Real estate licenses.

(1) Under the Real Estate Law, the California Bureau of Real Estate, which is headed by the Real Estate Commissioner, issues licenses to and regulates real estate brokers and real estate salespersons. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to prescribe the format and content of the written applications for the real estate broker examination, broker license, and salesperson examination. This bill would authorize the commissioner to additionally prescribe the format and content of the application for the real estate salesperson license, and would require that each of those applications for an examination or license, or both, require the applicant to provide valid contact information at which the bureau may contact the applicant. (2) Existing law requires every licensed real estate broker to have and maintain a definite place of business in the state that serves as his or her office for the transaction of business, displays his or her license, and where he or she holds personal consultations with a client. This bill would require every real estate broker and salesperson licensee to provide the commissioner with his or her current office or mailing address, current telephone number, and current electronic mail address that he or she uses to perform any activity that requires a real estate license, and at which the bureau may contact the licensee, and to update that information no later than 30 days after making a change. The bill would also exempt a violation of this requirement from criminal penalties. This bill would provide that the bureau is not required to post or publish electronic mail addresses or telephone numbers collected pursuant to the above provisions, and if this information is released by the bureau, would require that the information be released in a way that discourages its use in unauthorized or unsolicited commercial electronic mail advertisement programs.