The application, the state exam and getting licensed
Once you have met the qualifications and finished Course I, the path to a license runs through four steps: apply, get fingerprinted, pass the state exam, and be certified and licensed.
Step 1: Apply and submit fingerprints
Under Fla. Stat. 475.175(1)(a), you are entitled to take the exam only after you submit to the department:
- a signed or electronically authenticated application;
- digital fingerprint data; and
- the required fee.
The department sends your fingerprints to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a state check and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national check. The results come back to the department to decide whether you are qualified to test. Rule 61J2-2.027(3) repeats the fingerprint requirement.
Your school also has a job. Under 475.175(2), the school reports to the commission that you completed the required education and gives you a certificate as proof.
Step 2: Show up ready
At the exam, 475.175(1)(b) requires you to present the course completion certificate, your examination admissions authorization, and proof of identification.
Step 3: Pass the state exam
Rule 61J2-2.029 sets the subject areas and the score:
| Area | Points (where the subjects can be separated) |
|---|---|
| Real estate law | 45 |
| Real estate principles and practices | 45 |
| Real estate mathematics | 10 |
A score of 75 or more out of 100 passes. Do not confuse this with the 70% needed on the school's end-of-course exam for Course I.
The two 2-year clocks
Fla. Stat. 475.181(2) sets two deadlines, and both run for 2 years:
| Clock | Starts | If you have not passed the exam when it runs out |
|---|---|---|
| Application | The date the department received it | The application expires |
| Course completion | Your course completion date | The completion is invalid for licensure |
Step 4: Certification and licensure
The commission certifies any applicant who meets 475.17, 475.175 and 475.180, and the department then licenses that applicant (475.181(1)-(2)). The commission may refuse to certify someone who has violated 475.42, the unlicensed-activity statute, or who is subject to discipline under 475.25.
There is one more hold. Under 475.181(3), the department may not issue a license to an applicant who is under investigation in another state, territory or foreign jurisdiction for something that would violate Chapter 475 or 455, until the investigation and any discipline are finished.
Nonresidents and mutual recognition
Florida residency is not required to hold a license, and Fla. Stat. 475.180 covers nonresidents.
- Mutual recognition. Under 475.180(1), the commission may enter into written agreements with licensing authorities in other states, territories or foreign jurisdictions. An agreement may provide that the prelicensure requirements in 475.17(2) and (6) and 475.175, the education and examination provisions, do not apply. Which jurisdictions currently have agreements changes over time, so check the commission's current list rather than memorizing one.
- Moving away. Under 475.180(2)(a), a resident licensee who becomes a nonresident must notify the commission within 60 days and comply with the nonresident requirements. Failing to do so violates the license law.