How many hours of continuing education does Florida require for a real estate license?

Florida requires 14 hours of FREC-approved continuing education every two-year renewal cycle to keep an active real estate license — 3 hours of Core Law, 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours of specialty electives. Comet CE's $24.90 bundle covers the entire requirement in one purchase.

What's included in Florida's 14-hour CE requirement?

Three components: 3 hours of Core Law (covering recent changes to Chapter 475 F.S. and Chapter 61J2 F.A.C.), 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours of specialty elective topics. Core Law and Ethics are mandatory for every license holder and cannot be replaced with electives.

How often do I need to complete real estate CE in Florida?

Every two years, on your license's biennial renewal cycle. Florida real estate licenses renew on a staggered biennial schedule whose expiration dates are March 31 or September 30 (Fla. Admin. Code R. 61-6.001(4)), and your 14 hours of CE need to be completed and reported before your own expiration date to renew on time.

How much does Florida real estate CE cost?

Comet CE's complete 14-hour renewal bundle is $24.90 — one purchase covers Core Law, Ethics and Business Practices, and every elective hour Florida requires, with no add-on fees for practice exams, your certificate, or DBPR filing. Individual CE courses are also available, starting at $13.99 for a 3-hour course and $17.99 for a 4-hour course.

Is this my first license renewal? Do I still need 14 hours of CE?

No — your first renewal works differently. Instead of the standard 14-hour CE requirement, newly licensed sales associates must complete 45 hours of post-licensing education and newly licensed brokers 60 hours before their first renewal (FAC 61J2-3.020(1); Fla. Stat. § 475.17(3)–(4)). Sales associates and brokers are expressly not required to meet the 14-hour continuing education requirement before that first renewal (Fla. Stat. § 475.17(5)(b)); it starts with your second renewal and every cycle after that.

What's the difference between CE and post-licensing education?

Post-licensing education is a one-time requirement completed before your first license renewal — 45 hours for sales associates, 60 hours for brokers — built around practical business skills. Continuing education (CE) is the ongoing 14-hour requirement due every renewal cycle after that, focused on keeping you current on Core Law, ethics, and specialty topics.

Who reports my completed CE hours to the DBPR — do I have to do it myself?

Your education provider reports your completed hours to the DBPR, not you. Comet CE is a DBPR-licensed Florida real estate school and files your completed hours with the Florida DBPR on your behalf, so you never submit a CE completion form to the state yourself.

Do I need to submit anything to the DBPR after finishing my CE?

No, not for the education itself. Once you complete and pass your courses, Comet CE files your completed hours with the DBPR on your behalf. You still separately submit your license renewal application and pay the renewal fee to the DBPR by your renewal date — that part is not something a provider can do for you.

Is Florida real estate CE available fully online?

Yes. Florida allows the requirement to be met by distance learning, and the Commission may not require a continuing education examination to be taken at a centralized location or monitored (Fla. Stat. § 475.182(1)(a)). Comet CE’s FREC-approved courses are delivered entirely online, so there is no in-person classroom requirement for the standard CE renewal.

Is the course self-paced, or do I have to attend scheduled sessions?

Fully self-paced. There are no live sessions, no scheduled class times, and no attendance requirement — you start, stop, and resume whenever you like, and your progress is saved automatically.

Can I complete my Florida real estate CE on my phone?

Yes — two ways. Every course runs in any mobile browser, and Comet CE also has a free native app on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Enroll on the web and pick up on the app, or the other way around; your place syncs automatically across every device, so you can switch between your phone, tablet, and computer without losing progress.

Is there a final exam for Florida real estate CE?

Yes. Each CE course ends with a final exam covering the material taught in that course.

Is the CE final exam proctored?

No. Unlike Florida's initial real estate licensing exam, there is no proctor requirement for continuing education final exams — they're administered online, and you get your results immediately after submitting.

What score do I need to pass the CE final exam?

Florida requires a grade of 80% or higher on the continuing education final exam (FAC 61J2-3.009) to receive credit for the course.

What happens if I miss my Florida real estate CE renewal deadline?

If your license is not renewed by its expiration date it automatically reverts to involuntarily inactive status, and you cannot practice real estate on it (Fla. Stat. § 475.182(3)). A license involuntarily inactive for 12 months or less is reactivated with 14 hours of continuing education; for more than 12 months but fewer than 24 it takes the 28-hour reactivation course (Fla. Stat. § 475.183(2)(a); FAC 61J2-3.010). After 2 years involuntarily inactive the license expires and becomes null and void. Confirm your own status and the current fees with the DBPR before you buy.

Do unused CE hours carry over to my next renewal cycle?

No. The renewal application must show that the licensee completed the 14 hours “since the issuance or renewal of her or his current license” (Fla. Stat. § 475.182(1)(a)), so each two-year cycle carries its own 14-hour requirement and extra hours do not carry forward into the next one.

Is Comet CE FREC-approved?

Comet CE is a DBPR-licensed Florida real estate school, and every course carries its own FREC approval number — FREC approves courses, while the DBPR issues the school permit. Those courses satisfy the full 14-hour CE requirement for sales associates, broker associates, and brokers.

How fast can I finish my Florida real estate CE?

It depends on your pace. Because the courses are self-paced with no scheduled sessions, you can work through the 14 hours whenever it suits you and spread them across your two-year cycle however you prefer.

When do I get my certificate of completion?

Immediately. Your certificate of completion is generated and emailed to you the moment you pass your final course, and it stays available to download from your account.

Can I take CE courses from more than one provider?

Yes. Nothing requires all 14 hours to come from one provider — you can take Core Law from one and your electives from another, and each provider reports the hours you completed with it. Completing all 14 in one place is simpler and leaves less to reconcile.

My license is inactive. Do I still need to complete CE?

Yes. The rule reaches “all persons holding active or inactive licenses as brokers or sales associates” (FAC 61J2-3.009(1)(a)), so a voluntarily inactive license is renewed on the same 14 hours (Fla. Stat. § 475.182). What a voluntarily inactive license does not carry is a separate reactivation course — the 28-hour reactivation course belongs to licenses that went involuntarily inactive.

Florida Real Estate CE: Every Question Answered

Everything licensees ask about Florida real estate continuing education — how many hours, what they cost, how the exam and DBPR reporting work, and what happens at the edges (your first renewal, a missed deadline, an inactive license) — answered in one place. Comet CE’s $24.90 bundle covers the full 14-hour requirement.

By Scott Schubiner

Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker & Instructor · Published August 30, 2026

Florida real estate continuing education, questions answered

Florida’s 14-hour CE requirement, at a glance

Component	Hours every 2 years
Core Law (mandatory)	3
Ethics & Business Practices (mandatory)	3
Specialty electives	8
Total	14

Identical for sales associates, broker associates, and brokers (Fla. Stat. § 475.182; FAC 61J2-3.009) — with one exception: a licensee’s first renewal requires post-licensing education instead of standard CE.

Florida law — FAC 61J2-3.009, Continuing Education for Active and Inactive Broker and Sales Associate Licensees

All persons holding active or inactive licenses as brokers or sales associates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 14 hours of instruction of 50 minutes each … during each license renewal period excluding the first renewal period of their current license. … The specialty course hours must total at least 8 hours.

Read the full text

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Florida Real Estate CE: Every Question Answered

Florida’s 14-hour CE requirement, at a glance

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