Real Estate License from Florida to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Alabama accept a Florida real estate license?
Yes — Alabama recognizes real estate licenses from all states, including Florida. Apply to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Alabama honors licenses from every state, so your Florida license qualifies you to apply; it is not an automatic transfer. The work that remains is Alabama-side mechanics: the application, the background check, the state-law exam where required, and affiliating with an Alabama brokerage to activate the license. None of it is difficult; all of it is sequential — start the license-history certification first, it has the longest lead time.
What's different between Florida and Alabama
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Alabama. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Alabama (this page): Full reciprocity.
Alabama to Florida (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The two directions differ: Florida and Alabama do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Alabama.
- Reciprocity agreements
Florida's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), including Alabama.
- Application fee
Florida lists $62.75 for the reverse move; Alabama has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Pre-license education
Alabama's first-time-applicant standard is 60 hours of pre-license education; Florida's is 63.
Alabama's is 3 education hours lower than Florida's.
- Exam rules on record
Alabama and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Alabama (this move): Reciprocal applicants complete a 6-hour Alabama reciprocal salesperson prelicense course, then pass the Alabama reciprocal salesperson examination (state-specific; passing score 70) given by the Commission's testing agency; the national/general exam portion is not retaken.
- Florida (the reverse 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
What changes, Florida → Alabama
| Florida (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 63 | 60 |
| Application fee | $62.75 (DBPR RE-1 state application fee; the PSI/testing-vendor exam fee and the electronic fingerprint fee are paid separately) | Reciprocal license fees mirror the original salesperson license fee: a License Fee plus a $25 criminal records search fee, a $30 research and education fee, and a $30 recovery fund fee (recovery fund fee set by Ala. Code 34-27-31). The License Fee is prorated within the two-year cycle (roughly $85 partial to $170 full per the Commission Candidate Handbook). The reciprocal exam fee is paid to the testing agency (Pearson VUE). Exact current total could NOT be confirmed on the official AREC fee page (arec.alabama.gov was unreachable from the research environment) |
| Processing time | No board-stated timeframe; the license is issued after DBPR reviews the application and the applicant passes the 40-question Florida law exam | AREC does not publish a fixed processing time; the complete application and fees are due within 90 days of the exam date |
| Licensing authority | Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR | Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current (active or inactive) salesperson license in a qualifying state that is not itself a reciprocal or nonresident license.
- Submit a certification of licensure (license history) obtained within the 120 days before the Alabama license is issued.
- Complete the 6-hour reciprocal salesperson prelicense course before sitting for the reciprocal exam.
- Pass the reciprocal salesperson exam within 6 months of completing the course.
- Be at least 19 years old and a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or otherwise legally present.
- 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 Florida after I'm licensed in Alabama?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Florida 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.
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 790-X-1-.18 - Reciprocal License Requirements (official Alabama Administrative Code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AREC - Become a Licensed Real Estate Professional (salesperson 60-hour prelicense; retrieved via Internet Archive) ↗ (accessed 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)
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