How to get your Florida real estate license.

Who can apply?

You must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and provide a U.S. Social Security number. DBPR reviews your application and background. A school enrollment is not a state approval.

Already licensed elsewhere, an attorney, or holding a real estate degree? Ask DBPR which application route and education exemptions apply before purchasing. The ordinary Course 1 path is not the only route into Florida licensure.

Steps to get your license.

1. 1Submit your sales associate application.You can apply while working on the course.
2. 2Arrange fingerprints immediately after applying.Follow DBPR’s instructions and use an FDLE-registered Livescan provider.
3. 3Complete Course 1 and school certification.Keep the completion certificate.
4. 4Receive DBPR exam eligibility.Your approval and school completion are separate requirements. See how they come together.
5. 5Schedule and pass the state exam.Use Pearson’s Florida real estate program and current candidate instructions. What’s on the exam and how to prepare.
6. 6Activate your license with a broker.A sales associate must have the required employing-broker registration before practicing.

How long does getting licensed take?

Your course work, application review, and exam appointment run on different schedules. You can submit the DBPR application before finishing Course 1, so the state review and your education can move forward together.

Apply, then submit fingerprints. DBPR says fingerprint results usually arrive within three to five business days after the scan. That is a transmission estimate, not a promise of application approval.

Complete your school requirements while the application is reviewed. Plan study time around your experience and schedule. The 63-hour course requirement is not a guaranteed number of calendar days to a license.

Wait for exam eligibility, then choose an available appointment. DBPR says scheduling eligibility should be available within 72 hours after application approval. That clock starts after approval; it is not a 72-hour application turnaround.

Pass the state exam and complete activation. Do not begin practicing until the required broker registration is in place.

Missing documents, a background review, your preparation, or testing-center availability can extend the process. See how to keep the steps moving together. Check DBPR’s scheduling instructions and keep track of your separate expiration dates.

Compare your course options.

Any approved 63-hour prelicense course meets the education step. What differs between schools and packages is how you finish the course and how you prepare for the state exam.

At Daniel Larson Training, Course 1 uses a traditional course final. Sales FastPass replaces that final with three certification exams designed to reflect the state exam’s question style and subject matter; pass all three with 75% or higher to earn your course completion certificate. The full Course 1 stays available to learn and review. FastPass does not replace the state exam. See how Course 1 and FastPass work for enrolled students or explore Sales FastPass.

Current Sales licensing packages on the school site are Course 1 at $180, Sales FastPass at $260, and FastPass + Post-Licensing at $340. Application, fingerprinting, and state-exam fees are separate. See what to include in your budget or compare Course 1 and FastPass options.

After passing, the next education step is post-licensing.

Record the initial expiration date shown by DBPR. Sales post-licensing is your first-renewal education; ongoing CE comes later. Keeping that distinction clear now helps you avoid buying the wrong course next year. Read the first-renewal guide.

Joining a brokerage also raises questions about REALTOR® membership and MLS access. Those are separate from your state license. Learn the difference between a license and REALTOR® membership, then see what to ask your broker about membership and MLS access.