California real estate licensees have been able to delay their renewals during this pandemic, but the end of the grace period is fast approaching.

The Department of Real Estate (DRE) has extended the deadline several times for licensees whose licenses have expired and licensee and exam applicants whose applications have expired during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, licenses expired between April 16, 2020 and June 29, 2021 have until June 30, 2021 to complete their renewal under Executive Order N-83-20.

In other words, by the June 30, 2021 deadline, licensees who have come up for renewal since April 16, 2020 need to:

  • complete their continuing education (CE) requirements (unless they are exempt due to the 70/30 exemption);
  • submit their renewal application; and
  • pay their renewal fee.

Editor’s note — For assistance renewing your license, see this page for resources, links and answers to frequently asked questions.

Licensees with expirations during the extension who do not complete these tasks by June 30 will see their licenses expire. At that point, they will enter a two-year grace period to re-instate their license. During this time, they may not practice real estate. Licensees in their grace period may complete the same renewal requirements as active licensees, plus a higher renewal fee.

Related article:

Letter to the editor: Reactivating an expired license

Licensees whose grace periods expired during the COVID-19 extension may also complete their renewal requirements by June 30, 2021 to reactivate their license. After June 30, those with two-year grace periods that expired during the extension will no longer be able to renew their license and will need to retake the state exam and reapply for their license.

Further, exam applicants whose two-year period to take their exam expired during the extension have until June 30, 2021 to take their exam. License applicants who passed the salesperson or broker exam and whose one-year deadline to apply for their license expired during the extension also have until June 30, 2021 to submit their license application.

Licensees, exam and license applicants who fall under this extension do not need to do anything to be eligible for this extension, as it is automatic. Further, the extension will not change any licensee’s regular expiration date; it will remain the same even when renewing late under the extension.

Read more about the COVID-19 extensions here.