Florida real estate license: the official requirements
Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Florida Statutes chapter 475 and the Florida Real Estate Commission's rules in the Florida Administrative Code (the state's own statute and rules).
To get a real estate license in Florida (the sales associate license): Minimum age: At least 18, with a high school diploma or its equivalent. Pre-licensing education: Course I, the Commission-prescribed sales associate course: 63 hours of 50 minutes each, including the end-of-course exam, which you pass with 70% or higher. Licensing exam: The Commission-approved state examination, administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Sponsoring broker: You may work as a sales associate only for the broker registered as your employer. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation issues the license to applicants the Florida Real Estate Commission certifies.
Requirements for the Florida sales associate license
| Requirement | Florida |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 18, with a high school diploma or its equivalent. |
| Pre-licensing education | Course I, the Commission-prescribed sales associate course: 63 hours of 50 minutes each, including the end-of-course exam, which you pass with 70% or higher. |
| Post-licensing education | The statute lets the Commission prescribe up to 45 classroom hours of post-licensure education before your first renewal. |
| Licensing exam | The Commission-approved state examination, administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. |
| Background check | Digital fingerprints submitted with your application, checked by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI for a criminal history record. |
| Sponsoring broker | You may work as a sales associate only for the broker registered as your employer. |
| State fees | $11 application fee and $46.75 initial license fee; $64 biennial renewal (rule 61J2-1.011, effective 11/22/2022). |
| License term | Two years: licenses renew every biennium. |
| Continuing education | At least 14 classroom hours (of 50 minutes) of continuing education in each two-year license period to renew an active license. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
How to get licensed in Florida
- Complete Course I (63 hours) at an approved school and pass its end-of-course exam.
- Submit the application, your digital fingerprints and the fee to the Department.
- Take the state exam, bringing your course certificate, the exam admission letter and identification.
- Pass the exam within 2 years, or the application expires.
- Once licensed, work only for the broker registered as your employer.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Florida Statutes chapter 475 and the Florida Real Estate Commission's rules in the Florida Administrative Code (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Florida Real Estate Commission's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
- This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.
- The 2026 Florida Statutes, Chapter 475 (Real Estate Brokers, Sales Associates, Schools, and Appraisers), Florida Legislature, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code 61J2-3.008, Pre-licensing Education for Broker and Sales Associate Applicants (effective 8/21/2022), Florida Department of State, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code 61J2-1.011, License Fees, Florida Department of State, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code rule page 61J2-1.011 (effective date 11/22/2022), Florida Department of State, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.