How to Get a Real Estate License in Florida: Cost & Steps

What a Florida real estate license costs

State application and license

$62.75

State exam, per attempt

$36.75

Fingerprints at the state office

$36

State-set total

$135.50

Veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may qualify for a fee waiver or discount through the licensing office’s military services page.

Understand real estate startup costs

Sources: DBPR RE 1 application ($62.75); Florida rule 61J2-1.011 (effective Nov. 22, 2022); Pearson VUE Florida real estate fact sheet ($36.75); state fingerprinting page ($36). All checked October 8, 2026. Some older state help pages still list $83.75, which was the fee before the 2022 cut.

Who can get a Florida sales associate license

Most people call it a real estate agent license. In Florida it is a sales associate license, and it lets you work under a broker. Opening your own brokerage is a separate broker license.

The state’s application checklist says you need to be at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have a U.S. Social Security number. The application asks about criminal history and past license discipline. If you have a record, gather the court paperwork before you pay for a course.

Licensed in another state, holding a four-year real estate degree, or a Florida Bar member? You may qualify for a shorter route. Pick it from the state’s application menu. An out-of-state license doesn’t let you work in Florida by itself.

The steps, in order

1. Apply to Florida’s real estate licensing office and pay $62.75. You can apply before you start or finish the course, so do it first. Application review then runs while you study.
2. Get fingerprinted right after you apply. Use any state-approved fingerprint provider and give them the real estate code, FL920010Z. A wrong code means the licensing office never gets your results. Results arrive in up to five days. Keep your receipt.
3. Take the 63-hour prelicense course. Pick a state-approved school. Your completion certificate is good for two years, and you’ll show it at the exam.
4. Book the exam with Pearson VUE once the state approves you. Pay $36.75. To cancel or reschedule without losing the fee, change it at least two full calendar days ahead.
5. Pass the exam. It is 100 multiple-choice questions in 3½ hours, and you need a 75 to pass. You get your score at the test center.
6. Activate under a broker. Your license is issued inactive. You can’t do real estate work until a broker activates it.

The exam candidate booklet lists what to bring on exam day, including ID and your course certificate.

What Florida agents earn

Median pay, Florida agents on payroll

$49,310

Middle half earns

$39,330–$79,990

Top 10% earn over

$153,200

Florida agents on payroll

26,790

The bottom 10% of Florida payroll agents earn under $31,190. The national median is $52,830. Most agents are self-employed and paid only when a deal closes, so plan for six months of household bills before your first commission. That is our own rule of thumb, not a government figure.

Source: U.S. Labor Department pay survey, May 2025, Florida real estate sales agents. Covers agents on a payroll only. Checked October 8, 2026.

Pick a Florida broker and activate your license

Start interviewing brokers while you study. Ask who will help you with your first buyer meeting, offer, inspection problem and closing. Get every cost in writing: joining fees, monthly fees, commission split, lead-referral fees and any required mentor program.

Ask which MLS and lockbox system the office uses in your area, which Realtor association you must join, and how new agents learn the office’s forms. Don’t buy subscriptions on your own until you know what the brokerage already gives you.

Our brokerage guide explains how to compare training, fees, and support. Ask a newer agent there who helps when the broker is out.

To activate, your broker can add you through their online license account, or you can both sign the RE 11 form. Then look yourself up on the state’s license search and confirm your license shows active before you work with anyone.

Set up your agent business

Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance

E&O covers claims that you made a professional mistake, like a missed disclosure or a wrong deadline. Ask your broker whether their policy covers you, what your share of the cost is, and what the deductible is. Get it in writing.

Taxes and records

Most Florida agents are independent contractors, so nothing is withheld from commissions. Open a separate bank account, track mileage, fees and receipts from day one, and set aside part of every check for federal taxes. Florida has no state income tax. Use the brokerage’s transaction system for contracts and records. Never act on emailed wire instructions without calling a known number to confirm.

An LLC is optional

You don’t need an LLC to get licensed or to start selling. Some agents form one later, once commissions are steady. In Florida, register the LLC with the Division of Corporations first, then add it to your license with the state’s RE 16 form. Check with your broker that they can pay your LLC. An LLC doesn’t replace your license or let you run a brokerage.

The Florida LLC guide walks through the filing, and the Florida business requirements guide covers local registration and taxes.

Learn the market you’ll actually serve

Pick a service area you can cover well. Ask your broker for training on what comes up most there: condo documents, flood zones and flood insurance, homeowners insurance costs and HOA rules. Know when to bring in an inspector, attorney or insurance agent.

See the state comparison of agent and brokerage businesses for market context. Those counts are business records, not the number of agents competing on your street.

The mortgage lock-in study shows why many owners are holding onto low-rate loans. Use it to understand the market, not to guess who wants to sell.

Plan your first month with clients

Take the 45-hour postlicense course before your first renewal

Florida requires a 45-hour postlicense course before your first license expires. It applies whether your license is active or inactive. If you miss it, your license becomes void and you start over.

A regular continuing-education package doesn’t count. It has to be the sales associate postlicense course. The state requirements summary lists both courses. Find your expiration date in your online license account, and finish the course a few weeks early.

Florida agent questions