The California Department of Real Estate holds professionals to a variety of regulations and standards. As a result, your real estate license can be investigated and even suspended for a variety of reasons. Most real estate license suspensions are related to failing to meet continuing education requirements, professional misconduct, and law violations. If you’re going through a real estate license suspension, here is what you should know and how you can get your career back on track.
Active Licenses
Your reputation and professionalism inside and outside of the workplace impact your real estate license. Most suspensions for those professionals with active licenses arise from avoidable mistakes. These are the most common reason for suspension:
- Failure to disclose a criminal conviction
- Performing unlicensed real estate activities
- Misrepresenting material facts about a property
- Mishandling trust funds
- Failing to report others who violate the law
In addition to these common factors, license holders that fall under the conditional and restricted categories are at even greater risk of suspension.
Related Article: My California Real Estate License is Under Investigation. What Do I Do Now?
Conditional Licenses
One of the many common reasons for real estate license suspension is education related. Real estate professionals are required to take an exam prior to receiving their occupational licenses. But the learning process doesn’t end there. During the length of your career, you are also required to complete continuing education courses and pass renewal examinations. Failure to pass these exams or submit proof of completion could result in a conditional suspension of your license. Although you will not be able to practice real estate, this suspension gives licensees additional time to pass these exams and courses and resubmit documentation before their licenses expire and protects them from long-term suspension. However, if you fail to make this deadline, your license suspension becomes permanent.
Conditional suspensions are generally easy to revise. However, those real estate professionals that already have restricted licenses may need additional help to protect their careers.
Restricted Licenses
In some circumstances, you may be working with a restricted real estate license. This could be because there are certain actions you are not able to perform or certain conditions you must meet before this restriction can be removed. It works as a probationary period. When you are working with a restricted real estate license, it’s crucial that you meet all of the DRE’s requirements. Performing unapproved real estate activities or receiving convictions will move your license from restricted to suspended and even potentially revoked. In these situations, a professional license defense attorney can help keep you on track and ensure your license becomes active without any restrictions.
Related Article: Can a Revoked Real Estate License Be Reinstated?
Petitioning the DRE
No matter what led the DRE to suspend your real estate license, you can petition to reinstate it. The typical waiting period for reinstatement after a suspension is one year. During this time, you will be required to submit documentation that shows you have rehabilitated from the actions that caused the suspension and met any educational requirements set forth by the DRE. During trying to find alternative work, getting this information together can be daunting. Therefore, you should consider consulting with a professional license defense attorney. Real estate license defense lawyers like those at Unlock Legal can help you gather and organize all the necessary materials and eliminate the stress you are dealing with.
Contact Unlock Legal
Did the DRE suspend your real estate license? Contact us immediately.
We understand how overwhelming a real estate license suspension can be to your livelihood. We’ve stood before the DRE and helped reinstate the licenses of hundreds of real estate professionals like you. We are committed to getting your life back on track and will fight to unlock your license.
Unlock Legal provides focused representation in criminal defense and defense for California licensed professionals. Contact Unlock Legal today or give us a call at 949-997-1469 to speak with a professional about your case and your unique needs. You’ll find we are compassionate, easy to talk to, and willing to help in any capacity we can.