--- title: "California team names: website disclosures" description: "Check California real estate team names, required member identification, and responsible broker prominence before approving a team website design" canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/california-team-name-website-disclosures" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # California team names: website disclosures For a California team website, check the proposed name and its advertising disclosures before approving the logo. Give the responsible broker the full design, including the member identification and brokerage identity. California Business and Professions Code section 10159.7 defines a team name and its conditions. DRE's 2026 law compilation includes the statute. [DRE's 2026 Real Estate Law, section 10159.7](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/relaw.pdf#page=33). Checked: 2026.10.23. Use this article for the team-name review. Ask the responsible broker to resolve any additional requirements for the services and advertising you plan. ## Check whether the proposed identity meets the definition Section 10159.7 defines the identity as one used by a salesperson with at least one other real estate licensee. Its conditions cover working together or presenting themselves publicly as a team providing licensed services. The name must include a licensee member's surname with “associates,” “group,” or “team.” It must avoid wording that suggests a brokerage independent of the responsible broker. [Team-name definition](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/relaw.pdf#page=33). Checked: 2026.10.23. DRE's FAQ also allows a broker associate acting as a salesperson for another broker or corporation to use a qualifying team name. [Broker-associate capacity](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/faqs/Team%20Name%20FAQs.pdf). Checked: 2026.10.23. Write the proposed name as plain text beside the current team membership. Identify which member supplies the surname. Have the broker review the complete wording. Do not assume a generic brand qualifies because its domain is available. Use the [team naming brief](/articles/real-estate-team-company-name-brief) to organize the proposal and unresolved questions. ## Can the name include realty or real estate? DRE's December 2021 FAQ says those words may be used when the name also meets the surname and team-term requirements. It separately prohibits wording that implies an independent brokerage. [DRE's Team Names FAQs](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/faqs/Team%20Name%20FAQs.pdf). Checked: 2026.10.23. Submit the whole name to the broker. A permitted word does not resolve whether the full identity meets the applicable requirements. ## Is a qualifying team name a DBA? DRE's FAQ says a qualifying team name is not treated as a fictitious business name under the Real Estate Law. It says no paperwork must be submitted to DRE to use that team name. [DRE's team-name and DBA explanation](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/faqs/Team%20Name%20FAQs.pdf). Checked: 2026.10.23. Keep that statement within its scope. Ask the responsible broker to identify the correct process if the proposed identity does not qualify. Avoid treating a team-name review as an answer to trademark, business-entity, or unrelated registration questions. Record those questions separately for the appropriate reviewer. ## Show the team member and responsible broker Section 10159.6 requires team-name advertising, including electronic media, to display the team name and the name and license number of at least one licensed team member conspicuously and prominently. It also requires the responsible broker's identity to be as prominent and conspicuous as the team name. [Team-name advertising requirements](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/relaw.pdf#page=32). Checked: 2026.10.23. Put those elements in the proposed identity layout. Have the broker approve the actual wording and presentation together. The DRE FAQ illustrates prominence by describing a broker name in an equal or greater font size than the team name. [DRE's prominence example](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/faqs/Team%20Name%20FAQs.pdf). Checked: 2026.10.23. Do not substitute a tiny footer reference for a reviewed identity layout. Ask the broker to check the visible result on each relevant page type. ## Review the website beyond its homepage DRE's Advertising Guidelines identify licensee-controlled websites as first-point-of-contact materials and discuss their disclosure requirements. [DRE Advertising Guidelines, printed page 5](https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/re27.pdf#page=9). Checked: 2026.10.23. Include the team homepage, individual biographies, service pages, campaign pages, and hosted search in the review brief. Add downloads where they advertise the team's services. Use the following proposed acceptance record: | Check | Evidence for the broker | | --- | --- | | Team-name wording | Exact name and current membership | | Member identification | Approved name and license number in the design | | Responsible broker identity | Approved identity and its visible prominence | | Phone and desktop views | Captures of each relevant page type | | Hosted property search | Direct address and observed identity layout | | Future membership changes | Named person responsible for another review | Keep the broker's decision and required corrections with the reviewed version. A template preview is not evidence that every public page uses it. ## Prepare the website scope Use the [brokerage advertising review register](/articles/brokerage-agent-website-advertising-review-register) to retain page addresses and decisions. Review the name again when membership or brokerage affiliation changes. Bring the approved name, identity layout, affected addresses, and unresolved corrections to the [website scope form](/work). [Real estate website resources](/for/real-estate). - [Real estate company names: prepare a team naming brief](/articles/real-estate-team-company-name-brief) - [Real estate CRM and website: map forms to contact records](/articles/real-estate-crm-and-website) ## Related: Real estate - [Real estate company names: prepare a team naming brief](/articles/real-estate-team-company-name-brief) - [A broker's agent website advertising review](/articles/brokerage-agent-website-advertising-review-register) - [Real estate CRM and website: map forms to contact records](/articles/real-estate-crm-and-website) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. Scale With Search 2026 [scalewithsearch.com](https://scalewithsearch.com) ```