California DRE Form RE 909 is the Department of Real Estate’s credit card payment authorization, the document you use to charge licensing-related fees to a Visa, MasterCard, or other accepted card instead of mailing a check. It is a downloadable PDF on the DRE’s fees page, and you submit it alongside whatever application the fee belongs to.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees
What RE 909 Is For
RE 909 authorizes the Department of Real Estate to charge your credit card for licensing-related costs. Those costs include examination fees, original license application fees, and renewal fees.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees If a transaction with the DRE requires money and you want to pay by card rather than check or money order, RE 909 is how you give the Department permission to run the charge.
The form itself is short and self-contained. You enter your card details, identify the specific fee you are paying, and sign to authorize the charge. There are no agency codes to match or background-check steps bolted on. Compared with the rest of a DRE licensing packet, it is the easy page.
Where to Get the Current Form
Download RE 909 directly from the DRE’s fees page at dre.ca.gov rather than relying on a copy saved from a prior application cycle. The Department posts the current version there along with the fee schedule you will need to reference when you fill it in.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees A fresh download also ensures the mailing address, accepted card types, and any revised fields are current.
How to Fill It Out
Enter your name as it appears on the card, the card number, expiration date, and any security code the form requests. Identify which fee the payment is for — exam, original license application, or renewal — and the amount, keyed to the DRE’s published fee schedule.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees Sign and date to authorize the charge.
Accuracy on the amount matters. The form authorizes a specific charge tied to a specific application, so a mismatch between the fee you write in and the application you attach can hold up processing. Pull the fee from the current schedule the same day you complete the form.
Submitting RE 909 With Your Application
RE 909 does not travel alone. It goes in the same envelope as the application it pays for: your exam application, your original license application, or your renewal paperwork. The DRE processes the authorization against the application it is stapled to, so sending it separately or ahead of the forms it covers creates a matching problem on their end.
If you are paying for more than one item in the same submission, follow the instructions on the current form for how to list each fee and the total you are authorizing. The published fee schedule on the DRE site is the reference point for the dollar amounts.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees
What RE 909 Does Not Cover
RE 909 only handles money paid directly to the Department of Real Estate. It does not pay the Live Scan operator, and it is not the fingerprint form. The fingerprint background check uses a different document, Form RE 237, titled “Live Scan Service Request (Applicant/Petitioner).”2California Department of Real Estate. Licensing Forms The two forms come up at the same stage of licensing and get mixed up for that reason, but they do different jobs.
The fees you pay at a Live Scan appointment — the $49 fingerprint processing fee plus the Live Scan operator’s own service fee — go directly to the Live Scan provider, not to the DRE, and are not routed through RE 909.3California Department of Real Estate. Fingerprint Requirements If you are using RE 909, you are paying the Department.
Which DRE Fees You Can Pay With It
Examination Fees
When you apply to sit for the salesperson or broker examination, you owe an exam fee to the DRE. RE 909 is the credit card route for that payment, submitted with your exam application.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees
Original License Application Fees
Once you pass the exam and submit an original license application, the application fee can be paid by card using RE 909. If you combine the exam and license application in a single filing, use the combined-fee amount from the current schedule.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees
Renewal Fees
Licensees renewing a salesperson or broker license can authorize the renewal fee through RE 909 as well, attached to the renewal application.1California Department of Real Estate. Fees Confirm the current renewal amount on the fee schedule before writing it in; the schedule is the controlling figure.
A Few Practical Points
Use a card that will not expire before the DRE processes the payment, and make sure the available credit covers the full amount. A declined charge sends your application into a correction cycle that costs time you would rather spend on the next step.
Keep a copy of the completed RE 909 for your own records before you mail the original. If a question comes up later about what you authorized or when, your copy settles it quickly.
Finally, if you are also getting fingerprinted around the same time, keep the two forms clearly separated. RE 909 goes to the DRE with your application. RE 237 goes to the Live Scan provider, who keeps one copy, gives you one, and sends one on with your DRE paperwork.2California Department of Real Estate. Licensing Forms Treating them as one packet is the mistake; they belong in different envelopes going to different places.