibri offers an intuitive online learning platform with easy-to-use features. You can stop and restart lessons, make a study schedule, and track your progress through your continuing education courses, all in one user-friendly dashboard. Best of all, you can listen to all your courses as you would your favoriate podcast using Colibri’si new narrated audio option.
Colibri makes it easy to get your CE hours done efficiently by including all the credit hours you need to meet California’s renewal requirements in one course package for each renewal type (for both agents and brokers). Although Colibri’s CE packages don’t let you choose electives, the course content itself is written and taught by active and seasoned industry professionals with experience in your local market.
Key Features
Course format and content delivery: Colibri’s self-paced, online CE courses can be completed on your smartphone, tablet or computer or choose narrated audio courses on your mobile device (you can speed it up or slow it down).
-
First-time agent license renewals – course bundle
Easily meet the 45-hour CE requirement with Colibri’s California Salesperson First-Time Renewal bundle. The package includes 35 mandatory hours and 10 elective hours. Although the courses in this package are chosen for you, the topics are intriguing and include fair housing, ethics, agency law, handling trust funds, risk management, implicit bias training, green building consumer protection, and more.
-
First-time broker license renewal – Course bundle
For California real estate brokers renewing their license for the first time, Colibri offers a 45-hour Broker First Renewal package for $69. It includes 38 hours of core courses required by the DRE, plus 7 hours of electives.
-
Second & subsequent agent & broker license renewals – Course bundle
Colibri’s California Second & Subsequent Renewal bundle (for $69) features 27 mandatory hours plus 18 elective hours, including interesting courses such as May the Code Be With You, which covers the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and ethical practices.
Also Popular
OnlineEd: Best budget-friendly CE course bundles
The California Association of Realtors has partnered with OnlineEd’s learning platform to provide real estate salespeople with curated lessons and videos to meet continuing education requirements. The refreshingly simple design of OnlineEd’s platform makes it a favorite with students who don’t have time to navigate complex learning platforms. Specializing in online education for over 25 years, OnlineEd builds helpful feedback and practice questions into its straightforward courses.
Key Features
Course format and content delivery: OnlineEd’s courses are self-paced, online courses can be accessed 24/7 on your computer or smartphone 24/7, and offer tablet and Kindle-friendly lessons.
Professionals development courses: To advance your career anytime, OnlineEd’s non-credit courses are designed to help you excel in specific areas of real estate. They can help you become a first-time buyer specialist (for $150) or an accredited luxury home specialist (for $299). Or go big and earn your REALTOR® Institute (GRI) Designation (for $1,092) and learn more about law & finances, agency & trust funds, commissions, technology, the environment & the RPA. Check out more OnlineEd professional development courses today.
-
First-time license renewals – Individual courses
OnlineEd students can choose from individual continuing education courses for only $6 to $16 each. Each individual course is worth two to three credit hours, and covers topics like implicit bias, trust funds, fair housing, broker management and supervision of salespersons. Course offerings also include non-traditional mortgages, advanced contract law, nine hour survey, and buyer agency.
-
First-time license renewals – course bundles
California agents renewing their license for the first time can fulfill the CE requirement by taking OnlineEd’s 45-hour Salesperson Renewal package. This 45-hour course package is a fast way to meet NAR Ethics and DRE CE requirements — all for under $53.
-
Second & subsequent agent license renewals – Course bundles
California agents can opt for OnlineEd’s 45-hour Subsequent License Renewal package that includes NAR Ethics and all DRE CE requirements — all for under $53. OnlineEd doesn’t offer broker licensing renewal courses or course bundles.
Tips to expedite the California real estate license renewal process
To renew your California real estate license, you will need to submit your renewal application 90 days prior to your license expiration date. To renew by mail, you must:
- Be a California resident who does not hold a restricted license
—OR— - Be an out-of-state resident who already has a Consent to Service of Process form on file with the DRE
- Complete and mail in the Continuing Education Course Verification (RE 251)
- Complete and mail in the form below that applies to you, as well as the applicable fee:
For expedited processing of salesperson, broker license, and corporate officer license renewals any time or day of the week, the eLicensing system offers an online renewal option. To renew online, you must:
- Be a California resident who does not hold a restricted license
—OR— - Be an out-of-state resident who already has a Consent to Service of Process form on file with the DRE
- Be prepared with all the information required in the Renewal Application
The Calfornia DRE will send you a reminder letter 60 days before your license expires (to the mailing address they have on file for you). However, you should be aware of your license’s expiration date and take the necessary steps to renew your California real estate license well before that date.
Note:
All your continuing education requirements must be completed before you begin the process in the DRE’s eLicensing online portal.
If you want to renew your license online, you can do so using DRE’s eLicensing online system and your eLicensing account. Using the DRE’s online portal will help to speed up the renewal process, but you may also choose to mail in your forms (listed above) to the California Department of Real Estate, 1651 Exposition Boulevard PO Box 137009 Sacramento, 95813.
Warning:
To continue operating under your existing license, your California real estate license renewal application MUST be postmarked (or your eLicensing transaction completed) before midnight on your license expiration date.
If you don’t renew your license before the expiration date, you cannot practice as a real estate agent or broker in California until your license renewal has been completed.
The bottom line
After you follow these simple steps for your California real estate license renewal, you can get back to serving your clients and earning commissions. We’ve pinpointed the best online real estate schools to complete your California CE requirements at every stage of your career.
Whether it’s tips on renewing your real estate license in California or insights on the housing economy, we’re here to help move your real estate career forward with expert advice, and recommendations for the top lead generation & marketing tools for the modern agent.
