Proof of Legal Residence

Applications for a real estate license received on or after January 1, 2016 will no longer require proof of legal presence in the United States.

On September 28, 2014, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1159 (Lara, Chapter 752, Statutes of 2014), which adds Section 135.5 of the Business & Professions Code (BPC), changing the legal presence requirements to obtain a real estate license. Current law requires an individual to provide proof of legal presence (proof of U.S. citizenship or legal alien status), in the United States in order to obtain a real estate license. SB 1159, which becomes effective on January 1, 2016, will remove the legal presence requirement from the application process. Applicants will still be required to provide a social security number or an individual taxpayer identification number for licensure.