Is the exam fee one-time?

No — the Florida state exam fee is charged per attempt. If you don’t pass, you pay it again for each retake, so passing on the first try saves money. Pearson VUE shows the current fee when you register.

Are there hidden fees?

Not really. The main costs are your pre-licensing course, the DBPR application fee ($62.75 on DBPR form RE 1), electronic fingerprinting through a Livescan vendor, and the state exam fee, charged per attempt. Fingerprinting is vendor-set and the exam fee is set by Pearson VUE, so confirm both directly with them.

Does the license cost more for brokers?

Yes. The broker path requires a longer 72-hour pre-licensing course and has its own DBPR application and state exam fees, so the total is higher than the sales associate path.

Florida real estate licenses renew every two years. Each renewal has a DBPR renewal fee plus the cost of your continuing education (14 hours every two years). Your first renewal is the exception: it requires the post-licensing course — 45 hours for a sales associate, 60 for a broker — instead of the 14 CE hours, not in addition to them.

What’s the cheapest way to get licensed?

Pass the state exam on your first attempt and use an efficient, self-paced online course. Every retake costs the exam fee again, and classroom courses can cost more than online self-paced study, so preparing well and studying online keeps costs down.

How Much Does a Florida Real Estate License Cost?

Getting your Florida real estate sales associate license is a few one-time items: your pre-licensing course ($95.00 with Comet CE), the DBPR application fee ($62.75), electronic fingerprints, and the state exam. The last two are set by outside vendors rather than by the state, so we tell you where to get their current price instead of quoting one that goes stale.

By Scott Schubiner

Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker & Instructor · Published July 16, 2026

A calculator, Florida house keys, and paperwork representing the cost of a Florida real estate license

All fee figures below are current as of 2026 — verify current amounts on the DBPR fee schedule and Pearson VUE before you budget.

The cost breakdown

Here's where the money goes when you get your Florida sales associate license:

Comet CE 63-hour pre-license course

One-time, all-in — see the course.

$95.00

DBPR application fee

Paid once when you file your Sales Associate application (DBPR form RE 1).

$62.75

Fingerprinting (Livescan)

Set by the Livescan vendor you choose, not by the state — ask the vendor before you book.

varies — see below

State exam fee (Pearson VUE)

Charged per attempt, and shown when you register with Pearson VUE. You pay it again for each retake.

varies — see below

Costs after you're licensed

Getting licensed is a one-time expense, but keeping your license active has ongoing costs:

Sales Associate Post-Licensing (45 hours) — required before your first license renewal.
Continuing education (14 hours) — required every two years after that. See our guide to Florida real estate continuing education.
DBPR renewal fee — paid at each two-year renewal.

How to keep costs down

Choose an online, self-paced course so you're not paying for classroom seat time or scheduled class hours.
Prepare well and pass on the first try — each state exam retake costs the exam fee again, so thorough preparation and practice exams pay for themselves.
Bundle pre- and post-licensing if a provider offers both together, so you plan for the post-license requirement up front instead of paying separately later.

See course pricing

The one variable cost you control is your pre-licensing course. Comet CE's 63-hour Sales Associate course is 100% online and self-paced.

View the Sales Associate Pre-License course

How Much Does a Florida Real Estate License Cost?

The cost breakdown

Costs after you're licensed

How to keep costs down

See course pricing

Frequently asked questions

Related guides