Real Estate License from Arkansas to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Florida accept an Arkansas real estate license?
Yes — Florida has a reciprocity arrangement covering Arkansas license holders. Apply to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the national exam portion and complete Florida's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Arkansas is on Florida's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Florida still insists on — typically its own law exam and a background check. One caution: agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date tells you when we last confirmed Arkansas on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Arkansas and Florida
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Florida. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arkansas to Florida (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Florida to Arkansas (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Arkansas matter?
Coming from Arkansas matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Florida.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Reciprocity agreements
Florida's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), including Arkansas.
Arkansas's reciprocity agreement list names 15 states, including Florida.
- Application fee
Florida lists $62.75 for an out-of-state applicant and Arkansas lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Florida's first-time-applicant standard is 63 hours of pre-license education; Arkansas's is 60.
Florida's is 3 education hours higher than Arkansas's.
- Exam rules on record
Florida and Arkansas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Florida (this move): Mutual-recognition applicants skip the national exam and the 63-hour pre-license course; a 40-question Florida real estate law exam (30 of 40 correct to pass) is required
- Arkansas (the reverse move): A salesperson licensed in another state at the same level may request a waiver of the GENERAL portion of the exam and take only the Arkansas Law portion, provided they passed a uniform/general/multi-state exam elsewhere (minimum passing grade 70) and remain licensed in that state (Commission Regulation 4.2(d)).
What changes, Arkansas → Florida
| Arkansas (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 60 | 63 |
| Application fee | $75 (License fee $50 + Real Estate Recovery Fund fee $25 = $75 paid to AREC. Plus a $75 Pearson VUE exam fee (Arkansas Law portion for reciprocal applicants).) | $62.75 (DBPR RE-1 state application fee; the PSI/testing-vendor exam fee and the electronic fingerprint fee are paid separately) |
| Processing time | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the score report and fees must be received within 90 days of the exam | No board-stated timeframe; the license is issued after DBPR reviews the application and the applicant passes the 40-question Florida law exam |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) | Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Not be a Florida resident at the time of application.
- Have obtained the out-of-state license by meeting that state's own education and examination requirements (not by reciprocity).
- Hold a valid, current, active license in good standing in the mutual-recognition state.
- Submit a certification of license history and complete an electronic fingerprint background check.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in Arkansas after I'm licensed in Florida?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Arkansas license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Florida FREC — Mutual Recognition States (10-state list; 40-question law exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR — RE-1 Sales Associate Application (application fee $62.75; mutual recognition section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Reciprocal States (list of 15 reciprocal-agreement states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Real Estate Applicants (60 classroom hours; out-of-state general-exam waiver, Reg. 4.2) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Frequently Asked Questions (exam fee $75; license fee $50 + $25 recovery fund) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com