Real Estate License from Florida to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept a Florida real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from Florida to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate, verify your Florida license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. Effective January 1, 2026 an Endorsement Process replaced Illinois's former reciprocal agreements with specific states. An out-of-state broker/managing broker holding an active equivalent license completes a 30-hour Illinois Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course and must pass the Illinois Real Estate Endorsement Examination on Illinois brokerage law; the national/uniform exam portion is not retaken.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois publishes no agreement covering Florida, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Illinois's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate commits to in writing; for anything discretionary (exam waivers, education credit), get the commission's answer in writing before you rely on it.
What's different between Florida and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois to Florida (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The two directions differ: Florida and Illinois 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 Illinois.
- Reciprocity agreements
Illinois's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
Florida's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), including Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $62.75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Illinois's first-time-applicant standard is 75 hours of pre-license education; Florida's is 63.
Illinois's is 12 education hours higher than Florida's.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Illinois (this move): Effective January 1, 2026 an Endorsement Process replaced Illinois's former reciprocal agreements with specific states. An out-of-state broker/managing broker holding an active equivalent license completes a 30-hour Illinois Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course and must pass the Illinois Real Estate Endorsement Examination on Illinois brokerage law; the national/uniform 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 → Illinois
| Florida (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 63 | 75 |
| Application fee | $62.75 (DBPR RE-1 state application fee; the PSI/testing-vendor exam fee and the electronic fingerprint fee are paid separately) | $150 ($150 non-refundable endorsement application fee for the Broker profession ($175 for Managing Broker); separate from PSI endorsement-exam fees and 30-hour course tuition.) |
| 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 | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active license in good standing as a broker, managing broker, or its equivalent in another state or jurisdiction (managing-broker endorsement additionally requires 2 years of active managing-broker practice in the immediately preceding period).
- Complete the 30-hour Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course and provide a Uniform Real Estate Transcript from an IDFPR-approved provider.
- Pass the Real Estate Endorsement Examination on Illinois real estate brokerage laws.
- Submit a Certification by Licensing Agency/Board (or Certification of License History) from each state in which licensed.
- Provide a Sponsor Card from an Illinois actively licensed brokerage for an active license (otherwise the license issues inactive).
- 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 Illinois?
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.
- IDFPR — Real Estate Brokerage page ('Endorsement Process becomes effective January 1, 2026 ... replaces a Reciprocal Process previously in place with specific states') ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Real Estate Application for Licensure by Endorsement (Broker $150 / Managing Broker $175; 30-hour endorsement course; endorsement exam on Illinois law) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — 30-Hour Real Estate Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course Curriculum (12-10-2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Broker 75-Hour Pre-License Curriculum (60 hours topics + 15 hours applied) ↗ (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
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