Florida Real Estate License Requirements: Eligibility and Hours
Florida's real estate licensing requirement has a clear education component - 63 hours for a sales associate, 72 for a broker - and a set of application steps that are only partly confirmed against a regulator source. Where Florida has not published a specific rule, this page says so instead of guessing.
What Are Florida's Eligibility Requirements for a Real Estate License?
Florida requires completion of a FREC-approved pre-license course, passing the state licensing exam, and a DBPR license application before a sales associate or broker license becomes active, under Fla. Stat. Section 475.17.
The governing statute is Fla. Stat. Section 475.17, part of Chapter 475 on the Florida Senate's site. Beyond the education and exam requirement, a natural-person applicant must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, and must provide a Social Security number on the application (a federal tax identification number for a non-natural-person applicant), per Fla. Stat. Section 475.17. Florida does not require an applicant to be a Florida resident for this standard path; residency runs the other way for mutual recognition applicants only (see FAQ). Florida does not list U.S. citizenship as a requirement: neither the full text of Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 nor DBPR's own current "Requirements for Real Estate Sales Associate License" checklist on Form DBPR RE 1 (age 18, high school diploma, Social Security number, pass the exam) lists citizenship as a requirement. This is an absence in two current official sources rather than a statute affirmatively stating "citizenship is not required," so confirm your specific situation with DBPR if it matters to you.
How Many Hours of Pre-License Education Does Florida Require?
A Florida sales associate applicant completes 63 hours of FREC Course I; a broker applicant completes 72 hours of FREC Course II, both approved under the same Rule 61J2-3.008 of the Florida Administrative Code.
Both courses must be completed through a school holding a current DBPR real estate school permit under Fla. Stat. Section 475.451; a generic exam-prep product does not satisfy this requirement, only the FREC-approved 63-hour or 72-hour curriculum does. See Approved Providers for confirmed schools.
Does Florida Real Estate Licensing Require Fingerprinting or a Background Check?
Yes - Florida has required electronic fingerprinting for every real estate sales associate applicant since July 1, 2006, submitted through an FDLE-approved Livescan provider, and the fingerprint processing fee is $36, payable to DBPR.
Fingerprints are submitted through a Livescan Service Provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or through DBPR's own fingerprinting service; the $36 fee applies when DBPR processes the fingerprints directly, and an approved Livescan provider sets its own total fee. See DBPR's fingerprinting page for the current process before scheduling.
How Long Does a Completed Pre-License Course Stay Valid?
A completed FREC Course I or Course II stays valid for 2 years from the completion date; missing the state exam within that window means the pre-license course must be retaken before a new eligibility notice issues.
This 2-year clock runs from course completion, not from license application, so a candidate who delays scheduling the exam is spending down that window the entire time. Plan the state exam before choosing a school; see State Exam for how scheduling works.
Are There Any Exemptions From Florida's Pre-License Course Requirement?
Yes - an active member in good standing of The Florida Bar is exempt from the pre-license course, and so is an applicant holding a 4-year real estate degree from an accredited institution, under Fla. Stat. Section 475.17.
The Florida Bar exemption also carries into the 14-hour continuing education cycle after licensure. Florida does not extend a comparable exemption to an out-of-state licensee generally; instead, an applicant licensed in one of Florida's mutual recognition states substitutes that state's own education and exam for Florida's course, then must still pass a 40-question Florida-specific law exam rather than being exempted from testing outright - see the FAQ for how mutual recognition works.
What Is the Difference Between Sales Associate and Broker Eligibility?
A sales associate applicant needs only the 63-hour Course I and a passing exam, while a broker applicant must already hold an active sales associate license for 24 of the preceding 60 months before taking Course II.
The two license types are not interchangeable entry points; every Florida broker was first a sales associate. See Broker License for the full path, prerequisites, and what changes once a broker license is active.
See the Florida Real Estate Pre-License Course hub for the full page index.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governing statute (license qualifications) | Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 | Florida Legislature | http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.17.html | 2026-09-19 |
| Governing statute (school permits) | Fla. Stat. Section 475.451 | Florida Legislature | http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.451.html | 2026-09-19 |
| Course I (sales associate) hours | 63 hours | FREC, Rule 61J2-3.008 F.A.C. | https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-r-61J2-3-008 | 2026-09-19 |
| Course II (broker) hours | 72 hours | FREC, Rule 61J2-3.008 F.A.C. (same rule covers both courses) | https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-r-61J2-3-008 | 2026-09-19 |
| Completion validity | 2 years from completion | DBPR RE 1 application instructions | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Broker eligibility prerequisite | Active sales associate license 24 of preceding 60 months | Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 | http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.17.html | 2026-09-19 |
| Minimum age and diploma | At least 18 years old, high school diploma or equivalent | DBPR RE 1 application instructions | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Social Security number requirement | Required for a natural-person applicant | DBPR RE 1 application instructions | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Florida residency | Not required for the standard licensure path | DBPR mutual recognition page | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/mutual-recognition-states/ | 2026-09-19 |
| Course-enrollment age under Rule 61J2-3.008 | Not set; the rule covers course content, hours, delivery, and exam standards only | FREC / Florida Administrative Code | https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-r-61J2-3-008 | 2026-09-19 |
| Fingerprinting requirement and fee | Mandatory since July 1, 2006; $36 processing fee through DBPR directly | DBPR, Electronic Fingerprinting FAQ | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/electronic_fingerprinting/faq.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Attorney and real estate degree exemptions | Florida Bar member and 4-year real estate degree holder exempt from pre-license course | DBPR RE 1 application instructions | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| U.S. citizenship requirement | Not listed as a requirement on DBPR's current RE 1 application checklist | DBPR RE 1 application instructions | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Course-enrollment minimum age (distinct from licensure age 18) | Not stated on any current regulator page | n/a | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/ | 2026-09-19 |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a high school diploma to get a Florida real estate license?
Yes. Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 requires a natural-person applicant to be at least 18 years old and to hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, in addition to completing the pre-license course.
Can a felony conviction stop me from getting a Florida real estate license?
Florida evaluates applicants for moral character as part of licensing generally, but FREC does not publish the specific standard it applies to real estate applicants; confirm directly with DBPR before applying if this applies to you.
Do I need to be a Florida resident to get a Florida real estate license?
No specific Florida residency requirement applies to the standard licensure path. Residency runs the other way only for Florida's mutual recognition agreements, where an out-of-state applicant must not be a Florida resident at the time of application; see this page's reciprocity answer.
Is there a minimum age to enroll in the pre-license course itself?
Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 sets the licensure age at 18. F.A.C. Rule 61J2-3.008, the Florida Real Estate Commission's own pre-licensing education rule, covers course content, hours, delivery method, and exam standards, but sets no separate course-enrollment age; enrollment age is therefore a matter for each school's own policy rather than a FREC rule. Confirm any age policy directly with the school and with DBPR.
Does out-of-state real estate experience count toward Florida's requirement?
Florida does not publish a general reciprocity or experience-credit provision for out-of-state experience; see Broker License for the one confirmed experience prerequisite (24 months as an active Florida sales associate for the broker track).