Experience, the 72-hour course, the exam and fees, in one place
Everything you need to move from sales associate to a Florida real estate broker license: DBPR’s 24-month experience rule, the FREC-approved 72-hour broker course, the RE 2 application and the Pearson VUE broker exam.
See the 72-Hour Florida Broker Course — from $139 →A Florida real estate broker license lets you work without an employing broker, run your own brokerage and hire sales associates. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) set four requirements: 24 months of active experience as a sales associate within the last five years, a FREC-approved 72-hour broker pre-license course, a passing score on the state broker exam, and an approved application with a fingerprint background check. This guide explains how to become a real estate broker in Florida step by step, what it costs and how long it takes.
Not licensed yet? Start with our guide to getting your Florida real estate license. MLS Campus is a FREC-approved Florida real estate school (DBPR provider license ZH1002474) and has taught real estate licensing courses online since 2014.
MLS Campus is a FREC-approved Florida real estate school. Our 72-hour Florida broker pre-license course is 100% online and self-paced, with the end-of-course exam included, so you can study around your real estate business.
Florida Real Estate Broker License Requirements
To qualify for a Florida real estate broker license, DBPR requires the following.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age and ID | At least 18, with a U.S. Social Security number |
| Experience | Registered as an active sales associate for at least 24 months during the preceding five years, under one or more brokers. Two alternatives: 24 months as a licensed sales associate employed by a government agency, or 24 months holding a broker license in another state or country |
| Pre-license course | A FREC-approved 72-hour broker pre-license course, passed before you sit the state exam. Your course completion is valid for two years. A 4-year degree or higher in real estate may exempt you; DBPR decides from your certified transcript |
| Application | DBPR Form RE 2, broker application ($70). You can apply before you finish the course |
| Background check | Electronic fingerprints through a Livescan provider registered with FDLE, submitted right after you apply |
| Exam | Pass the Pearson VUE broker exam: 100 questions, 75 points to pass, $57.75 per attempt |
Together, these are the Florida real estate broker license requirements DBPR checks before it approves you to test.
Which Path Is Right for You?
| Your situation | Your route to a Florida broker license |
|---|---|
| Florida sales associate, 24+ months active | Take the 72-hour course, apply with Form RE 2 and book the exam. 72-hour broker course → |
| Close to 24 months | Start the course now. It stays valid for two years, and you can apply as soon as you qualify. The 72-hour course → |
| Still in your first renewal cycle | Finish your 45-hour sales associate post-license course first; your license must stay active for the 24 months to count. 45-hour post-license → |
| Broker in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island or West Virginia | If you don’t live in Florida, mutual recognition lets you skip the 72-hour course and take a Florida real estate law exam instead. Mutual recognition → |
| Broker in any other state | Your out-of-state broker experience can count, but you take the 72-hour course and the full broker exam. Out-of-state applicants → |
| You hold a 4-year degree in real estate | You may be exempt from the course. Send DBPR a certified transcript with your application. Requirements → |
| Already a Florida broker | Complete 60 hours of broker post-license education before your first renewal. Broker post-license → |
How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Florida: 6 Steps
Follow these six steps, in this order, to earn your Florida broker license.
Confirm your 24 months of experience
Complete the 72-hour broker course
Apply to DBPR with Form RE 2
Submit your fingerprints
Pass the broker exam
Start working as a broker
The 72-Hour Florida Broker Pre-License Course
The 72-hour broker pre-license course is the education requirement for a Florida real estate broker license. It goes beyond the sales associate course into running a brokerage: business entities and office rules, escrow management, supervising sales associates, appraisal and valuation, contracts, finance, closings, investment and federal income tax.
- Pass the end-of-course exam with at least 70% to earn your course completion.
- Use it within two years. DBPR won’t let you sit the state exam on an expired completion.
- Online is allowed. FREC-approved schools can deliver the course fully online and self-paced.
- Degree exemption: a 4-year degree or higher in real estate may exempt you, if DBPR approves your transcript.
| MLS Campus course | What it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 72-hour Florida broker pre-license course | The required FREC-approved broker course, with the end-of-course exam | from $139 |
| Florida broker state exam prep | Practice exams and targeted review for the Pearson VUE broker exam | Prep Master $149 |
| Florida broker math cram | Closing statements, prorations and broker-level math | $119 |
| 60-hour broker post-license courses | Required before your first broker renewal | from $149 |
Source: DBPR RE 2 application requirements. Course prices as of October 2026.
The Florida Real Estate Broker Exam
The broker exam is the last step before DBPR issues your Florida real estate broker license. Pearson VUE gives it for DBPR, and it has 100 multiple-choice questions across 12 content areas. You have 3½ hours, and a score of 75 points or higher passes. You also need to know the Closing Disclosure form for the closing questions.
| Content area | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| Real estate brokerage business | 43% |
| Closing transactions | 12% |
| Contracts | 11% |
| Valuing real property | 9% |
| Listing and selling real property | 6% |
| Federal income tax laws | 5% |
| Financing | 4% |
| Investment | 4% |
| The real estate market | 3% |
| Zoning and planning | 1% |
| Environmental issues | 1% |
| Property management | 1% |
Source: DBPR Candidate Information Booklet, Real Estate Broker Examination (effective March 2024). Pilot questions may be added; they aren’t scored and you get extra time for them.
Brokerage business is almost half the exam, so give extra time to licensing rules, brokerage entities, office and advertising rules, escrow and FREC discipline. Bring two forms of signature ID, one of them government-issued, with a name that matches your application. Each new attempt needs a new exam fee.
How Much Does a Florida Real Estate Broker License Cost?
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| 72-hour broker pre-license course | from $139 | Your school (MLS Campus) |
| Broker application (Form RE 2) | $70 | Florida DBPR |
| Broker exam | $57.75 per attempt | Pearson VUE |
| Electronic fingerprints | about $50–$80 | Livescan provider (varies) |
| Estimated total | about $295–$325 | plus optional exam prep |
Fees current as of October 2026: the $70 fee is from DBPR Form RE 2 and the $57.75 exam fee from DBPR's computer-based testing fee schedule (effective January 3, 2023). Older guides show a $91.75 application and a $36.75 exam; DBPR raised exam fees and lowered application fees in 2023. Military veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may qualify for a DBPR fee waiver.
The FREC-approved 72-hour course, online and self-paced around your real estate business.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Broker in Florida?
When you plan how to become a real estate broker in Florida, the 24 months of experience take the longest. Once you have them, most people finish in 1 to 3 months:
- Week 1: apply to DBPR with Form RE 2 and submit your fingerprints, so approval can arrive while you study.
- Weeks 1–6: complete the 72-hour course, about 2 weeks full-time or 4–6 weeks part-time.
- Weeks 4–8: book and pass the Pearson VUE broker exam while the material is fresh.
- Weeks 6–10: register your brokerage or join a firm as a broker associate.
Applications that need extra review, for example for a criminal record, can take longer, so apply early.
Mistakes That Delay a Florida Real Estate Broker License
Most delays with a Florida real estate broker license come from a few avoidable mistakes:
- Counting inactive months. Only months as an active sales associate in the last five years count toward the 24.
- Letting the course expire. Your 72-hour course completion is valid for two years.
- Fingerprinting before you apply. FDLE asks for the application first, then your prints.
- Using the wrong ORI number. Use the real estate ORI, FL920010Z, or DBPR won’t receive your results.
- Budgeting with old fees. The application is $70 and the exam $57.75 per attempt.
- Forgetting post-license. The 60 hours are due before your first broker renewal.
Florida Real Estate Broker License Reciprocity
Florida has mutual recognition agreements with 9 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island and West Virginia. If you hold the equivalent broker license from one of them and you’re not a Florida resident, you can skip the 72-hour course and pass a Florida real estate law exam instead of the full broker exam. You need a current certification of license history from that state (for Kentucky and West Virginia, from every state where you hold a license).
- Other states: if you’ve held a broker license in another state for 24 months in the last five years, that counts as your experience, but you take the 72-hour course and the full Florida broker exam.
- Becoming a Florida resident: mutual recognition is for non-residents, so check with DBPR if you plan to move.
- Fingerprints: every applicant needs a Florida background check through a Livescan provider.
Illinois used to be on the list; older guides that show 10 states are out of date. Sources: DBPR: Broker mutual recognition (RE 2) · DBPR: Broker out-of-state experience (RE 2).
After You’re Licensed: Post-License, CE and Renewal
Every new Florida broker must complete 60 hours of broker post-license education before the first renewal. If you miss it, your broker license doesn’t simply lapse: within six months after it expires you can revert to a sales associate license by completing a 14-hour CE course and paying the renewal fee. Miss that window too and the license becomes null and void.
After your first renewal, brokers complete 14 hours of continuing education every two years: 3 hours of Core Law, 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices and 8 hours of specialty education. Florida licenses renew on March 31 or September 30.
Renewing later on? See our Florida real estate continuing education and Florida license renewal guide.
Broker, Broker Associate or Sales Associate?
- Sales associate: works under a licensed broker and can’t operate independently.
- Broker: can operate independently, register a brokerage, hold escrow funds and employ sales associates. A broker who runs a firm must keep an office that meets FREC rules.
- Broker associate: holds a broker license but works under another broker, often while building toward their own firm.
Thinking of opening your own office? Read Florida broker’s office requirements and our guide on how to start a real estate brokerage. Once issued, your license appears in DBPR license search.
Why Get a Florida Real Estate Broker License?
A Florida real estate broker license lets you work independently, open your own firm, hire sales associates and earn on their transactions as well as your own, in markets from Miami and Tampa to Orlando and Jacksonville. Income is commission-based and varies with the business you build.
Tips for Passing the Florida Broker Exam
- Study the brokerage business area hardest. It’s 43% of the exam.
- Practise closing math. Closings are 12% of the exam, and you need to read a Closing Disclosure.
- Book the exam soon after the course, while the material is fresh and well within your two-year window.
- Practise under exam conditions. Timed practice exams are the best way to walk into the test ready.
- Review missed questions by topic, not just by score, so you fix the weak content areas.
Florida Real Estate Broker License FAQ
Tap a question to see the answer.
How do I become a real estate broker in Florida?
Spend at least 24 months as an active sales associate within the last five years, complete a FREC-approved 72-hour broker course, apply to DBPR with Form RE 2, submit Livescan fingerprints and pass the Pearson VUE broker exam with a score of 75 or higher.
How long do you have to be a sales associate before becoming a broker in Florida?
At least 24 months as an active sales associate during the preceding five years, under one or more brokers. Inactive months don’t count.
What are the requirements for a Florida real estate broker license?
Be 18 or older with a Social Security number, have 24 months of active experience in the last five years, pass the 72-hour broker course, apply with Form RE 2, pass a fingerprint background check and pass the state broker exam.
How many hours is the Florida broker course?
72 hours, from a FREC-approved school, with an end-of-course exam you pass with at least 70%. The completion is valid for two years.
Can I take the Florida broker course online?
Yes. FREC-approved schools such as MLS Campus offer the 72-hour broker pre-license course fully online and self-paced.
Can I apply before I finish the broker course?
Yes. DBPR doesn’t require the course at application, so you can apply and get fingerprinted early, then finish the course before you sit the exam.
How many questions are on the Florida broker exam?
100 multiple-choice questions in 3½ hours, across 12 content areas. Real estate brokerage business is the largest area, at 43%.
What score do I need to pass the Florida broker exam?
75 points or higher out of 100.
How much does the Florida broker exam cost?
$57.75 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE. Older guides show $36.75, the fee before January 2023.
How much does a Florida real estate broker license cost?
About $295–$325: the 72-hour course from $139, the $70 DBPR application, the $57.75 exam and about $50–$80 for fingerprints.
Does Florida have broker license reciprocity?
Florida has mutual recognition with 9 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island and West Virginia) for non-residents, who take a Florida law exam instead of the course and full exam.
What is the Florida broker post-license requirement?
60 hours of broker post-license education before your first renewal. If you miss it, you can revert to a sales associate license within six months by completing 14 hours of CE; otherwise the license becomes null and void.
How much continuing education do Florida brokers need?
After the first renewal, 14 hours every two years: 3 hours of Core Law, 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices and 8 hours of specialty education.
What’s the difference between a broker and a broker associate in Florida?
Both hold a broker license. A broker can run a brokerage and employ sales associates; a broker associate works under another broker.
Start Your Florida Broker Course Today
MLS Campus is a FREC-approved Florida real estate school, established in 2014, that has helped tens of thousands of students build their real estate careers. Take your 72-hour broker course online, at your own pace.
- How to become a real estate broker: state-by-state guide
- How to get a Florida real estate license
- Florida broker’s office requirements
- How to renew a Florida real estate license
- Florida real estate courses
Ready to get your Florida real estate license?
Study online at your own pace with state-approved, instructor-supported courses. Browse the Florida packages or head back to our homepage to explore everything MLS Campus offers.