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A Florida sales associate applicant must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and have a U.S. Social Security number. The applicant must complete a 63-hour pre-licensing course based on the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) Course I syllabus and pass the end-of-course exam with a score of at least 70%. The applicant must also submit fingerprints through a Livescan Service Provider registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and pass the state licensing exam, administered by Pearson VUE, with a score of at least 75 out of 100 points. A 4-year degree or higher in real estate exempts the applicant from the pre-licensing education requirement, and Florida Bar members are also exempt.See the answer for every state

The full process typically takes 1 to 3 months. Florida allows applicants to submit the license application before completing the 63-hour pre-licensing course, so the DBPR can process the application while the applicant studies. The DBPR generally takes 10 to 30 days to approve a complete application, and after passing the state exam, the license is issued automatically within 7 to 10 business days. The fastest realistic timeline is about 4 to 6 weeks for a focused candidate who completes an intensive course and has no application complications.See the answer for every state

Total cost varies primarily because the 63-hour pre-licensing course price depends on the provider and format, with packages ranging from approximately $100 to $500. Fixed costs include the DBPR application fee of $83.75 ($14.75 application fee, $64 license fee, $5 unlicensed activity fee), the Pearson VUE exam fee of $36.75 per attempt, and fingerprinting that typically costs $50 to $80 through a Livescan vendor. Most people spend between $180 and $700 to get licensed, depending on course choice and whether exam prep materials are purchased.See the answer for every state

Can a convicted felon get a real estate license in Florida? You may still apply for a real estate license in Florida if you have a criminal history. Rather than restricting those with certain convictions from applying, the Florida Real Estate Commission considers each applicant on their own merits. It is important, however, that you disclose your prior arrests and convictions when making your initial application for a real estate sales associate license. On the application, you will be asked to answer a series of background questions. You must disclose whether you have ever been convicted, found guilty of or entered a plea of no contest to a crime, or if you are currently under investigation for a crime. Any criminal violation at the municipal, county, state or national level, including felonies, misdemeanors and traffic offenses (other than parking, speeding, inspection or traffic signal violations) must be disclosed. This information should be disclosed even if you were put on probation, were withheld judgement, were paroled or pardoned. You will need to include a copy of the arrest report, copies of the disposition or final order(s), and documentation proving all sanctions have been served and satisfied. This documentation is necessary for each incident. If you are unable to supply the required documentation, you will need to get a certified statement from the clerk of court for the relevant jurisdiction, stating the status of your records. If you are still on probation, you will need to include a letter from your probation officer, on official letterhead, stating the status of your probation. In addition to your criminal history, you will need to disclose whether you’ve had any judgement or court decree entered against you in any state or jurisdiction related to the practice and profession of real estate, including any pending cases or investigations. You will need to provide a copy of the judgment or decree. You must also supply documentation proving all sanctions have been served and satisfied, or if not, stating the current status of any proceedings. In addition, you will need to disclose if you have ever had an application for licensure denied in Florida or elsewhere. Again, this includes pending proceedings and investigations. If you have, you will need to supply copies of documentation explaining the denial or pending action. Finally, you will need to document if you have ever had any license, registration or permit to practice any regulated profession, occupation, vocation or business revoked, annulled, suspended, relinquished, surrendered or otherwise disciplined in Florida or elsewhere, including pending proceedings and investigations. You will need to provide copies of the order(s) showing the disciplinary action taken against the license, or documentation showing the status of the pending action. For criminal convictions, you will need to complete information on the offense, location of the crime, the penalty or disposition for the crime, the date of the offense and a description of the offense when making your application. For judgements or actions against you regarding a professional license, you will need to disclose the location, license number or application type, and an explanation of the incident. All applicants are fingerprinted for a criminal background check by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The results will be forwarded to the Florida Real Estate Commission. You can expect the Commission to check the answers on your application against local, state and federal records. Your application may be denied if you fail to answer truthfully. Applicants must disclose: • The details of convictions. • Any pleas of nolo contendere. • Real estate license applicants do not need to include any expunged crimes or minor traffic violations. In addition to DUIs, petty theft, and underage drinking, Florida real estate license applicants must include any other misdemeanor or felony charges. It is important that the applicant document each incident fully. An applicant must include any criminal history that may have happened outside Florida’s borders. A criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from licensure in Florida. An application may be reviewed by the FREC and take upwards of 90 days to process. (Florida Statute 475.17). The FREC may refuse to certify any candidate who has violated any of the provisions of Florida Statute 475.42 or who is subject to discipline under Florida Statute 475.25. The application process may be unaffected by any criminal activity disclosed by an applicant. The impact of criminal history generally depends on the length of time since the offense happened, and the nature of the offense. The more information that an applicant provides on the application, the less opportunity there is for a rejection of the real estate license application. An applicant must disclose if they have: • Been convicted of any crime, regardless of adjudication. • Been found guilty of any crime, regardless of adjudication. • Pled nolo contendere to any crime, regardless of adjudication. This information will be discovered in the background check, and an applicant’s failure to disclose this information upfront, on the application, may result in a denial of the application. Applicants are advised to attach a full disclosure, including the outcome of any arrest to the real estate application. A real estate applicant must disclose all information on the application and include documentation to support all facts. Nondisclosure of any criminal history or background will likely lead to a license denial.See the answer for every state

Do you need high school diploma for real estate license in Florida? Yes, one of the requirements for applying for a sales associate license is to provide proof of a high school diploma or equivalent.See the answer for every state

A sponsoring broker is a licensed real estate broker who supervises a sales associate and holds responsibility for the associate's real estate activities. In Florida, a sales associate's license is not active until affiliated with a sponsoring broker, who activates the license by submitting the DBPR RE 11 form or adding the associate through the DBPR online portal. The sponsoring broker oversees transactions, ensures compliance with Florida real estate law, reviews contracts, manages escrow, and provides training. A sales associate must work under exactly one sponsoring broker at a time.See the answer for every state

Can I get Florida non resident real estate license? Yes. If you live outside Florida, you may still apply for a Florida real estate sales associate license. As a nonresident, you will need to meet the same eligibility, education and exam requirements as a resident, unless you live in one of the eight states in which Florida has real estate licensing reciprocity. If you currently hold a real estate license from a state that has a mutual recognition agreement with Florida, you will be exempt from the pre-license education and required only to take the 40-question Florida laws section of the state exam. The Florida laws section of the exam consists of 40 questions and you will need a grade of 30 points or higher to pass. You will still need to meet the minimum age requirement and hold a high school diploma or equivalent. Florida currently has mutual recognition agreements with the following states: • Alabama • Arkansas • Connecticut • Georgia • Illinois • Mississippi • Nebraska • Rhode Island You will need to provide a certificate of license history when submitting your license application if you are claiming mutual recognition. You will also need to provide your license information on the Florida real estate sales associate license application. You may not be a Florida resident at the time you are making your application if you are requesting exemption due to mutual recognition. The exemptions also does not apply if you hold a license in one of these eight states through licensing reciprocity with your state or residence. Any real estate license applicant who is not a resident of Florida must file an irrevocable consent form. This form states that suits and actions may be started against you in any county in Florida in which a plaintiff has a valid suit against you. Further, it allows for any service regarding actions against you to be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the director of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Real Estate. In addition, any service will be sent to you by registered mail. The irrevocable consent form must be approved by the Florida DBPR and notarized. The Florida Real Estate Commission requires nonresidents to meet the same education, experience, and examination requirements as resident Florida applicants, unless they live in one of the eight states that have mutual recognition agreements with Florida.See the answer for every state

Where to get fingerprints for Florida real estate license? You may use any Florida Department of Law Enforcement-approved Livescan Service Provider to submit your fingerprints to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. You will need to provide the Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number to the provider when you submit your fingerprints. The ORI number for Florida Real Estate Sales Associates is FL920010Z. If you do not include the ORI number or mistype the number, the Department will not receive your background check results. You can set up your fingerprinting reservation online. You will receive an email or confirmation number once you have successfully scheduled it. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation encourages candidates to obtain fingerprints through an approved Livescan Service Provider at least five days prior to submitting an application for a real estate license. This gives enough time for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI to process your fingerprints and submit the results to the Department. If the results are not received by the DBPR at the time the application is processed, the application will be marked incomplete. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) requires fingerprints from each sales associate applicant in order to perform a background check as part of the approval process. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI will use the fingerprints to conduct background checks. The results of those background checks will be reported back to the Florida Real Estate Commission. You will need to have your electronic fingerprint process complete when you submit your initial license application. The Commission recommends getting fingerprinted at least five days before you submit your licensure application to enable time for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to process your fingerprints and submit the results to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Your fingerprints will also be used by the FBI to conduct a background check. You will have to have your fingerprints take by a Florida-approved Livescan service provider. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement keeps the criminal results from each applicant’s fingerprints for six months, starting from the date the fingerprints were collected. You are encouraged to submit your initial license application to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation about five days after you have submitted your fingerprints. This will allow enough time to resolve any application deficiencies prior to the expiration of the criminal history results. The DBPR keeps the results of your fingerprints for one year from the date the digital fingerprints were electronically received by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement retains the applicant’s fingerprints for only 180 days. If a candidate’s fingerprints have expired at the time the licensing application is submitted to the DBPR, they will be required to submit fingerprints again. Read more in Section 11 of the FL Real Estate Commission website.See the answer for every state