Florida Real Estate CE Requirements (2026): 14 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
Florida's Real Estate Commission requires 14 hours of continuing education per biennial renewal cycle for all subsequent renewals. The breakdown is straightforward: 3 hours of Core Law, 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours of specialty education chosen from FREC-approved courses. There is no distinction between sales associate and broker CE requirements after the first renewal.
First-time renewals carry much steeper requirements. Sales associates must complete 45 hours of post-license coursework, while brokers need 60 hours. The consequence of missing this deadline is severe — failure to complete post-license education forces you to restart the entire licensing process from scratch. Holders of a four-year degree in Real Estate are exempt from post-license requirements but must still complete standard CE for subsequent renewals.
Renewal dates fall on March 31 or September 30, and course providers must report completions to DBPR within 30 days or before the license expiration date.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Law | 3 | Every renewal | 3 hours of Core Law required each renewal cycle. Mandatory for licenses expiring on September 30, 2018, or thereafter. |
| Ethics and Business Practices | 3 | Every renewal | 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices required each renewal cycle. |
First Renewal vs. Standard Renewal
Exemptions
- Education Degree — Holders of a 4-year degree in Real Estate or higher are exempt from post-license (first renewal) education requirements.Exempt from post-license only; subsequent CE requirements still apply
How You Can Complete Your CE
Florida CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Florida that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Carry-over — No carry-over provisions mentioned. Hours must be completed within each 2-year renewal cycle.
- Florida uses a 2-year renewal cycle with renewal dates of March 31 or September 30.
- Initial license expires in 18 to 24 months depending on when state exam was passed.
- First renewal (post-license) requirements differ: 45 hours for sales associates, 60 hours for brokers.
- Failure to complete post-license education results in having to restart the entire licensing process.
- After 2 years of involuntary inactive status, license becomes void and must restart licensing process.
- Course providers must report completion to DBPR within 30 days or prior to expiration.
- Keep all CE completion letters to validate coursework.
- No differentiation between sales associate and broker CE requirements for subsequent renewals (both 14 hours).
Provider Requirements
FREC-approved continuing education providers. Course providers must report completion to DBPR within 30 days or prior to expiration.
Tips for Florida Real Estate Agents
- Do not miss your first-renewal post-license deadline — if you fail to complete it, you must restart the entire licensing process, not just make up the hours.
- Keep all CE completion letters as backup documentation; provider reporting to DBPR can take up to 30 days.
- If you hold a 4-year degree in Real Estate, you are exempt from post-license education but not from subsequent 14-hour CE renewals.
- After 2 years of involuntary inactive status, your license becomes void — act quickly if your license lapses.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)'s official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Mar 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.