If you hold a California real estate license, the mailing address you give the Department of Real Estate (DRE) is public. The DRE posts it online. The forms take a street address or a P.O. box in that field. A broker's main office is a separate field, and it must be a real place in California.
For this post, we read the California regulation on licensee addresses, 10 CCR Section 2715, and Business and Professions Code (B&P) Section 10162. We also read the DRE's eLicensing pages, the salesperson form RE 214 and the broker form RE 204, as posted on October 17, 2026. On the same day we opened the DRE's public lookup and counted what a licensee record shows.
What does the California DRE mean by a license mailing address?
The license mailing address is where the DRE sends your license mail. The eLicensing page says so in one line: "License correspondences are always mailed to the licensee at the mailing address provided to DRE." Both change forms describe the field the same way, saying the mailing address "is used to mail correspondence to you".
Section 2715 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) lists which addresses each licensee keeps on file with the Real Estate Commissioner. The list changes with your license role.
| License role | Addresses kept on file | Words of 10 CCR Section 2715 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker working on their own | Principal place of business, each branch office, and a mailing address if it is different | "the address of his or her principal place of business for brokerage activities, the address of each branch business office and his or her current mailing address, if different from the business address" |
| Broker working as a salesperson to another broker under written agreement | Main work location and a mailing address | "the address of the business location where he or she expects to conduct most of the activities for which a license is required and his or her current mailing address" |
| Salesperson | A mailing address and, when applicable, the responsible broker's main office | "his current mailing address, and when applicable, the address of the principal business office of the broker to whom the salesperson is at the time licensed" |
A salesperson has no office line of their own under this rule. In our reading, the mailing address is the one address on a salesperson's record that the salesperson chooses. A broker chooses a mailing address too, but a broker also has to name a real office.
Is your DRE mailing address shown to the public?
Yes, according to the DRE's own pages and forms. The eLicensing page on address changes reads:
"Licensee mailing addresses are public information and as such are posted on the Internet and available from DRE via telephone and written requests. Licensees should carefully consider this when identifying a mailing address."
RE 214 and RE 204 each carry a similar warning. The FAQ for the online change adds a note: "Business and mailing addresses are public information and are available to the public."
The statute handles email in a different way. B&P Section 10162(c)(3) says the licensee email address "shall not be considered a public record and shall not be disclosed" under a California Public Records Act request, unless a court orders it. We counted the word "public" in the text of Section 10162 and found it twice, both inside that email clause. Section 2715 doesn't use the word at all. The public status of the mailing address comes from the DRE's guidance and forms. Neither legal text has a matching protection for the mailing address.
What the public lookup shows
The DRE Public License Lookup searches by name or license ID. A name search can be narrowed with an optional "Mailing Address City" filter. The form adds a note:
"Note: The "Mailing Address City" may differ from the licensee's main office and/or branch office city."
We opened one individual broker record and counted 15 labels on the page. "Mailing Address" was the third label, after License Type and Name. The address showed in full, with street number, street name, city, state and ZIP code. A corporation record we opened also had 15 labels, and "Mailing Address" was third there too.
The same corporation record carried a note under its address: "(Above address is marked unreliable in DRE database)". We didn't find the DRE's rule for when that note is added.
The DRE pages we read don't describe a way to hide the mailing address. The DRE's advice is to choose the address with the public listing in mind. A home address in that field appears next to your name for anyone who looks you up. We covered other places a home address ends up in Can I use my home address as my business address?
Which addresses can you put in the mailing address field?
The forms name the kinds of address they accept. The instructions on both RE 214 and RE 204 say "The mailing address (post office box, residence or business address) is used to mail correspondence to you." The form lines spell out the difference between mail and office.
| Form and line | Label printed on the form | What the label allows |
|---|---|---|
| RE 214, line 4 | "SALESPERSON MAILING ADDRESS -- STREET ADDRESS/P.O. BOX, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE" | A street address or a P.O. box |
| RE 214, line 15 | "MAIN OFFICE ADDRESS OF BROKER/CORP. -- STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE" | A street address only |
| RE 204, line 5 | "BROKER MAILING ADDRESS (STREET ADDRESS OR POST OFFICE BOX)" | A street address or a post office box |
| RE 204, line 6 | "BROKER MAIN OFFICE ADDRESS (STREET ADDRESS) -- ENTER MAIN ADDRESS OR "NO BUSINESS ADDRESS"; DO NOT LEAVE BLANK." | A street address, or "no business address" |
The DRE text we read doesn't name private mailboxes (PMBs) or commercial mail receiving agencies at all. Nothing in it allows them by name, and nothing refuses them by name. The eLicensing page does say the system "may modify the structure of the address to conform to United States Postal Service standards". If you plan to use a private mailbox address, put it only in the mailing address field. Ask the DRE first if you want a firm answer for your record.
Some other California forms do name private mailboxes on specific lines. We set those forms side by side in Can you use a private mailbox on California business forms? We explained how a PO Box and a PMB address are each written in Is your mailing address a P.O. Box?
When you use a business address for mail
The DRE asks for a "c/o" line, meaning "in care of," when the mailing address belongs to a business. The eLicensing page reads: "If a licensee wishes to provide a business address as his/her mailing address, please include "c/o" (in care of) information within the address that appropriately identifies the business entity." RE 214 gives the salesperson version: "If your mailing address is that of your broker, please note "c/o" (in care of) your responsible broker or corporation."
A salesperson who uses the broker's address would write the first line as "c/o [your responsible broker or corporation]," then the broker's street address.
Why can a broker's main office not be a mailbox?
The main office has a job that a mailbox can't do. B&P Section 10162(a) reads:
"Every licensed real estate broker shall have and maintain a definite place of business in the State of California that serves as the broker's office for the transaction of business. This office shall be the place where the broker's license is displayed and where personal consultations with clients are held."
The section names two things that happen at the office. The license is displayed there, and the broker meets clients there. A mailbox address receives mail, and neither of those things happens at a mailbox. Section 10162(b) adds that "A real estate license does not authorize the licensee to do business except from the location stipulated in the real estate license as issued or as altered pursuant to Section 10161.8."
RE 204 points the same way. Line 6 asks for a "STREET ADDRESS", and the instructions say "The main office address must be a California address." The instructions also say "If a street address is unavailable, indicate the physical location (i.e., the nearest intersection and the distance to it)." In our reading, the intersection instruction shows the DRE wants a place a person can find.
A broker who uses a "doing business as" (DBA) name has one more tie to the main office. RE 204 says "The DBA must be filed in the county of your main office address."
The main office rule covers the main office field. The mailing address sits on its own line on both forms, with its own list of accepted address types. We wrote more about why forms split these two fields in Business mailing address vs. business address.
How do you change your mailing address with the DRE, and how fast must you do it?
The DRE lets salespersons and brokers change the mailing address online through eLicensing. The DRE FAQ lists these steps:
- Log in to eLicensing.
- Choose "Change Your Mailing Address Only".
- Answer "Yes" to continue.
- Enter the new address.
- Select "Preview Change", then "Submit Address Change".
The DRE's "Updating Your License" page also lists paper forms. A salesperson uses RE 214, a broker uses RE 204, and a corporation uses RE 204A.
After the change, the DRE checks it by mail. The eLicensing page says "A letter is mailed to the licensee at both the old and new address to confirm the change." The FAQ explains the reason: the letters go out "to insure that you requested the change and that the new address is valid".
The deadline depends on what changed. B&P Section 10162 was amended by Senate Bill 774, effective January 1, 2026, and the current text sets a 30-day clock for mail, phone and email.
| What changed | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Office or mailing address, phone number or email address | "no later than 30 days after making the change" | B&P Section 10162(c)(2) |
| Location of a broker's principal place of business or branch office | "not later than the next business day following the change" | 10 CCR Section 2715 |
A broker who moves the main office faces both rules, and the next-business-day rule is the shorter one. Section 10162(d) says "Notwithstanding Section 10185, a violation of this section is not a misdemeanor."
Two more points from the eLicensing page are easy to miss. First, a broker's move doesn't carry over to the salespersons who use the broker's address:
"A responsible broker's change of mailing or main office address does not change any salesperson's mailing address. Each salesperson who uses the responsible broker's address as his/her mailing address must initiate his/her own mailing address change request."
Second, an exam applicant's mailing address and a license mailing address are "separate and distinct addresses" on the DRE's side. Changing one doesn't update the other.
Where do you send mail to the DRE itself?
If you need to write to the DRE, start with its contact page. The contact page lists general mail at 651 Bannon Street, Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95811.
Several units have their own suite numbers at 651 Bannon Street, Sacramento, CA 95811:
- General mail: Suite 500
- Original license mail: Suite 503
- Flag mail: Suite 504
- Cite and fine: Suite 505
- Subdivision: Suite 506
- Legal and Consumer Recovery Account: Suite 507
Some older directories still list an earlier Sacramento address for the DRE. Use the address on the DRE's current contact page. California's Secretary of State also mails some letters to the mailing address on file, as we showed in bizfile Request Pin.
How an Auteur address fits
We sell virtual mailboxes, so read this section as the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens. An Auteur address can't be a broker's main office under B&P Section 10162(a), and we don't offer it for that line. Our addresses receive mail. The DRE forms we read don't name private mailboxes, so check with the DRE before you put any mailbox address on your record, ours included.
Every address we offer goes through USPS Form 1583 before mail can arrive in your name. The Virtual Mailing Address is for personal mail, in individual names only. A salesperson or broker-associate who wants license mail kept away from home would look at that plan. The Virtual Business Address receives mail in a business or trade name. A corporation or a broker with a DBA name would look at the business plan for mail, while the main office stays at a real California location.
Both plans include a photo of every envelope as it arrives. Opening and scanning a piece is one flat fee, only when you ask. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. Pricing comes by email with the next steps, and our fair use policy lists our fees and limits.
For personal license mail, choose the Virtual Mailing Address. For mail in a business or trade name, get your Virtual Business Address. If you'd like a California street address, three of our nine US cities are in the state: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Ordering is free, and nothing is charged today.
FAQ
Can I use a P.O. box as my California real estate license mailing address?
The forms name a P.O. box for the mailing address. RE 214 line 4 reads "STREET ADDRESS/P.O. BOX", and RE 204 line 5 reads "STREET ADDRESS OR POST OFFICE BOX". A broker's main office line asks for a street address, so a P.O. box doesn't fit there.
Does a salesperson who lives outside California need an extra form?
RE 214 asks "DO YOU RESIDE IN CALIFORNIA?" If the answer is no, the form says "FORM RE 234 MUST BE ON FILE WITH THIS DEPARTMENT." RE 234 is the DRE's Consent to Service of Process form.
If I use my broker's address for mail, does my address change when my broker moves?
No. The DRE says a responsible broker's address change "does not change any salesperson's mailing address." Each salesperson who uses the broker's address has to file a separate mailing address change.
Why did the DRE send a letter to my old address after I changed it?
The DRE mails a letter to both the old and the new address to confirm the change. The DRE FAQ says the letters check that you asked for the change and that the new address is valid.
Bottom line
The DRE says your license mailing address is public, posted online, and the public lookup can filter a name search by mailing address city. Forms RE 214 and RE 204 accept a street address or a P.O. box in that field, and the DRE text we read doesn't name private mailboxes either way. A broker's main office is a separate field, and it must be a definite place in California where clients are consulted. Report a mailing address change within 30 days, and report a broker office move by the next business day.
