Mutual Recognition Information Real Estate Florida has mutual recognition with 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island and West Virginia. Brokers and Sales Associates can qualify for an equivalent type license in Florida if they meet the following qualifications:
All applicants must have obtained the Real Estate license by having met the education and examination requirements of the state with which Florida has mutual recognition. Applicant must hold a valid, current and active real estate license, in good standing, issued by the Real Estate licensing agency in the state from which the applicant is applying. The intent of these agreements is to recognize the education and experience that real estate licensees have acquired in another state. These agreements apply to nonresidents licensed in other jurisdictions. Each licensee who applies for Florida licensure from a state or jurisdiction that has a current mutual recognition agreement with Florida must pass a written Florida-specific real estate law examination. The exam consists of 40 questions of 1 point in value per question. A grade of 30 points or higher must be achieved to pass the exam. These agreements also ensure that Florida licensees have equal opportunity for licensure in those jurisdictions with which agreements are concluded. Once you have obtained a Florida Real Estate sales associate or broker license, you are subject to all renewal requirements for our state. Prior to your initial expiration date, listed on your license, you will be required to complete post-license education. (45 hours Post-Education for Sales Associates and 60 hours Post-Education for Brokers). Thereafter you will be required to complete 14 hours of continuing education biannually. The education requirements are in addition to applicable renewal fees. You will be notified within 60 days, prior to your expiration date, that you are due for renewal. Please be sure to visit your online account, frequently for your education requirements, renewal fees, status of your license, related license information, and to maintain a valid mailing address. In addition, be sure to visit the Division of Real Estate Homepage for any updates or upcoming events.
Division of Real Estate no longer has an active mutual recognition agreement with the following States:
Colorado: Agreement Dissolved – January 31, 2009
Indiana: Agreement Dissolved – June 30, 2014
Oklahoma: Agreement Dissolved – February 15, 2016
Tennessee: Agreement Dissolved – September 30, 2012
Note: If you have previously applied for your license, you may check your application status.
DBPR will notify you when your license is due for renewal. All renewal notices are provided via email. We encourage you to keep your information up to date and renew online. DBPR online services offer a quick and easy way to renew your business license, find license requirements, apply for a license and update a license.
Before midnight EST on the expiration date, you will need to complete the following requirements to renew your license:
For more information concerning your license’s unique requirements, please visit the relevant section below.
Establish your Online Account
If you have not already established your online account with us, please do so prior to the last day of renewal. It takes a few minutes to set up and you may receive delays due to the high volume of individuals attempting to renew on the last day.
Verify your Address
We send notifications and updates to the current email address on file. It is a requirement to update all contact addresses with the Department within 10 days of any change of address.
Verify your Status
Through your online account, you can verify your license status and with whom your license is being held.
Please be sure the information in your account is showing the correct information. If your information does not show your relationship with the correct broker/employer, you should have your broker/employer add you through their online account; this will add you in real time allowing you to work immediately.
Hardship Requests
If you are a licensee required to complete post license education by your initial expiration date, or the 28 hour reactivation course prior to your expiration date, and you have a hardship, you may submit a written request with supporting documentation to request an extension in order to complete the educational requirements. The request will be reviewed and determined if it falls within the hardship requirements. If the hardship is granted for post licensing education, the license status remains active but the expiration will not change during the hardship extension time. If the hardship is granted for the 28 hour reactivation course, the license status will remain null and void but will get reinstated once the renewal requirements are completed within the hardship extension time. You may mail this request to: Division of Real Estate – Hardship Section – 400 West Robinson Street, Suite N801, Orlando, Florida 32801. You may also fax to 407.317.7245 Attn: Hardship Section or email your request with supporting documents to DREEducation@myfloridalicense.com .
Please note that we will not grant extensions to individuals due for continuing education.
Fees and Education for Renewal
Both the Fee and Education Requirements for renewal are due no later than midnight Eastern Standard Time of the expiration date (March 31st or September 30th). If the expiration date falls on a holiday or weekend, the renewal period is extended to the next business day midnight Eastern Standard Time.
While DBPR encourages you to renew online, you may also mail your renewal notice and fee to:
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2500
Initial renewal after receiving your license requires the passing of 45 hours of post-license education and paying renewal fees; failure to comply with your post licensing education by the expiration date on your license will result in your license going Null and Void.
Initial renewal
After receiving your license, your initial renewal requires 45 hours of Post License Education for Sales Associates. Post License Education can be completed through distance education or classroom. The only exemption is someone with a 4 year degree, or higher, in real estate. To obtain this exemption you must submit your original transcripts to: Division of Real Estate – Education Section – 400 West Robinson Street, Suite N801, Orlando, Florida 32801.
Current licensees
Current active licensees require 14 hours of Continuing Education for renewal. This can be completed by distance education or in a classroom. You may review our Provider List for approved courses.
Please note that a Florida Bar Member in active/good standing is exempt from the 14 hour continuing education. If you have not informed us that you are a Florida Bar member, please be sure to notify us at 850.487.1395.
Involuntary Inactive licensees
Involuntary Inactive licensees are required to complete 28 hours Reactivation Education Course. This education MUST be completed on or before the expiration date (March 31st or September 30th) midnight Eastern Standard Time to prevent the license going Null and Void. Involuntary Inactive licensees are individuals who have failed to complete the prior renewal cycle requirements for continuing education/fees and are in their last 24 months of licensing. All requirements for renewal are due by expiration date (March 31st or September 30th) midnight Eastern Standard Time to avoid the license going Null and Void. There is no hardship extension for this status.
Please note that a Florida Bar Member in active/good standing is exempt from the 14 hour continuing education. If you have not informed us that you are a Florida Bar member, please be sure to notify us at 850.487.1395.
Initial renewal after receiving your license requires the passing of 60 hours of post license education (you may see as two 30 hour courses-Broker Investment and Broker Management) and paying renewal fees; failure to comply with your first renewal requirements by the expiration date of your license will result in your license going Null and Void.
Initial renewal
After receiving your license, your initial renewal requires 60 hours of Post License Education for Sales Associates. Post License Education can be completed through distance education or classroom. The only exemption is someone with a 4 year degree, or higher, in real estate. To obtain this exemption you must submit your original transcripts to: Division of Real Estate – Education Section – 400 West Robinson Street, Suite N801, Orlando, Florida 32801.
Current licensees
Current active licensees require 14 hours of Continuing Education for renewal. This can be completed by distance education or in a classroom. You may review our Provider List for approved courses.
Please note that a Florida Bar Member in active/good standing is exempt from the 14 hour continuing education. If you have not informed us that you are a Florida Bar member, please be sure to notify us at 850.487.1395.
Involuntary Inactive licensees
Involuntary Inactive licensees are required to complete 28 hours Reactivation Education Course. This education MUST be completed on or before the expiration date (March 31st or September 30th) midnight Eastern Standard Time to prevent the license going Null and Void. Involuntary Inactive licensees are individuals who have failed to complete the prior renewal cycle requirements for continuing education/fees and are in their last 24 months of licensing. All requirements for renewal are due by expiration date (March 31st or September 30th) midnight Eastern Standard Time to avoid the license going Null and Void. There is no hardship extension for this status.
Please note that a Florida Bar Member in active/good standing is exempt from the 14 hour continuing education. If you have not informed us that you are a Florida Bar member, please be sure to notify us at 850.487.1395.
Real Estate Companies are required to pay renewal fee on or before expiration date on the license. Failure to comply will result in the company’s license going into an Involuntarily Inactive license status, and any related licenses going into an Inactive secondary license status. A late fee will be assessed for payments made after the license expiration date.
Information for Initial and Current Active Licensees
Information for Involuntary Inactive Licensees
Real Estate Schools are required to verify they have a valid permit holder using their online account and pay renewal fee on or before September 30, odd years. Failure to comply will result in the school’s license going into an Involuntarily Inactive license status, and any related licenses going into an Inactive secondary license status. A late fee will be assessed for payments made after the license expiration date.
The initial renewal for instructors that have held a license for fewer than 6 months before the first expiration date of their license are exempt from taking the continuing education requirements for their first renewal.
Instructors whose license expire September 30, odd years, are required to complete 7 hours of continuing education, which shall consist of 3 hour Core Law and 4 hour Teaching Techniques.
Licenses obtained through Mutual Recognition are subject to all the renewal requirements for our state. Please review the above section(s) that apply to the Florida Real Estate license that you received through mutual recognition.
s. 475.01(1)(a) “Sales associate” means a person who performs any act specified in the definition of “broker,” but who performs such act under the direction, control, or management of another person. A sales associate renders a professional service and is a professional within the meaning of 95.11(4)(a).
s. 475.01(1) – “Broker” means a person who, for another, and for a compensation or valuable consideration directly or indirectly paid or promised, expressly or impliedly, or with an intent to collect or receive a compensation or valuable consideration, therefore, appraises, auctions, sells, exchanges, buys, rents, or offers, attempts or agrees to appraise, auction, or negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, or rental of business enterprises or business opportunities or any real property or any interest in or concerning the same, including mineral rights or leases, or who advertises or holds out to the public by any oral or printed solicitation or representation that she or he is engaged in the business of appraising, auctioning, buying, selling, exchanging, leasing, or renting business enterprises or business opportunities or real property of others or interests therein, including mineral rights, or who takes any part in the procuring of sellers, purchasers, lessors, or lessees of business enterprises or business opportunities or the real property of another, or leases, or interest therein, including mineral rights, or who directs or assists in the procuring of prospects or in the negotiation or closing of any transaction which does, or is calculated to, result in a sale, exchange, or leasing thereof, and who receives, expects, or is promised any compensation or valuable consideration, directly or indirectly therefore; and all persons who advertise rental property information or lists. A broker renders a professional service and is a professional within the meaning of s. 11(4)(a). Where the term “appraise” or “appraising” appears in the definition of the term “broker,” it specifically excludes those appraisal services which must be performed only by a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser, and those appraisal services which may be performed by a registered trainee appraiser as defined in part II. The term “broker” also includes any person who is a general partner, officer, or director of a partnership or corporation which acts as a broker. The term “broker” also includes any person or entity who undertakes to list or sell one or more timeshare periods per year in one or more timeshare plans on behalf of any number of persons, except as provided in ss. 475.011 and 721.20. 475.01(1)(b) -“Broker associate” means a person who is qualified to be issued a license as a broker but who operates as a sales associate in the employ of another.
475.15 – Registration and licensing of general partners, members, officers, and directors of a firm.—Each partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or corporation which acts as a broker shall register with the commission and shall renew the licenses or registrations of its members, officers, and directors for each license period. However, if the partnership is a limited partnership, only the general partners must be licensed brokers or brokerage corporations registered pursuant to this part. If the license or registration of at least one active broker member is not in force, the registration of a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or partnership is canceled automatically during that period of time. The commission shall adopt rules that allow a brokerage to register a broker on a temporary, emergency basis if a sole broker of a brokerage dies or is unexpectedly unable to remain a broker.
s. 475.451(2)(a) -“School permitholder” means the individual who is responsible for directing the overall operation of a proprietary real estate school. A school permitholder must be the holder of a license as a broker, either active or voluntarily inactive, or must have passed an instructor’s examination approved by the commission. A school permitholder must also meet the requirements of a school instructor if actively engaged in teaching
475.451(2)(b) – “School instructor” means an individual who instructs persons in the classroom in noncredit college courses in a college, university, or community college or courses in a career center or proprietary real estate school.
