How to Check a DRE License in California

In California a real estate salesperson has to have a Department of Real Estate, or DRE, license to legally be allowed to sell real estate. The one exception to this rule is if the salesperson works for a company regulated by the OCC or the CA DOC. The majority of salespeople however are licensed by the DRE and if you want to verify that they are in good standing or are not expired, this guide will show you how.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. There are a couple main ways to check with the DRE. The most common is through the Department of Real Estate's website. Find a link in the References section. If you would rather call the department to check a DRE license, the toll free number is 877-373-4542.

2. Once you have either browsed to the DRE website or called the DRE on the phone, you will have to provide either a DRE license number for a salesperson, broker, or company, or you will have to provide the complete name to a company, broker, or salesperson. If you do not have a DRE license number the name match will be more difficult because the DRE allows companies to use similar or identical company names and DBAs.

3. Identify the person or company you are researching. If you searched by name of person or company you will have to search through a list of possible matches to find the person or company you are looking for. The best way to do this is to review the location of the person or company and match it to the location of the person or company you are looking for. If you searched by license number, the exact entry will be identified immediately.

4. Either by phone or on the web, review the DRE license to make sure it is active and not expired. Make sure the licensee has no sanctions against them and that the company the individual works for is correct to your knowledge. The web will not give you any information about imposed DRE sanctions (if their are any) other than the hearing number. If you see a hearing number you will have to call the DRE and request the flag desk to get a list of the violations that hearing involved.

References

• California Department of Real Estate: License Look-up