Legal Aspects of Real Estate

Real estate salesperson licensee candidates in California are required to take a minimum of 135 hours of license training: 

• California Real Estate Principles (45 hours, required topic)
• California Real Estate Practice (45 hours, required topic)
• One 45-hour Real Estate Elective topic

This online prelicense course, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, fulfills the 45-hour Real Estate Elective education requirement necessary for obtaining a salesperson real estate license in California.

Students are advised to visit the California Department of Real Estate's website at https://www.dre.ca.gov for license application requirements.

Course Description

All course content and testing are delivered online. No other substitute method of taking or completing this course is allowed.

This pre-license California Real Estate Law course requires the completion of the study and mastery of fifteen topics. These fifteen topics are:

1. The Foundation of Real Estate Law and Its Enforcement
2. Agency Law
3. Characteristics of Real Property
4. Estates in Real Property and Forms of Ownership
5. Contract Law
6. Real Estate Contracts of Employment
7. Transaction Agreements
8. Transaction Disclosures and Documentation
9. Transfer of Title
10. Liens and Encumbrances
11. Real Estate Security Instruments and Finance Documentation
12. Escrow and Closing
13. Government Rights and Limitations on Private Land Ownership
14. Landlord and Tenant Law
15. Real Estate License Law

Course Instructors

Upon registering for the pre-license course you will be assigned a primary instructor. This instructor will assist you with regard to any questions regarding course content or course navigation. You may contact your instructor by telephone or email.

Equipment Required

The OnlineEd California Real Estate Law course is presented via the internet. The only thing you need to complete the course is a web browser and an internet connection.

Completion and Assignment Timelines

This Pre-License Course may be completed at your own pace. The course is designed to take a minimum of 45 hours to complete. The time will be spent reading the course text materials, studying the text materials to ensure concept understanding, completion of the course exercise sets, and review of support material and successful passage of the course final examination.

The California DRE requires that pre-license courses not be completed in less than 17-1/2 days from enrollment, per course. This means that if purchased as a package, the 135 hours necessary to obtain a California salesperson license may not be completed in less than 54 days from enrollment.

You will have a maximum of 365 days from enrollment to complete the course, after which course access will end.

Course Material

This course contains approximately 45 hours of reading material taken from the textbook California Real Estate Principles by OnlineEd, LLC. and published by OnlineEd. Each of the chapters in the online California Real Estate Law course is followed by a quiz that must be passed before moving on to the next chapter.

Final Examination Criteria

• Number of questions: 100
• Types of questions: multiple choice
• Time: 3 hours
• How many final exams are offered: 2
• Minimum passing score: 75%

The course's final examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions with a minimum passing score of 75%. The final examination is not downloadable or printable. The final exam has a time limit of 3 hours, after which the exam is automatically graded. Any unanswered questions at the end of the final exam will be marked as incorrect. Students that do not pass the final exam may attempt the final exam a second time. Students who fail the final exam twice must start the course over from the beginning.

The DRE limits students taking final exams for pre-license courses to one completed exam per 17-1/2 day period.

Withdrawal and Refund Information

The following is the cancellation and refund policy:

1. OnlineEd may honor post-sale rebate requests for differences in product pricing due to promotions or coupons only if the request is made within three business days of purchase. OnlineEd will not honor rebate requests for any products after three business days of purchase and will not price-match any competitor's products after a purchase is completed.
2. The student may cancel enrollment by giving email notice to School_Director@OnlineEd.com with REFUND REQUEST in the email subject line, or by U.S. Mail to: OnlineEd, School Director's Office, 14355 SW Allen Blvd., Suite 240, Portland, OR 97005. US Postmark shall constitute the date of delivery.
3. Unless OnlineEd has discontinued the program of instruction, the student is financially obligated to OnlineEd according to the following:
   1. 48 Hour Preview - Without a penalty, the student is granted 48 hours from enrollment to view the OnlineEd program. Student use or access of the provided account after 48 hours from enrollment will trigger "program commencement." Costs incurred by OnlineEd for already shipped textbooks, calculators, and other promotional items are non-refundable and will be deducted from the refund amount.
   2. Cancellation After 48 Hours - If the student withdraws from the program or is terminated by OnlineEd for violations of the Student Conduct Policy or nonpayment, OnlineEd will charge 1) a $25.00 cancellation fee, 2) a $30.00 materials access fee per course, and 3) a registration fee of 15% of the sale price or $50 whichever is less. If the amount owed by student ever exceeds the total amount already paid, no additional charges will occur and no refund will be issued. If a third party paid for your course, then the third party is the owner of your course and can terminate the course at any time and without our notice to or approval from you. We give refunds under this clause to the third party and not to you. In order to prevent this from happening, you should come to agreement with the third party as to how this situation will be handled.
   3. Cancellation After 30 Days from Enrollment - If the student withdraws from the program or is terminated by OnlineEd for violation of the Student Conduct Policy or nonpayment after 30 days from course enrollment, the student shall be obligated for the tuition charged for the entire OnlineEd program and will not be entitled to any refund.
4. Refund of Bundled Items, Promotions, Textbooks, Surcharges, and Incentives - OnlineEd does NOT refund textbooks costs, surcharges, shipping charges, promotional items, or additional courses and items bundled with this course.

Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites required. However, you are advised to contact the California Department of Real Estate to determine whether you will be eligible to sit for the California Real Estate Salesperson examination. There are age and other requirements that must be met.

OnlineEd is a course provider and makes no determination as to your ability to obtain a CA real estate license. The licensing process is between you and the California Department of Real Estate.

Course Identification Statement

In order to verify your identity, you will be asked to provide at the time of enrollment and again prior to taking the final examination certain information to verify your identity. Among the types of identification that may be asked for are your current California driver's license, current identification permitted under the California Vehicle Code, or any identification issued to you by a governmental agency or a recognized real estate related trade organization that was issued within the immediately preceding five years that bears your photograph, signature, and identification number. In addition, you will also be asked to provide answers to additional security questions, the answers to which are unique to you.

DRE Disclaimer

This course is approved for pre-license credit by the California Department of Real Estate. However, this approval does not constitute an endorsement of the views or opinions which are expressed by the course sponsor, instructor, authors or lecturers.

OnlineEd Disclaimer

The California Department of Real Estate does not approve nor endorse any of the forms used in this course with the exception of those prescribed by State and Federal Law. While this publication is designed to be accurate information about the subject matter it covers, it is sold with the understanding that the distributor, author, and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If such advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The recipient is cautioned to check with their managing supervisor before acting on any suggestion or recommendation, or before using any sample form contained herein.

Course Evaluation

After completing this course you are encouraged to complete the California Department of Real Estate's online course evaluation form. You can access this evaluation at https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/forms/re318a.pdf

Course Provider Complaint Statement

A course provider complaint form is available on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) website at www.dre.ca.gov.  Access this form by typing in "RE 340" in the search box located in the upper right corner of the home page. An informational form regarding course provider complaints, "RE 340A" is also available.