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California · Civil Code §1670.50California buyer representation agreement: signed by the offer, three months at most

Since January 1, 2025, a California buyer's agent must sign a written buyer-broker representation agreement with the buyer as soon as practicable and no later than the buyer's offer (Civil Code §1670.50). It must cover the broker's compensation, the services, when compensation is due and how the agreement ends. It may last no longer than three months, cannot renew automatically – a renewal must be in writing, dated and signed, for up to three months – and an agreement that breaks these limits is void. The agency disclosure form comes first.

The rules

  1. When (§1670.50(a))

    As soon as practicable, but no later than the execution of the buyer's offer to purchase.

  2. Required terms (b)

    Compensation of the broker, services to be rendered, when compensation is due, and contract termination.

  3. Three months (d)

    No longer than three months from the date it is made; no automatic renewal; a written, dated and signed renewal of up to three months. Violations make it void. Agreements with corporations, LLCs and partnerships are not limited to three months.

  4. Disclosure first (c)

    Before signing, the buyer's agent gives the buyer the agency disclosure form required by §2079.14.

What the TC tracks

  • Agency disclosure signed before the buyer agreement.
  • Buyer agreement signed no later than the offer – check its date against the offer.
  • The three-month expiration date, and a written renewal before it lapses.
  • Compensation terms matched to the purchase contract and the closing statement.

Questions about the California buyer agreement

When must a California buyer sign a buyer representation agreement?

No later than the execution of the buyer's offer to purchase, and as soon as practicable before that (Civil Code §1670.50(a)).

How long can a California buyer agreement last?

At most three months from the date it is made, without automatic renewal; renewals must be written, dated and signed, each for up to three months.

What must the California buyer agreement include?

Broker compensation, services to be rendered, when compensation is due, and how the agreement terminates.

What happens if the agreement is longer than three months?

An agreement made in violation of the three-month and no-auto-renewal rules is void and unenforceable (§1670.50(d)(3)).

Related guides

Keep the signed buyer agreement with the deal in ClosingCode and set its expiration as a task with an owner and due date.

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Source: California Civil Code §1670.50, added by AB 2992, effective January 1, 2025 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read October 25, 2026).

General information, not legal advice. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm or brokerage.